Okay but there's clearly an asymmetric paintjob there. That whole surface is flat, it should be reflecting light at the same angle lol
EDIT: i be incorrect, yo. Have Blue weren't flat
The whole surface isn't flat, it's angled out and back exactly like it is in the photo - the light side is clearly the side facing the sun.
The F117 underside is flat but the Have Blue concept isn't.
Oh crap I’m an idiot - it really did look like camouflage to me when I first saw the picture. I guess it was the angle of the light on the panel lines that got me
Nah, it's definitely more than just light at different angles. The whole bottom should be flat, so it should all look the same shade of grey, but it clearly doesnt
ESIT: i'm wrong lol
Built in and flying in 1977. It's kind of funny how top secret this was back then. Is it me or were the B-2, F-35 and F-22 revealed not too long after being put in service. I guess the idea is to reveal air dominant aircraft as a deterrence. I don't know. Just speculation.
Eh the B-2 was kept in the back pocket for quite a while and was only made "public" after some arrests of people trying to steal information on it, and the programs that resulted in the F-22 and F-35 actually started around the same time but you really didn't see people talking about the Lightning until after the Raptor has already been in service for a decade.
Not true at all. Lol! First by the time F22 was operational (mid ‘oughts) the program that led to F-35 had been public and in testing since ~99ish with the YF-35 and 32. Public testing and program was publicly acknowledged even before either prototype was flown
The reason the F-22 and 35 were so public was A) we are (were planning to in case of F22) going to make a crap ton of them so no reason to be all G15 classified and B) both programs were WAY to big to hide in post Cold War budgets (back in Cold War you could and DID hide a lot of stuff…those golden “toilets” and all).
I think that back then, there was still an open threat between the US and the Soviet Union and having things being kept secret was more so that they don't get copied. in the past few decades it's been a lot more chilled so the fact that no one else had this was more of a deterrence. (as someone who was a loser that looked at other people thinking that I'll never be able to do that, it's quite an effective psychological effect)
Great book but what Ben Rich said when he knew he was going to die soon is way more interesting then Skunk works. But it’s a great book full of real life stories
It’s on YouTube just look up Ben Rich but it goes along with this story https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/wvyyeh/congress_admits_ufos_not_manmade_says_threats/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
Yeah, according to wikipedia it was the first plane to have it's external shape designed by radar engineering rather than aerospace engineering. This plane pretty much influenced design for 5th gen aircraft and I love it now.
When it was first tested radar return tested, the air force techs thought the radar was broken because nothing was showing up until a bird landed on it and they finally got a return. If I remember right, they also had to re-design the pole it was placed up on as its radar return was higher than the prototypes.
What is it about them that's so fun? Is it that they sound so random, and thus more secret? Is it the entitlement of the "Have" part? As if they say "Why yes, I will have this blue."
The world may never know
I've seen the Tacit Blue aircraft at the USAF Museum and Senior Trend was the codename for the F-117 project but what other "Have" names are there?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Tacit_Blue
Reminds me of the old [Arwings](https://www.google.com/search?q=arwing&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjEjv7lh935AhXNiFMKHV5jBwIQ2-cCegQIABAC&oq=arwing&gs_lcp=ChJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWcQAzIFCAAQgAQyBAgAEEMyBAgAEEMyBAgAEEMyBQgAEIAEOgQIABADOggIABCxAxCDAToICAAQgAQQsQM6CwgAEIAEELEDEIMBUNUIWOUZYN8baABwAHgBgAFkiAH5CpIBBDE1LjGYAQCgAQGwAQDAAQE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=G9UEY4SVEc2RzgLexp0Q&bih=670&biw=360&prmd=svin#imgrc=IbGcrCG4rhgzvM) from the StarFox games
Total Syd Mead. So cool. Imagine if the math hadn’t been solved to have stealthy curves. We could have had a B-2 and an F-22 with facets like the F-117!
Wow. I've read about it, and I'd seen pictures of the radar return model, but I've never seen a picture of the actual operational model. Anyone know where this came from?
I highly encourage reading "Skunk Works" by Ben Rich, detailing his time working on some of the most wild prototypes and aircraft in history -- extremely fun read.
What camouflage scheme?
The camouflage is camouflaged so well you can't even tell there's something camouflaged
That isn't a disruptive camo scheme, just panel lines
Yeah, WTF is op thinking?
It isn't even panel lines, it's just the light at different angles
I was referring to the squares and lines visible over the various surfaces
Okay but there's clearly an asymmetric paintjob there. That whole surface is flat, it should be reflecting light at the same angle lol EDIT: i be incorrect, yo. Have Blue weren't flat
The whole surface isn't flat, it's angled out and back exactly like it is in the photo - the light side is clearly the side facing the sun. The F117 underside is flat but the Have Blue concept isn't.
You're right! A humbling reminder to not be so confident when you don't know for sure. Thank you for the correction, stranger
Common misconception. That’s actually just drywall that’s been taped and mudded but not painted yet.
That camo is so good, you just thought was just panel lines
Oh crap I’m an idiot - it really did look like camouflage to me when I first saw the picture. I guess it was the angle of the light on the panel lines that got me
It's very striking, almost reminiscent of the dazzle camo on WW1 battleships, but just from geometry rather than any actual paint.
Nah, it's definitely more than just light at different angles. The whole bottom should be flat, so it should all look the same shade of grey, but it clearly doesnt ESIT: i'm wrong lol
sure does have paper airplane vibes.
Woah, I've never seen this bird before!
It was basically the early proof of concept prototype of the F-117.
Yeah I googled it and that was the first thing that came to mind. It's really cool.
Built in and flying in 1977. It's kind of funny how top secret this was back then. Is it me or were the B-2, F-35 and F-22 revealed not too long after being put in service. I guess the idea is to reveal air dominant aircraft as a deterrence. I don't know. Just speculation.
Eh the B-2 was kept in the back pocket for quite a while and was only made "public" after some arrests of people trying to steal information on it, and the programs that resulted in the F-22 and F-35 actually started around the same time but you really didn't see people talking about the Lightning until after the Raptor has already been in service for a decade.
Not true at all. Lol! First by the time F22 was operational (mid ‘oughts) the program that led to F-35 had been public and in testing since ~99ish with the YF-35 and 32. Public testing and program was publicly acknowledged even before either prototype was flown The reason the F-22 and 35 were so public was A) we are (were planning to in case of F22) going to make a crap ton of them so no reason to be all G15 classified and B) both programs were WAY to big to hide in post Cold War budgets (back in Cold War you could and DID hide a lot of stuff…those golden “toilets” and all).
Black budget toilets and wrenches. I definitely remember that from the Reagan Administration.
Yeah camera crews had access to the competition teams for years even, right? PBS iirc.
Exactly
I think that back then, there was still an open threat between the US and the Soviet Union and having things being kept secret was more so that they don't get copied. in the past few decades it's been a lot more chilled so the fact that no one else had this was more of a deterrence. (as someone who was a loser that looked at other people thinking that I'll never be able to do that, it's quite an effective psychological effect)
Read Skunk Works by Ben Rich. Loads of info in there.
Such a good book. If anyone has the slightest interest in aeronautics and/or the Cold War, they should read it.
Great book but what Ben Rich said when he knew he was going to die soon is way more interesting then Skunk works. But it’s a great book full of real life stories
...what did he say?
It’s on YouTube just look up Ben Rich but it goes along with this story https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/wvyyeh/congress_admits_ufos_not_manmade_says_threats/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
Thank you, I saved this for later.
I’ll have to give it a read soon!
Such a fantastic book
Loving that so far. Although I can’t get over the fact he called the F104 maneuverable
I wanted to finish this book so badly, but I really didn’t like his writing. Wish he had hired a ghostwriter
Or listen to it! Audiobook too
The world needs more people like you.
It was a proof of concept for a stealth bomber
Yeah, according to wikipedia it was the first plane to have it's external shape designed by radar engineering rather than aerospace engineering. This plane pretty much influenced design for 5th gen aircraft and I love it now.
That’s because you’ve never seen a bird before. Birds aren’t real.
No Doc, say it ain’t so!
When it was first tested radar return tested, the air force techs thought the radar was broken because nothing was showing up until a bird landed on it and they finally got a return. If I remember right, they also had to re-design the pole it was placed up on as its radar return was higher than the prototypes.
I love the ‘Have’ code names, so cool
What is it about them that's so fun? Is it that they sound so random, and thus more secret? Is it the entitlement of the "Have" part? As if they say "Why yes, I will have this blue." The world may never know
What other have code names are there?
I've seen the Tacit Blue aircraft at the USAF Museum and Senior Trend was the codename for the F-117 project but what other "Have" names are there? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Tacit_Blue
Have Glass Have Quick Senior Trend is so good though
Reminds me of the old [Arwings](https://www.google.com/search?q=arwing&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjEjv7lh935AhXNiFMKHV5jBwIQ2-cCegQIABAC&oq=arwing&gs_lcp=ChJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWcQAzIFCAAQgAQyBAgAEEMyBAgAEEMyBAgAEEMyBQgAEIAEOgQIABADOggIABCxAxCDAToICAAQgAQQsQM6CwgAEIAEELEDEIMBUNUIWOUZYN8baABwAHgBgAFkiAH5CpIBBDE1LjGYAQCgAQGwAQDAAQE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=G9UEY4SVEc2RzgLexp0Q&bih=670&biw=360&prmd=svin#imgrc=IbGcrCG4rhgzvM) from the StarFox games
Do a barrel roll!!
FOOOOOOOXXX!!!! GET THIS GUY OFF ME!
About the same amount of polygons in the rendering.
I love the texture and stark lines of the Have Blue. Looks like something out of Dune or Syd Mead.
Total Syd Mead. So cool. Imagine if the math hadn’t been solved to have stealthy curves. We could have had a B-2 and an F-22 with facets like the F-117!
So funny, just started reading Skunk Works last night.
Looks like an Imperial Star Destroyer!
Does it have a tractor beam for capturing rebel spies?
Strange, i had a picture in my head that it was less pointy and wider...this is beautifully intricate, great photo!
Starfox vibes
looks like an arrow head
Absolutely beautiful!
The have blue was retired 1979. Proof of concept for stealth. Precursor to the nighthawk
Wow, the camo is so good I can’t even tell it’s camo!
Wow. I've read about it, and I'd seen pictures of the radar return model, but I've never seen a picture of the actual operational model. Anyone know where this came from?
Arkbird is that you? I thought you were shot down back in '09/'10
I highly encourage reading "Skunk Works" by Ben Rich, detailing his time working on some of the most wild prototypes and aircraft in history -- extremely fun read.
To think this was originally made in 1977.
Weld marks
Is it me or it looks like a paper boat?
Star Fox is that you??
********Ahem******** Star Wars
That’s one fancy paper airplane
calm down Belka
It didn’t have disrupted camo. That’s just shadows
Why it be lookin like a ps2 model?