F-117 NIGHTHAWK

F 177 Nighthawk is the first operational aircraft specifically designed around stealth technology.

Stealth aircrafts are designed to avoid detection using a variety of technologies that reduce reflection/emission of radar, infrared, visible light, radio frequency spectrum and audio, collectively known as stealth technology.

• ROLE                             -   Stealth attack aircraft 
• NATIONAL ORIGIN    -   United States    
• MANUFACTURERE    -   Lockheed Corporation    
• FIRST FLIGHT             -   18 June 1981             
• INTRODUCTION         -   October 1983         
• RETIRED                      -    22 April 2008                     
• PRIMARY USER          -    United States Air Force        
• NUMBER BUILT          -   64  ( 5 YF-117   , 59 F-117 )         
• UNIT COST                   -   US $ 42.6 million (flyaway cost)  ,  US $ 111.2 million (average cost)
• DEVELOPED FROM    -   Lockheed Have Blue
• WINGSPAN                   -   13m
• HEIGHT                         -    3.8m
  
• TOP SPEED                   -   1100 km/h
• RANGE                          -   1720 km
  
• CREW                            -    One
  
• ENGINE TYPES            -   Twin engine turbo fan General Electric F404 
• TYPICAL WEAPONS   -   Pair of GBU-10, GBU-12, GBU-27 laser guided bombs, two BLU-109 penetration bombs, or two Joint Direct Attack Munitions, a GPS/INS guided stand-off bomb
• EMPTY WEIGHT         -   13381 kg
  

The F-117 was mainly publicized for the role in Persian Gulf War in 1991. Those days F-117 was commonly named to as the "Stealth Fighter". A F-117 was shot down by a surface-to-air missile in Yugoslavia 1999; It was the only  nighthawk to be lost in combat.

In 2008 after coming F-22 raptor the F-117 Nighthawk was retired by US air force but it is a great production in stealth air craft family.