| Author | Message | ||
     Corporatemonkey |
This is just so sad, you think they could find a more dignified way to end the program. http://gizmodo.com/5052279/f+117-stealth-fighter-% 252B-caterpillar-crusher--pile-of-sadness  The last F-117 stealth fighter was retired a few months ago. Most of the fleet is now stationed in a special retirement village all its own at the Tonopah Test Range in Nevada, where they await their fate. This fate. Hopefully, for humanitarian reasons, the first Nighthawk to the slaughter seen here was done privately, quietly, out back—to avoid upsetting the others. It looks like it was...  Yes, this is a Caterpillar quickly reducing one of the most groundbreaking fighter aircraft the world has seen to a smoking heap of scrap. Because while they will always look like they're from the future, the Nighthawk's facet-based stealth tech has its origins in the 1970s, and will be replaced by the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning's more advanced systems, which are also cheaper to maintain. What is it about seeing stealth aircraft in a less-than-together state? Reassuring to know such scary-good tech is human, after all? | ||
| Mathen001 |
As a proud Catapillar employee/stockholder. I love seeing that! American icon, Beating the sh1t out of an American icon!  | ||
| Mathen001 |
Just wondering. the F117, powered by Pratt and whitney? | ||
| Mathen001 |
never mind," F-117A is powered by two non-afterburning General Electric F404 turbofan engines" did my own research. | ||
| Paw |
It wasn't the motors that ended it's career. Happy to say i'm a GE stock holder and employee. | ||
| Mikef5000 |
Oh yeah? Well I'm a flooring salesmen and stock holder, and I just wanted to point out that that concrete slab is holding up your big heavy catapillar and your GE motors. | ||
| Spdkls |
what ended the career of the stealth was its single role ability, and upkeep. also it was school bus slow as far a small bomber's go. the next gen aircraft can do what it can plus multiple other roles and they are about 3 times faster. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVN6Shc8M6Q | ||
| Slaughter |
We all got attached to these aircraft. The basic design is almost 30 years old now... the technology of warfare marches on. There ARE some of these birds that are given places of honor in museums, as gate guardians. Can't keep them all and yes, it was an inglorious end to a noble aircraft. | ||
| Strato9r |
I don't know what it is about seeing this happen to aircraft that just chokes me up. Must be that newsreel footage that I saw on the CBC when I was a kid of the Avro Arrows being hacked up......... | ||
| Slaughter |
We had an official ceremony at work with a formation take-off and fly-past that included the 117 with the flag underbelly. Sad for sure but they served their purpose and they can't all be saved from the scrapyard. | ||
| Froggy |
They going to save one and hang it in the air and space museum? | ||
| Slaughter |
Somebody got a video of them as they were arriving that morning - took the vid from outside the airport boundary. We were all invited to sign our names inside the bomb bays and gear doors but since I didn't have involvement in the program, I didn't feel it was appropriate for me to sign the aircraft. It was a humbling thing to have the formation parked on the ramp outside the shop and being saluted by the pilots as they left... Video of their arrival. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiJhYDcdp7o | ||
| Cityxslicker |
It just means the next Black project is out and operational and completed its usual 10 year R&D phase. Spooky lil things. It really never knew if it was a bomber, fighter or stealth com platform. | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
They going to save one and hang it in the air and space museum? I believe that's a sure bet. It will probably be displayed at the annex facility at Dulles Airport, Virginia where there is already an SR-71A and X-35B. | ||
| Doubled |
Well, if it will save one of them from meeting that fate I would offer to put it on display in my front yard!! | ||
| Birdy |
Same way the F-14 went...heartbreaking but time marches on and 30+ years is a long time for a Navy fighter. The F 117 was the first stealth plane out but the newer ones are more able. Then there are the Cruise-Missiles now as well. One less of our Pilots in harms way. | ||
| 4cammer |
Only in the USA: we are destroying obsolete aircraft that many other nations/terrorist groups wish that they could build. Can you imagine what we have now that hardware like this is so freely shown? I truly love this country. | ||
| Froggy |
4Cammer i was thinking the same thing. Because of this thread I looked up some videos and junk on the F-35, and it is awesome. Makes me wonder what they have hidden behind curtain #2. | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
it was an inglorious end to a noble aircraft. Speaking of inglorious ending. I have to travel to Tucson fairly frequently. They have one of the military bone yards there. Because of where I stay I have to travel right past the bone yard several times a day. Just off the road way (300ft) is a classic Boeing 707 in original Pan-Am livery. It has been slowly pieced out over several years. This last time I was down there, they had really hacked into it. It was quite depressing to see. I know it has to be done, but did they have to do it right next to the roadway, and especially with a plane wearing historic livery? Question for those involved with the F117, can much of the plane be recycled? Or are these things headed straight to the dump? | ||
| Froggy |
I think they are gonna take the heap and dump in a molten pit like how Terminator (2?) ended. That way there are no remains to be smuggled out. |
