F-117c

[Archibald]

Here we go... I keep on rebuilding the RAF. The service already had
- Saab Viggen (recon variant)
- Blackburn P.141 (long range interceptor)
- Blackburn P.146 (light fighter bomber)
- Northrop F-23 Guardian (successor of the P.141 in the LRI role)
- F-111K as long range strike aircraft
- Bombcorde heavy bomber
- Super Harrier supersonic VTOL fighter-bomber

Now it's time for the F-117C to enter service...

In the late 80's, the RAF become worried by vulnerability of the Tornado when attacking heavily defended airfields. When carrying the JP.233, the planes had to fly over the target.
Despite the tremendous ride of the Tornado at low level, the RAF was worried.0. the only way of solving the problem was to switch to stand off munitions. Studies were launched of a light cruise missile and the tornado variant to carry it, but the GR.4 was a long haul.
Wiating for this improved variant, the RAF needed a stealth aircraft able to carry the JP.233 over the target without beeing detected. The only aircraft able to do that was the F-117A Nighthawk. Thanks to the "special relation", the RAF already had two pilots flying the Nighthawk.
Next step was to buy some stealth fighters, modified to the RAF standard. Mods essentially concerned the adaptation of the JP.233 but also a much better canopy.
The RAF insisted to have a bubble canopy. Lockheed thought about a F-22 canopy, but the plane was still many years in the future, so an A-10 canopy was fitted instead. The frames were replaced by a clear material, but the form remained the same (later pilots joked "I forget to paint the canopy frames on my aircraft, and found that it improve visibility. why didn't we think about that before ? "   )

First aircraft flew in 1988, when the F-117A was revealed to the world. But the buying of F-117C by the RAF was revealed only much later, the planes flying only at night from Mildenhall, along the SR-71s. A VC-10 usually took off at the same time as the F-117C, covering the noise of the F-404s.

F-117C were revealed only on 17th January 1991, when a flight of aircrafts smashed SAMs surrouding an Iraqis airfield, to open the road for Tornado GR.3s. Thanks to the first strike of the stealth aircrafts, all Tornados came back safely.

F-117C XR562 was the 8th production aircraft to roll of the Warton production line. It participated in Gulf War 1, and recieved the noseart "Wile E. Coyote", figuring Chuck Jones' famous cartoon caracter.

[Rafael]

My Master, The Whiffing Force is really on your side..... B)

Archi, you're my hero!
Now I know what to do to my plastic F117 and how to model my cardoard (Carboard, Yum!!) ones!!    

Your Padawan bows before you.

Rafa    

[Matej]

Nice     The real F-117C had different air intakes, but its not so important  in what-if model.

[Archibald]

Well, if I can see a pic or diagram, I could try building some intakes... I know you're well documented Matej, so please show me... (now this is positive criticism).    

[B777LR]

     

[Archibald]

Thanks to Matej advice, I modified tha intakes. Main problem is the only view of the F-117C I hadwas this one.
not easy to see the real form of the intakes on this view...    

Pics coming soon...  

[Matej]

Yes, thats it. bottom and left edge of the air intake is the same as on standard F-117A. Right goes slightly deeper into the fuselage and is not straight - it makes something like "V". Upper edge with sawtooths is longer, but the most important is that when you compute the average of the lenghts, the virtual line of the upper edge has smaller swept that the bottom edge. F-117A has them the same.

And keep your A-10 canopy, it looks much better than that glass-house.

[Archibald]

Don't worry, I'll never remove this canopy! It was so difficult to fix...
In fact my work is based on this profile... of which canopy seem quite different. I'm rather confused, but in every case, canopy of my model won't change.    

I worked the thing I'm not allowed to say the intakes, it was very difficult to obtain a good result...    


http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e68/GTwi...he-162/scan.jpg

[Archibald]

Here's the plane with the modified intakes... this F-117C is one of the longuest and painful builds I ever atempted.  

[Matej]

Painfulness does not matter. Look at the result    

[ysi_maniac]

Hi Archie:
I like your model, but with that green/grey camo it will be a winner ....   Oh, I see, it is under the washable coat of desert colour.

Good      

[Archibald]

Very practical indeed... in fact the plane is painted in desert pink camo  (to operate in Iraq)  at take off. Then, the pilot find a cloud loaded with rain, cross the cloud and washed the aircraft. The blue / grey camo appears and the plane which can now land in GB        

Thanks for the cheers comments guys!  

[Burncycle]

That bird looks great with that canopy!

[Archibald]

If someone need a F-117A canopy one day, let me now    

[cthulhu77]

Most cool !  Love the whole concept and model...you did a great job on that one.