OLD FIGHTER RETIRES IN BLAZE OF GLORY EAFB SHOW WAS SWAN SONG FOR F-117 NIGHTHAWK.Byline: Daily News EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE Edwards Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 301,000 acres (121,805 hectares), S Calif., NE of Lancaster; est. 1933. It is one of the largest air force bases in the United States and has the world's longest runway. - The oldest flying stealth stealth Any military technology intended to make vehicles or missiles nearly invisible to enemy radar or other electronic detection. Research in antidetection technology began soon after radar was invented. fighter bore a red, white and blue paint scheme for Edwards Air Force Base's open house to mark its retirement after more than 20 years of flight test work. The F-117 Nighthawk This article is about the stealth fighter. For the F117-PW-100 turbofan engine, see Pratt & Whitney PW2000. The Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk is a stealth ground attack aircraft operated solely by the United States Air Force. , tail number 782, was one of five prototype jets made in the 1980s, and made its first flight in December 1981. Two older stealth fighters have already been retired. Of the five prototypes, 782 was the first with complete aviation electronics and targeting gear, said Dennis Fernandez, 410th Flight Test Squadron Lockheed Martin For the former company, see . Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is a leading multinational aerospace manufacturer and advanced technology company formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta. flight test manager. ``It enabled us to test full integration of the weapons delivery system; the first two prototypes had steam gauge an instrument for measuring the pressure of steam, as in a boiler. an instrument for indicating the pressure of the steam in a boiler. The As the Nighthawk nighthawk: see goatsucker. nighthawk Any of several species of North and South American birds in the whippoorwill family (Caprimulgidae) that are buff, reddish, or grayish brown, usually with light spots or patches, and 6–14 in. program evolved, 782 was not upgraded past the second generation of technology improvements, and it became the squadron's test jet for sustainment testing. But the Air Force said the aircraft will be most remembered for a flight it made in 1983, when stealth fighters were still secret. At that time, there were lots of rumors throughout the Air Force about a new plane being unveiled for high Department of Defense officials, said Raymond Puffer puffer, common name for some tropical marine fish of the family Tetraodontidae. The puffers and their allies, the boxfish, the porcupinefish, and the ocean sunfish or headfish, form an odd group (order Tetraodontiformes). , Air Force Flight Test Center historian. ``During a squadron change-of-command ceremony, four years before the F-117 was publicly acknowledged, 782 swept in low and then banked away suddenly, revealing the American flag on its belly. The crowd went absolutely berserk ber·serk adj. 1. Destructively or frenetically violent: a berserk worker who started smashing all the windows. 2. , and the incident aroused intense excitement. The Cold War was at its coldest then, and the story (and the aircraft) was an incredible morale-builder for us all,'' Puffer said. Aircraft 782 was repainted with the American flag for the air show to resurrect a piece of its history for its retirement, Fernandez said. ``The squadron got together to paint the aircraft - a voluntary effort - and the paint was even donated,'' said Lt. Col. Robert McAllum, 410th Flight Test Squadron commander. Many of the military and civilians working in the squadron today have been involved with this aircraft and the program since the `80s. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: The oldest F-117 Nighthawk still flying bore a red, white and blue underside as it flew its final mission at the recent Edwards Air Force Base air show. U.S. Air Force |
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