Hopeless Diamond

[Hobbes]

Kit page



 

[PolluxDeltaSeven]

What the frack is this???    

I never heard about that!! Was it a fictional plane, or a test vehicule in order to developp the F-117, something like that??

Well, if it ever flew over Area 51, I understand why so much people in the place saw Flying Saucers!!  

[Archibald]

I heard about this thing in Le Fana (article on the F-117 in 1999).

well, this thing was the most stealth form the computers could produced at the time of the F-117.
It's an early variant of the F-117, (something like the first drawing leading to it) abandoned because it was simply non flyable .
So they added real wings, V-tail, bomb bay and obtained the Have Blue in 1977 and later the F-117.
Le Fana translated that by "l'impossible diamant".

[Mossie]

Yep, the hopeless diamond was proven by Lockheed to be the best possible shapes to scatter radar, from this shape the Have Blue was developed which used the hopless diamond concept as much as is possible in a flyable aircraft & from that the F-117 which uses the shape operationally, albeit only just functionally!

The Hopeless Diamond would have been useless as an aircraft without at least some changes.  I've seen some drawings that shows it was at the very least part of Lockheeds design process, although I find it very hard to beleive it was ever a practical proposal.  Have blue was more or less Hopless Diamond with wings & tail.

Here's a diagram showing plan views of the F-117's development, Hopless Diamond, Have Blue, F-117A & F-117X:

[Captain Canada]

Neat, but man, what a boring kit that would be ! Might as well just chop up a -117.

[Archibald]

Mossie, this pic was in the magazine I mentionned in my post (le Fana de l'aviation, June 1999). That's really the same picture!!!  

[Archibald]

Neat, but man, what a boring kit that would be ! Might as well just chop up a -117.

nope, just made it from cardboard, using strong glue and plastic bottle! That's how I made my Lampyridae  ^_^

[BlackOps]

Kinda neat but I can't imagine a better candidate for a scratch build.  I know that scratch building isn't everyones cup of tea but if you were ever going to give it a go this would be a perfect choice.

Now I want to see more of that 117X how come we never got those, they look pretty spiffy!

[Mossie]

More F-117X?  Happy to oblige!







The F-117X was an extension of the F-117N programme for a Carrier based F-117 variant.  The F-117N was rejected (I think it was largely a beefed up F-117 for Naval ops with less wing sweep).  Lockheed then proposed the F-117X & congress apparently set aside some money for a prototype, so wether this has flown or is due to fly I have no idea.  A lot of emphasis was made on improving the flying charateristics, new engines & an all clear canopy with no framing for improved visibility.

This one might be of interest to some as well, I didn't know about it until I started searching but apparently the F-117 was proposed to the RAF (possibly as the F-117C), with some improvements & changes to incorporate UK systems & structures.  No idea if this was a real proprosal or just web rumour:



PS Archie, didn't mean to step on your toes, it seems we posted at about the same time!

[Archibald]

What problem  ^_^

nice pictures...
still from Le Fana of 1999, I remember they talked about a proposal to the RAF...

[BlackOps]

Cool! I hadn't seen those before, thanks for sharing.

[B777LR]

Speaking of F-117, the retirement of them begins this year, and all are to be retired by next year  

[Mossie]

Kind of asks the question, what will (has?) replace it?  F-22's in a strike role are the proposed replacement, but this doesn't seem quite right to me.  Maybe the FB-23 that we all know is already in service?!?!?  

[Son of Damian]

Speaking of F-117, the retirement of them begins this year, and all are to be retired by next year 

Actually all are supposed to be out of service by 2008. If the USAF/DOD/USGOV is smart they will pass them on to some other country that can squeeze some more life out of them, UK, France, Australia, Japan, Korea, etc., etc.

[Archibald]

Speaking of F-117, the retirement of them begins this year, and all are to be retired by next year 

Actually all are supposed to be out of service by 2008. If the USAF/DOD/USGOV is smart they will pass them on to some other country that can squeeze some more life out of them, UK, France, Australia, Japan, Korea, etc., etc.

And that could be very, very cool. Hmm I still have French and British roundels, with some desert pink...
now I have to go, because you give me  ideas to recycle my old F-117! c'est malin!!!