Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk – 4450th Tactical Air Wing USAF. Scorpion 3 Black Bunny 1/48

Armour/ Franklin Mint 1/48 scale 98063: Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk serial 79-10782 Scorpion 3 Black Bunny of 4450th Tactical Air Wing USAF, Tonopah airfield. Fixed lowered undercarriage and open weapon bay. Does not come with a stand stand.

Length 17.25 inches Wingspan 11.55 inches

F-117A Nighthawk serial 79-10782 Scorpion 3 first flew 18 December 1981. Originally painted grey, it was used for acoustic and system testing. This aircraft was used for the official introduction to high ranking officials at Groom Lake with an American flag applied on the underside, 14 December 1983. After this a big “Baja Scorpions” logo was applied on the underside for three years. In 1993 it was painted light grey again under program Evening Shade. The callsign Grey Ghost was used. In 2008 the aircraft is preserved as 85-0816 at Holloman Heritage Park.

In the 1970s Soviet air defence systems improved and the U.S. realized they had to develop aircraft to counter this. Lockheed Skunk Works was tasked with the job and two aircraft were built under the code name “Have Blue” that proved stealth aircraft could be produced. As a result the F-117 Nighthawk was developed and first flew in 1981 with the first production F-117 80-10785 making its maiden flight on April 20, 1982 but it wasn’t until 1988 that the Pentagon confirmed its existence.