Hobby Master HA5811 | F-117A "40 Years of Owning the Night", 84-0828, USAF, May 2022

General Background:

In the 1970’s Soviet air defense systems improved and the U.S. realized they had to develop aircraft to counter this. Lockheed Skunk Works was tasked with the job and two aircraft were built under the code name “Have Blue” that proved stealth aircraft could be produced. As a result the F-117 Nighthawk was developed and first flew in 1981 with the first production F-117 80-10785making its maiden flight on April 20, 1982 but it wasn’t until 1988 that the Pentagon confirmed its existence.

The Aircraft:

Sentry Savannah is the ANG’s largest fourth and fifth generation counter-air exercise designed for units from across the U.S. to do ground training, offensive/defensive counter-air missions, cruise-missile defense and weapon-drop training on the range. The most noticeable aircraft was F-117A 84-0828 from the “Dark Knights” at the Tonopah Test Range. The F-117 was officially retired in 2008 but 84-0828 has been operating at the Tonopah Test Range since 2020. The aircraft wears a logo “40 Years of Owning the Night” marking the 40th anniversary of the first flight of the F-117.

Specifications for the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk
Role – Fighter/Attack
First Deployment – 1982
Retired – April 22, 2008
Full Scale Development Aircraft – 5
Production Aircraft – 59
Crew – 1
Dimensions
Length – 65 ft 11 in (20.09 m)
Wingspan – 43 ft 4 in (13.20 m)
Height – 12 ft 9 in (3.78 m)
Weight
Empty – 29,500 lbs (13,380 kg)
Loaded – 52,500 lbs (23,800 kg)
Performance
Powerplants – 2 X General Electric F404-F1D2 Turbofan Engine Each Producing 10,600 lbf (48.0 kN)
Speed
Maximum – 617 mph (Mach .092 / 993 km/h)
Range – 930 nm (1,720 km / Unlimited with Air Refuel)
Service Ceiling – 45,000 ft (13,716 m)
Armament
2 X Internal Weapons Bays,
1 X Hardpoint Per Bay,
Total 2
Weapons Capacity Laser Guided Bombs GBU-10 Paveway II 2,000 lb Bomb GBU-12 Paveway II 500 lb Bomb GBU-16 Paveway II 1,000 Bomb GBU-27 Have Void (Modified GBU-24 Modified For The F-117) 2000lb GPS Guided Bombs GBU-29 JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) GBU-30 JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) GBU-31 JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) INS/GPS Guided Munitions GBU-32 JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) (WCMD) Wind Corrected Munition Dispenser Missiles AGM-65 Maverick (Air-to-surface Guided Missile) AGM-88 HARM (High-speed Anti-radiation Missile) AGM-137 TSSAM (Tri-Service Standoff Attack Missile) AGM-154 JSOW (Joint Standoff Weapon) AGM-154 JASSM (Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile