Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!nrl-cmf!mailrus!cwjcc!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!osu-cis!att!ihlpl!knudsen
From: knudsen@ihlpl.ATT.COM (Knudsen)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Is it for real?
Summary: Stealth FIGHTER has Come Out!
Message-ID: <7618@ihlpl.ATT.COM>
Date: 11 Nov 88 18:43:52 GMT
References: <696@sas.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories - Naperville, Illinois
Lines: 22

I find it hard to believe that the USAF would let Honda photograph
a real Stealth aircraft before the official release date
of official photos.  [Also hard to believe that the new CRX
is invisible to radar; if so, Honda should sell scads of 'em ;-)].

But -- in this morning's paper, was the first official photo
of the F-117 Stealth *fighter*.  Contrary to popular opinion
and Revel Models, it is made up of flat plane surfaces,
like a cheap computer graphics 3D job.
It's a single-seater with rather poor cockpit visibility.

The photo caption speculated quite a bit:  Subsonic, not intended
for dogfights; mission is probably to seek out and destroy enemy
radar stations, thus clearing the path for conventional
(but faster) fighters and bombers.

The Air Force said they're releasing the picture because they're
about to start flying daylight missions anyway.
-- 
Mike Knudsen  Bell Labs(AT&T)   att!ihlpl!knudsen
"Lawyers are like nuclear bombs and PClones.  Nobody likes them,
but the other guy's got one, so I better get one too."