F 117 Nighthawk May 2026

See a breakdown of the used (RAM) Learn about the Serbian commander who shot one down Get a list of museums where you can see one in person

The development of the F-117 began in the mid-1970s under the "Have Blue" project. To achieve its radar-evading capabilities, engineers utilized a concept called "faceting." At the time, computers were not powerful enough to calculate the radar cross-section of curved surfaces, so the aircraft was designed with flat, angled panels. These panels reflected radar waves away from the source rather than back to it. This gave the Nighthawk its unique, "hopeless diamond" shape. f 117 nighthawk

The aircraft first took flight in 1981 at the secretive Groom Lake facility, better known as Area 51. It remained a highly classified secret for years, with pilots flying only at night to avoid detection by satellites or observers. The public didn't get its first official glimpse of the F-117 until 1988, and it wasn't until the 1991 Gulf War that the aircraft became a household name. See a breakdown of the used (RAM) Learn