It may just be the most sophisticated warplane ever built. Virtually invisible to radar, the F-117 Ghostrider, better known as the "Stealth", has revolutionized the tenets of air warfare. Developed in secrecy, the Stealth made its combat debut over Panama in the late nineteen-eighties and was again employed in the Gulf War a few years later. Prowling the night skies over Baghdad with impunity, it struck the most heavily defended Iraqi targets while eluding the enemy's extensive anti-aircraft defenses. The F-117's unusual shape, advanced composite materials, and internal weapons loadout make it all but invisible to radar. Flying at night, this black beauty is also invisible to the naked eye. Because it can't be detected, the F-117 can take its time on the attack, making it deadly accurate.

Pictured here is a spectacular 1:144 scale diecast replica of a F117 Nighthawk stealth attack aircraft. Now in stock!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 5-1/2-inches
Length: 8-inches

Release Date: May 2017

Historical Account: "The Black Sheep" - In 1992, the 49th FW underwent a number of transitions. As a result of the end of the Cold War, reduced defense budgets were the order of the day. As a result, the 8th Fighter Squadron retired its F-15A Eagles and received the F-117A Nighthawk Stealth Fighters of the 37th Fighter Wing 416th Fighter Squadron, which was subsequently inactivated.

After conversion to the F-117A in May 1992, The 8th deployed fighters and their crews to Southwest Asia during the 1990s as part of Operation Southern Watch to support United Nations weapons inspectors in Iraq, to enforce the no-fly zone over the southern part of that country to deprive Saddam Hussein of his Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) programs and to force his compliance with the UN monitoring regime. 8th F-117s fighters deployed to the Gulf in 1998 during Operation Desert Fox to upgrade the strike force's capability to attack high-value targets. But the 18-hour flight from Holloman AFB to Kuwait meant that the operation was over before the F-117 aircraft arrived in the Gulf.