Re-reading this book (for the 2nd or 3rd time) by Ben Rich (and Leo Janos).

This is an excellent account of the Lockheed Skunk Works during the time Ben Rich was on the staff. Highly recommend it.

I have a signed copy. One of the great reads about the Skunk Works.

Wow, jealous (about the signed copy). Actually, I didn't even know of Ben Rich, thinking that the Skunk Works was all Kelly Johnson. Once I got the book and read it, I completely changed my view of the Skunk Works.

My Dad worked for Lockheed (in the jig building section and later a tooling specialist) since before Pearl Harbor and retired from LMSC (Lockheed Missles and Space Company) in 1978 after transferring there in 1962. He may have worked on Skunk Works projects but if he did, could not admit it. He did tell me at one point that he had worked on every aircraft (in some capacity) that Lockheed produced in Burbank.

Dan

Fantastic read. One part that stuck with me (that isn't even aviation related) was that he discussed his expectation that he would live a long retired life given his family history for reaching old age. Instead, he died of cancer within a year of this book being released.

The F-117 story is fantastic, as is the discussion about how Lockheed's early work in stealth was based off a Russian scientist's paper that was largely ignored within the Soviet Union was fascinating to hear.

Ordered.
Thanks for the lead.

T

My favorite part of that story is when the engineer walks in to Ben Rich's office and rolls a ball bearing on his desk and said they could design a plane with that cross section.

I very much enjoyed that book.

I am surprised at the claimed radar cross sections. I lead a microwave group at a national lab for many years and the reflectivity's they seemed to be claiming seemed pretty extraordinary. A ball bearing is maybe 1/1000 the cross section area of a plane, so at least for some range of wavelengths 1/1 million of the radar reflection of a metal, non-stealth plane.

The lowest reflectivity RF loads you can get are more like 1/10,000 to 1/100,000 reflection, but ALL Those are doing is absorbing RF).

Its not totally impossible but the numbers are really surprising.

Of course they can give the real cross sections anyway - presumably the are classified.

Other than than it was an excellent read - I really enjoyed it.

As a counter to the stealth story comes from another book I'd recommend is Never Mind, We'll Do It Ourselves which details the push to add ordinance onto the MQ-1 Predator UAV platform (eventually becoming the MQ-1C).

A story in that book describes an early claim that the Predator was somewhat stealthy due to the small size relative to conventional crewed aircraft, but that was quickly corrected when the aircraft was targeted by SAMs and further study realized it was very evident from radar returns. I believe they compared it to a VW Beetle. The story could have been slightly embellished.

Great book in my library!

I was given this book a few years ago by a friend who was retired AF. He had something to do with radar systems in the late 50s-60s and was based at Edwards, among other places.
He's unfortunately passed now but he told me a few stories (the ones he could share) about testing radar on various aircraft that he described as unbelievable at the time.

My grandfather was a hydraulic engineer for Rockwell and McDonnell Douglas around this same time. I was too young when he passed to inquire about any stories of the things he did. I know he worked on projects involving the swing wings of the B-1 and the cargo doors of the Space Shuttle. I still have a B-1 hat and a photo of a white B-1A with my grandfather's signature on it!

I am completely fascinated by this subject.

I'm surprised they would think the Predator was somewhat stealthy.....it's quite big. I worked on the Gray Eagle, an Army version. Remember this was grown out of a DARPA program in the 90's. I think it was called the Gnat then.

I'm surprised they went operational "thinking" it was somewhat stealthy instead of proving it before hand. It shouldn't have taken a SAM strike to prove it wasn't stealthy (like a VW Beetle).

The F177A was proven stealthy without a shadow of a doubt during exhaustive testing with the latest and strongest radar exposure possible before going into conflict. It's deployment was spectacular during Desert Storm without the loss of a single aircraft to enemy fire over 1,271 missions over Iraq in some of the heaviest and strongest air defense systems there was at the time. They were caught with their pants down and totally bamboozled by something they could not see on radar or defend against in any way.

Dan

It's not designed to be stealthy....no special coatings or designed surfaces. It's a painted carbon fiber aircraft. What is amazing about it is the time on station and some of the payloads.....hellfire missiles, 500 lb bombs, coms relay?, optics and laser designation. I'm surprised they went operational "thinking" it was somewhat stealthy instead of proving it before hand. It shouldn't have taken a SAM strike to prove it wasn't stealthy (like a VW Beetle).

The F177A was proven stealthy without a shadow of a doubt during exhaustive testing with the latest and strongest radar exposure possible before going into conflict. It's deployment was spectacular during Desert Storm without the loss of a single aircraft to enemy fire over 1,271 missions over Iraq in some of the heaviest and strongest air defense systems there was at the time. They were caught with their pants down and totally bamboozled by something they could not see on radar or defend against in any way.

Dan

I recall as a kid seeing these odd "triangles" flying over us at high altitudes while we were sailing on Lake Tahoe growing up. They were F117's. We had an "a-ha" moment when their existence was revealed.
Everything about the F117 was "stealth," even it's name and designation. It's called the Stealth Fighter and has an "F" in the designation, but really, it's a bomber. I don't believe it has ever had any armament with which to defend itself or attack another aircraft.