Northrop F-117D Tacit Blue (The Whale)
Northrop Tacit blue is an air surveillance stealth aircraft
which was built during the period of cold war between USA
and USSR. It is a variant of Lockheed F-117 stealth fighter. It
took its first flight on February 5th of 1982 and retired after
135 flights in 1985. This stealth aircraft was disclosed to
public in 1996. It is the one of the most unstable aircraft,
never went into a combat but redefined the air warfare. It was
one of the most transformational secret aircraft test programs
ever developed by the US air force with a revolutionary air
frame which is rectangular yet slightly round. That’s why it
was nicknamed as “the whale” and “alien school bus”.
In late 1976, the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency and the US air force started a program
called battlefield surveillance aircraft experimental the program's objective was to develop a stealth
reconnaissance aircraft with several sensors and a low probability of intercept radar that could survive
a close approach to the forward line of battle. In this programme development of Tacit Blue by
Northrop is also a part. Its project director is Dennis Jarvi. Many companies are part of this
programme but all of them are highly secretive.
Tacit blue was a black project highly classified component in the assault breaker program whose
purpose was validating the concept of mass standoff attacks on advancing armed units employing
smart precision guided munitions. The radar demonstrators of the separate pavement program
provided the non-stealth version of the electronic systems specifically the targeting systems. Tacit
Blue intended to demonstrate the same idea but with stealth capabilities thus validating the upgrades
in the new technology furthermore the aircraft would scan the area below while flying at fifteen to
thirty thousand feet as it orbited overhead at 250 knots and the intention was for it to last long enough
over the battlefields to collect high fidelity intelligence.
In addition to stealth technology the idea was that highly tailored sensors and communication systems
would enable Tacit Blue to provide a constant feed of near real-time intelligence while overflying the
most hostile corners of the planet.
Unique Design:
Tacit Blue is so unique that it looks so different in
different angles.
Tacit Blue has a unique design to satisfy all its deeds.
Tacit Blue had a particular rectangular shape in its outer
tips although its airframe was slightly rounded it
featured a straight tapered wing and a v-tail and its
fuselage was somewhat oversized and curved at the tail.
In fact Tacit Blue was the first stealth aircraft to feature smooth curved surfaces to counter radar cross
section. Jarvi recalled that its Gaussian design was the technological foundation for building such a
unique airframe.
A distinctive feature that was thoroughly researched was its single
flush inlet on top of the fuselage and how the gases and the heat
came out of the machine. Jarvi added quote “This design not only
avoid detection with radar cross sections but also with radio
emissions”. The amount of heat coming out of it the inlet provided
air to two medium bypass turbofan engines and its infrared
signature was reduced because of the dorsal inlet fed 2 Garrett
ATF-3 high-bypass turbofan engines which were buried deep in
the fuselage but employed an exhaust as the air cooled before
exiting the airframe. Its unique platypus tail further cooled it down
before crossing the platform. So heat radiations from the engine also cannot be detected. Its thrust was
significantly reduced because of this but it did not affect the aircraft's missions in any way. The tail
structure is as shown.
It also has alpha, beta pressure differential ports and static
ports (A small air inlet) like all other crafts in the side of
the aircraft to maintain the pressure in the aircraft in all
directions. It also has ice detectors at the top.
Tacit Blue engines makes a low sound and are
considerable enough to reach a height of 25000 ft. Tacit
blue is also one of the
most unstable aircrafts that it always ends up pointing back in
wind tunnel test. Most of unstable fighter planes and modern
planes use semi auto computers and actuators for controlling and
stabilising the aircraft. This mechanism is called Fly-by-Wire
mechanism. This mechanism is used in Tacit Blue for its stability
during the flight. This picture shows the controls which run the air
craft in fly-by-wire.
Tacit Blue has Low-Probability-of-Intercept radar which avoid detection by passive radar equipment
and also can search and detect and differentiate target in return. It was advanced radar in its time. Its
LPI radar had ground-moving target indicator capability but it had the radar only on one side. In later
developments 2 radars were installed in them.
When Jarvi first saw the airframe he thought “Wow! This is not the prettiest machine I've ever seen”
Specifications:
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 55 ft. 10 in (17 m)
Wingspan: 48 ft. 2 in (14.7 m)
Height: 10 ft. 7 in (3.2 m)
Loaded weight: 30,000 lb (13,606 kg)
Engine: 2 × Garrett ATF3-6 high-bypass turbofans, 5,440 lbf. (24 kN) each
Performance
Maximum speed: 287 mph (462 km/h)
Service ceiling: 30,000 ft. (9,150 m)
Thrust/weight: 0.36
Operation:
Tacit Blue went through many stages to get its final approval. The partially assembled model was
trucked to Area-51 and it took its first flight in February 1982. Then it went through further
development to increase its speed and altitude. It tested against many fighter flights and succeeded in
speed, escaped from radar and reaching targets. During its flight it never went through major issues
before retiring. This model never had a second aircraft.
Tacit Blue has influenced aircrafts like RQ 3 Dark Star (left) and successful RQ 170 Sentinel (right)
Even though it never went into open combat and didn’t had production it had influenced the future
development of stealth aircrafts and also became a game changer in aerial surveillance for its first of a
kind smooth curved surfaces, structure of cooling heat radiations and many more developments.
B.N.S.Swaroop
SC21B023
Aerospace Branch
