Adios.....Stealth Fighter

[TwentyFo]

I can't believe it's true. One of the coolest planes ever. Read the article.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/11/stealth.fighter.ap/index.html

[mg1942]

My radiography director (a retired AF veteran from Gulf War 1) in UNLV mentioned this to me ~3 weeks ago. 
I saw a photo of his F-16A and he started talking about planes.
He said F-117s will be replaced by UCAVs.

[Gunslinger]

Yup...it's all about funds and there's not alot left over for a sub sonic late 70s tech airplane that can't do a whole lot but drop bombs.  The F-22 does it's job and then some!

[Chairboy]

Calling it a fighter was an example of optimism winning over reality.

[NUKE]

When can I buy one on ebay?

[Gunslinger]

Calling it a fighter was an example of optimism winning over reality.

I think it was more politics but I like your definition better.

[rpm]

I got to see one at the first Alliance airshow. 

[AKIron]

I got to see it at Nellis when they first showed it to the public in the early 90's. Saw it on radar before that. 

[Gowan]

dont replace the f-117's!

my best friend flew one of those

[Strip]

Iron....Tell me they had bomb doors open, gear down or at least a transponder on.

You didnt see them on radar in a wartime configuration did you? If you did I would be very suprized and disappointed!

Strip(er)

[ZetaNine]

It was downhill for that aircraft ever since a couple of mooks in serbia with some machine guns shot one down.

[Pooh21]

How would you like that on your resume.
Only guy in history to be shot down in a Stealth Fighter 

[SD67]

News flash for ya's there exists a radar that has been in use here in Oz for decades that has no problems at all seeing these guys. It's the keystone in our air defence network and it works it's magic by looking DOWN on the target as opposed to looking AT it. There is a much greater radar cross section in the plan view no matter how you try to mask it. Also stealth is really not going to do much for you, as another poster has pointed out in another thread, who cares if you've got the cross section of a bumblebee, if you're a bumblebee doing Mach 2 you're going to get shot at!

[AKIron]

Iron....Tell me they had bomb doors open, gear down or at least a transponder on.

You didnt see them on radar in a wartime configuration did you? If you did I would be very suprized and disappointed!

Strip(er)

I wouldn't even have mentioned it except that now they are decommissioning it. I was a radar tech in the AF and we maintained several sites on Nellis as well as the range. Rather not say more.

[Denholm]

I guarantee you the sun will rise again (regardless of cloud cover) on the 23rd of April.

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