The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk is one of the most innovative designs in the history of aviation and the first mass-produced aircraft with Stealth properties. The concept of an aircraft invisible to radars appeared already during World War II, but it was not until the 1970s that the development of technology made it possible to implement it. In the F-117 it was achieved thanks to the use of many parallel actions. First of all, an unprecedented aerodynamically shape of the plane with a slender pentagonal profile with many flat surfaces with Rudlicki's tail was used. The plane is covered with special RAM (Radar Absorbent Material) materials that "absorb" radar waves. All external elements and the shape of the cabins have been carefully refined, and the active means of detection have also been abandoned. The engines (two General Electric F404-GE-F1D2 turbofans) were also completely muted and isolated from each other. The result was a Stealth bomber that was ideal for destroying enemy radar stations. The history of the F-117 dates back to 1977, when the first pre-prototype was demonstrated, and mass production started in 1981. The planes achieved combat readiness two years later. By 1991, 59 F-117As had been produced. All weapons are carried in the bomb bay, most often these are laser guided GBU-27A Paveway III bombs, AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missiles or AGM-130 missiles. The F-117A was used in combat in Panama in 1989 and, above all, during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, in which it demonstrated astonishing effectiveness, during Operation Allied Force in 1999 and in the war in Afghanistan (2001-2002) and Iraq (2003). In 2008, the F-117 was officially withdrawn from the line. Technical data: Maximum speed: 1040 km / h, operating ceiling 13 700 m, maximum range: 1850 km, armament: fixed - the aircraft has no fixed armament.
