Lockheed Have Blue

History

Have Blue is the predecessor to the classic Lockheed F-117 "Nighthawk", the so-called stealth fighter that was actually a bomber. Have Blue, also built by Lockheed, was developed as a proof-of-concept aircraft to demonstrate the viability of a stealth-centric aircraft, including fly-by-wire controls, stealth airframe design and stealth airframe materials. The result is a completely unique aircraft in aviation history. The Have Blue prototype mimics the final F-117 in form and function, and provides engineers with the data needed to move the Nighthawk product forward.

Two prototypes were built for the program in 1977-78, but both were eventually lost during testing.

At the time the program was created, the United States Air Force (USAF)'s primary adversary on the global stage remained the Soviet Empire and its extensive network of air defenses and high-speed interceptors. To get around this network, it was realized that high-flying supersonic platforms were no longer a viable option because Soviet air defenses were too advanced.

Instead, consider developing a subsonic platform that can easily get in and out of these defenses through the use of stealth. Stealth will be achieved through special aircraft styling, non-afterburning turbojet engines and radar absorbing material (RAM) covering the aircraft's "skin".

The design and development of the aircraft fell into the hands of Lockheed's vaunted "Skunk Works," and computer programs helped engineers refine the basic concepts. The final product was an arrow-shaped aircraft with a faceted fuselage and a low-position hybrid-wing main aircraft. No horizontal tail was used - instead, the inward-sloping plane became the only vertical surface that existed. Structural dimensions include a length of 47.2 feet, a wingspan of 22.5 feet and a height of 7.5 feet.

Curb weight is 8,950 lbs and MTOW is 12,500 lbs. A conventional three-wheeled wheeled/retractable undercarriage is used for ground travel.

Internally, the aircraft carries a pilot under a framed triangular canopy and sits directly behind a sharp nose cone assembly. Propulsion is provided by 2 General Electric J85-GE-4A non-afterburning turbojet engines, allowing the aircraft to reach a top speed of 600 mph.

The engine exhaust ports are carefully designed to help reduce the aircraft's heat signature, especially from the rear. For the same reason, the fuselage and wings extend beyond these openings, and the air intakes are wrapped in lattice-like panels.

While the Have Blue demonstrator had roughly the same faceted and planar shape as the F-117, it was smaller in size than a full-fledged Nighthawk in service with the USAF, and it turned out that the F-117's vertical tail was sloping so outward that Provides better stability. The chances of these diamond-shaped planes actually flying are so slim that engineers have dubbed the design "hopeless diamonds."

Ultimately, two prototypes were built for the Have Blue program and actively flown (totally confidential) under the names "HB1001" and "HB1002". The HB1001 first flew on December 1, 1977, and engineers paid particular attention to the fly-by-wire (FBW) (quadruple redundant) system - the Have Blue concept was inherently unstable because the plane's outward pilot assistance became mandatory. On May 4, 1978, during the aircraft's 36th flight, the prototype made a hard landing, damaging one of the main landing gear legs.

A lack of fuel caused one of the engines to stall. Unable to land, the test pilot jumped to safety and the prototype crashed.

HB1002, with modified fuselage tail, first flight on July 20, 1978. However, his time in the air was brief, as on July 11, 1979, a hydraulic leak caused an engine fire and hydraulic loss. The test pilot jumped to safety again, but the prototype was lost in the ensuing crash.

Even with the loss of two Have Blue prototypes during testing, the project was considered a success in the eyes of project observers, while still providing the necessary framework for the subsequent F-117. Back in the late 1970s, the media was reasonably aware that something was going on, but it wasn't until the full-scale debut of the F-117 in 1988 that the concept of the stealth fighter was truly recognized by the public.

The idea of ??a large, faceted fuselage was abandoned shortly after, as computer tests showed that curves could be applied and still maintain camouflage - thus completing the B-2's smooth silhouette.

Today, both the Lockheed F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II strike platform benefit from the technological breakthroughs provided by the Have Blue program. The combination of faceted surfaces and rounded profiles of this type is noteworthy.

Lockheed has blue specs

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