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Stealth technology, which seemed impossible, took shape with the introduction of the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk.
To say that it is an unconventional aircraft is to say nothing. Its appearance cannot be left unnoticed. The resulting diamond shape design surprised and puzzled even experienced pilots. A Royal Air Force pilot who flew it as an exchange officer stated that when he first saw a photograph of the still-secret F-117, he "promptly giggled and thought to himself 'this clearly can't fly'".
However, the result had exceeded all expectations. Its shape was created focusing on low-observability rather than aerodynamics. Aerodynamically unstable in all three aircraft principal axes it used a computer to maintain controlled flight.
The chosen shape reduced detection by redirecting electromagnetic radiation waves from radars. Different radiation-absorbent materials were also tested and made to reduce or block radar signals that reflected off the aircraft surfaces.
However, many within the division were skeptical of the shape, giving rise to the name "Hopeless Diamond".
From the computer program, the Skunk Works engineers created a ten-foot wooden model of the "Hopeless Diamond". The model was taken to an outdoor radar test range on the Mojave Desert near Palmdale. The model was mounted on a 12-foot-high pole, and the radar dish zeroed in from about 1,500 feet away. The site radar operator could not see the model on the radar, until a black bird landed right on top of the “Hopeless Diamond”. It was unbelievable, but the radar was only picking up the bird.
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ADC International