F-117 Retirement

[Papa9571]

After 27 years the F-117 is to be retired.

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financia ... B8EBG0.htm

[mrjake2002]

Not surprising but still sad.  :(

I'm just glad I saw one at RIAT last year.

[Chris_F]

The F117 is being replaced by the F22?!?!  Yeah, great reporting guys...

[DaveSims]

[quote]The F117 is being replaced by the F22?!?!

[aussiewannabe]

[quote]Not surprising but still sad.

[Boss_BlueAngels]

Kinda sad to see her go.

[Layne.]

Geeze that is just stupid, at least they have the B-1B still right

[beefhole]

Geeze that is just stupid, at least they have the B-1B still right

Actually it's a good idea.  Never performed as it was supposed to and it was a maintenance nightmare in-theatre.  It had an over reliance on the Radar Absorbant Materials coating, which had to be replaced dafter every single flight.  Newer stealth technology relies on the design of the aircraft instead of a painting of goo on the plane, a lesson learned from the F-117.  It's payload also left something very much to be desired.

Also, the B-1B is a really cool aircraft, but it's also kinda sorta a piece of crap that never should have been built.  Another aircraft that has low performance specs and flies about once a month (the afterburners are cool, but when the B-1 has a full combat load it could barely clear the mountains in the desert).  The bureaucracy never fails to win in the end though.

Now, the BUFF, THAT is one sexy beast.  Far and away the best bomber of all time, and we don't even have to begin looking for a replacement for another 15 years or so.  Farewell to the Nighthawk though, it was a cool aircraft.