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Old November 5th 03, 03:19 AM
Thomas Schoene
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Hobo wrote:
Is it because a radar wouldn't fit into the funny shape of the
aircraft or because LPI radar of that era wasn't good enough?


LPI was pretty much non-existent when the F-117 was designed anyway.
Remember that this was essentially a late 1970s design, with the first
planes delivered in the very early 1980s.

They made a decision not to use any active sensors in the design, and the
space where a radar might go was taken up by the two FLIR balls instead.

OTOH, some of the notional Navy F-117 developments had radar, so it was not
physically impossible to install. However, the Navy F-117s were much later
ideas (early 1990s) and radar tech had advanced. In any case, they would
probably not have expected to stay stealthy with the radar active.

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