I don't know the exact crosssection of the F-117 (if I did, the CIA would be all over me right about now), but I watched a program about the B-2 program, I they were testing the radar crosssection of the B-2 on a sunny day like So Cal. Anyway, the crosssection was small than the sparrow that landed on the plane
Out of missles?
- Thread starter DC
- Start date
*big grin* (yeah, i know you're kidding)The point is the serb radar operator wouldn't see the bird. unless the plane does something to give the radar an edge (roll the 'wrong' way, get too close, etc) they don't even know that there's anyone around until-
*WHOOMPH*
...the flaming datum.
Heh. Of course, looks like someone saw something this time.
Mike
PS OH! oh oh oh! I just had an Idea. The radar cross section of a non-stealth strike aircraft increases about...what? 4-6 times when it opens its weapons bay doors. There would certainly be a RCS jump as well when a Nighthawk opens its weapons bay. Assuming this guy got tagged over the target, he might have been lit up just as he started his run. Or, hell...mechanical failure. Imagine the thing jamming open. Talk about getting caught with yer zipper down.
All idle speculation, of course. Who knows? One way or the other the US public has just learned stealth ain't magic...something that no one who knows anything about modern warfare should be shocked to discover. Just recall that these planes have been bombing the most heavily defended targets in two conflicts now (Panama don't count), and this is the first one that got downed. Much better than anything else anyone has...except the B-2, I bet.
Golden BB comes to mind mech. failure has been evident in this airframe as well. Imagine Janes Simulations "Fighters Anthology" etc. causes you to loose much stealth when your bomb bay is open? These guy's really don't make their living at making great computer games.
My .02
Hank
My .02
Hank
Yeah...the airframe is made of supersnazzy material that might be great from a stealth point of view, but less than ideal from a strength point of view....so I'm told anyway.
Add in the fact that the plane itself is not the most aerodynamic thing in the sky and you have a recipe for high stress on parts of the structure. What happend to the plane at the Bawlmer (thats Baltimore, for all you non-Maryland people) Airshow was a structural failure involving the wing. As I said earlier, the danged thing basically parted ways with the rest of the aircraft.
But again, we have the pilot. He knows better than anyone else what happened to the plane. If it was a mechanical problem, I bet we'd have heard about it by now. You know..."the plane had a mech failure, but we don't think its an issue for the rest of our fleet. Game on." So no, he was shot down. My $0.02
As to the weapons bay issue...you lose stealthiness when you open the doors for a few reasons:
1. the doors themselves, when open, provide a flat, vertical surface that is PERFECT for reflecting radar beams. At least, they're like that on non-stealth aircraft. Perhaps the F-117A is set up so they are angled differently. Not sure.
2. The interior of the weapons bay is mostly flat surfaces...again, the F-117A might be different...but there is a limited amount of space on an aircraft, and making the weapons bays conform to stealthy angles and facets probably is not an option. A guess...
3. The payload is definately !stealth. Thats why its on the inside, not the outside.
4. The interior of the weapons bay is likely not RAM-coated. That crap is expensive.
For what its worth. Remember, this is all guess work...especially the part about him getting popped with the bay doors open. Just a stray thought...
Mike
PS I cannot say it enough, though...these planes attack the most heavily defended targets out there, and they do it pretty much alone. They take risks that no other aircraft can possibly take. Sooner or later one of them was gonna get popped.
Add in the fact that the plane itself is not the most aerodynamic thing in the sky and you have a recipe for high stress on parts of the structure. What happend to the plane at the Bawlmer (thats Baltimore, for all you non-Maryland people) Airshow was a structural failure involving the wing. As I said earlier, the danged thing basically parted ways with the rest of the aircraft.
But again, we have the pilot. He knows better than anyone else what happened to the plane. If it was a mechanical problem, I bet we'd have heard about it by now. You know..."the plane had a mech failure, but we don't think its an issue for the rest of our fleet. Game on." So no, he was shot down. My $0.02
As to the weapons bay issue...you lose stealthiness when you open the doors for a few reasons:
1. the doors themselves, when open, provide a flat, vertical surface that is PERFECT for reflecting radar beams. At least, they're like that on non-stealth aircraft. Perhaps the F-117A is set up so they are angled differently. Not sure.
2. The interior of the weapons bay is mostly flat surfaces...again, the F-117A might be different...but there is a limited amount of space on an aircraft, and making the weapons bays conform to stealthy angles and facets probably is not an option. A guess...
3. The payload is definately !stealth. Thats why its on the inside, not the outside.
4. The interior of the weapons bay is likely not RAM-coated. That crap is expensive.
For what its worth. Remember, this is all guess work...especially the part about him getting popped with the bay doors open. Just a stray thought...
Mike
PS I cannot say it enough, though...these planes attack the most heavily defended targets out there, and they do it pretty much alone. They take risks that no other aircraft can possibly take. Sooner or later one of them was gonna get popped.
The F-117 is an odd plane. the bomb bay door s open like normal bomber type plane, but where to doors meet is not the standard straight metting. it meets at jagged edges, does that make sense?
also, the bombs are held on the revolving thing. it only holds 2 or 3 don't remember the number bombs. the opening is not that big. it does increase the Radar Cross section, but you would have to get lucky to turn on you radar at that moment. They got lucky, but we got the pilot back and thats whats important. you can make more planes, but it takes 20+ years and a couple million bucks to make pilots
also, the bombs are held on the revolving thing. it only holds 2 or 3 don't remember the number bombs. the opening is not that big. it does increase the Radar Cross section, but you would have to get lucky to turn on you radar at that moment. They got lucky, but we got the pilot back and thats whats important. you can make more planes, but it takes 20+ years and a couple million bucks to make pilots