F-117A Stealth Fighter Retired

zonker writes "Nearly 30 years ago Lockheed Martin's elite Skunk Works team developed what would become the F-117A Nighthawk Stealth Fighter. A few of their earlier projects include the SR-71 Blackbird and U2 Dragon Lady spy planes. Today is the last for the Stealth Fighter, which is being replaced by the F-22 Raptor (another Skunk Works project)."

Don't worry about it...

[thewils]

I'm sure it will retire to a nice well-paid job in the defense industry.

Meanwhile...

[operagost]

... after 56 years, the B-52s keep flying. No, I don't mean the band, although I do like the idea of roaming if I so desire.

Re:What are they working on now?

[Thelasko]

Sheriff of Rottingham: This is a stealth catapult, we've been working on it secretly for months. It can hurl one of these heavy boulders undetected, over a hundred yards, completely destroying anything in its path.

Prince John: Wow! How's it work?

Sheriff of Rottingham: It's rather simple. You get one of these heavy boulders, put it here where I'm sitting, and then pull on that lever.

Prince John: Like this?

[John pulls the lever and flings Mervin into the air]

Sheriff of Rottingham: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!

Imperial assloads

[sconeu]

How many VW's in an imperial assload?

Seriously, though, that's a fairly nice analysis.

Re:Fuel leaking SR-71's

[MightyYar]

That would probably work. But throwing the undead into a vat of kerosene and lighting the vat would not. :)

Re:First the hard drive, now this..

[Dunbal]

Don't forget about Raptor Jesus, he went extinct for your sins!

Re:F22 ain't no Arrow

[Lije Baley]

Yes, the ever-growing legend of the Avro Arrow. At this rate it's soon to be indistinguishable from Chuck Norris. Oh, and you left out the conspiracy theories.

Re:Fuel leaking SR-71's

[myth_of_sisyphus]

A good SR-71 anecdote. From "Sled Driver"

        "One day, high above Arizona, we were monitoring the radio traffic of all the mortal airplanes below us. First, a Cessna pilot asked the air traffic controllers to check his ground speed. 'Ninety knots,' ATC replied. A twin Bonanza soon made the same request. 'One-twenty on the ground,' was the reply. To our surprise, a navy F-18 came over the radio with a ground speed check. I knew exactly what he was doing. Of course, he had a ground speed indicator in his cockpit, but he wanted to let all the bug-smashers in the valley know what real speed was. 'Dusty 52, we show you at 620 on the ground,' ATC responded.

        The situation was too ripe. I heard the click of Walter's mike button in the rear seat. In his most innocent voice, Walter startled the controller by asking for a ground speed check from 81,000 feet, clearly above controlled airspace. In a cool, professional voice, the controller replied, 'Aspen 20, I show you at 1,982 knots on the ground.' We did not hear another transmission on that frequency all the way to the coast."

Re:What are they working on now?

[Danse]

With the improvements we've made with the unmanned craft, why build anything else? Your pilots get to stay safe out of harms way, you no longer have to degrade performance because of the limits of the human body, and you get to save money by not worrying about keeping the pilot alive.

I think you're right that these remotely piloted craft are the future of combat. Combat evolved, if you will. In fact, the AF could do a lot to increase its recruiting prospects by developing the capability for these drones to teabag their opponents after defeating them. Perhaps incorporate the ability to spray a graffiti tag or spew racially insensitive invective. I know I find such tactics to be highly demoralizing and I generally go find something else to do fairly quickly.

Pimp my corporate priviledges.

[Scrameustache]

I'm sure it will retire to a nice well-paid job in the defense industry.

The revolving door of the military industrial congress complex: It is retiring from military service to civilian service.

3 words: Stealth jet limo.
The next person to make fun of Scientology gets a surprise visit from Travolta and his payload.

Also

[StarKruzr]

there's an A-12, which is basically the same plane, at Udvar Hazy in Maryland. It's an annex of the Smithsonian Air and Space museum.

This also happens to be Enterprise's current perch. I had no idea she was there the first time I went. So I'm walking along and turn a corner, and HOLY SHIT SPACE SHUTTLE@!>!@$!#E#KRK

It was kind of a surreal experience.

Re:Fuel leaking SR-71's

[Mahjub Sa'aden]

Thank you ever so much for clarifying. I feel as if the wool has lifted from my eyes... and been replaced with bricks.

Yeah...

[Vr6dub]

what he said.

Re: F-117A Stealth Fighter Retired

[Ihlosi]

"Look what I just found on eBay ..."