Hobby Master 1/72 Air Power Series
HA5811F-117A "40 Years of Owning the Night" 84-0828, USAF, May 2022
General Background
In the 1970’s Soviet air defense 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.
The Aircraft
Sentry Savannah is the ANG’s largest fourth and fifth generation counter-air exercise designed for units from across the U.S. to do ground training, offensive/defensive counter-air missions, cruise-missile defense and weapon-drop training on the range. The most noticeable aircraft was F-117A 84-0828 from the “Dark Knights” at the Tonopah Test Range. The F-117 was officially retired in 2008 but 84-0828 has been operating at the Tonopah Test Range since 2020. The aircraft wears a logo “40 Years of Owning the Night” marking the 40th anniversary of the first flight of the F-117.
