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HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (ACCNS) – It took 10 gallons of dark gray paint, five-and-a-half gallons of light gray paint and three gallons of silicon paint to give one F-117A Nighthawk here an F/A-22 Raptor-style makeover.

Lt. Col. Kevin Sullivan, Detachment 1, 53rd Test and Evaluation Group commander, asked the 49th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron corrosion flight to paint their F-117, nicknamed “the Dragon,” gray to evaluate if it will have a substantial role in daytime combat operations.

“The chief of staff wants to have a 24-hour stealth presence over future battlefields,” said Lt. Col. Buck Rogers, the Det. 1, 53rd TEG operations officer. “We know our current black paint scheme wouldn’t be a good color for daytime operations.”

Preparation for painting began Nov. 17, said Staff Sgt. Armond Cornin, 49th AMXS corrosion flight NCOIC. AMXS members worked day and night to complete the job.

With the project complete, the jet will participate in upcoming tests as part of a program called Global Strike Task Force, Colonel Rogers said. The jet will fly with the F/A-22 in several tests both locally and deployed.

The Dragon is a test-coded aircraft owned by Det. 1, 53rd TEG.

“We use the Dragon for everything from new tactics development to the evaluation of new software or hardware,” said Maj. Tre Urso, a Det. 1, 53rd TEG pilot. “Det. 1 has been involved in all the F-117 modifications and upgrades over the years. Now, we want to evaluate the feasibility of using the F-117 during daylight operations.”

According to Colonel Rogers, Air Force leadership will approve additional jets for the gray scheme only if the test results show the change is warranted.

Whether or not the rest of the jets are painted, this project is worth the time and effort spent on completing it, Major Urso said.

“It provides a great opportunity for us to learn about our daytime capabilities and limitations. It also helps us evaluate how the new paints will hold up over time and lets us measure the impact the color modification has on the maintenance troops who maintain the jet. Bottom line, we need to make sure we provide our leaders an accurate assessment of the costs and benefits involved with daytime ops and the gray paint scheme.”


"The power to Destroy the planet, is insignifigant to the power of the Air Force----Mudd Vader

I like this : “The chief of staff wants to have a 24-hour stealth presence over future battlefields,”

Seam that we don't want any pause for the enemy !

And do you have some pics of "the dragon" ? I was bored of the black F-117...

Kill the innocents ! Kill them now !<img src="http://www.purekaos.com/board/images/smilies/rocket.gif" border=0>
lol

I guess this is a new article, but I've heard we had gray 117s for several years, not counting that camo version very early in the program.

"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us". George Orwell

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/atengun2X.GIF" border=0>

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The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

Well if they don't buy the F-15's they'll be able to buy that many more Raptors.

I mean, duh.

<img src="http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/sigs/snipersig.jpg " border=0>

here is a link to a picture of a grey F-117

http://www.af.mil/media/photodb/photos/ ... 0S-001.jpg

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If you can't go fast...go Ugly

Edited by - prkiii on Dec 10 2003 03:06 AM

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the old camo F-117
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/f-117-camo.jpg" border=0>

"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us". George Orwell

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/atengun2X.GIF" border=0>

_________________
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

A true "Gray Ghost", eh prkiii? Somehow doesn't look quite as sisnister, though.

Hajji, you can run, but why die tired?

_________________
\"Those who hammer their guns into plows
will plow for those who do not.\"
- Thomas Jefferson

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
A true "Gray Ghost", eh prkiii? Somehow doesn't look quite as sisnister, though.

Hajji, you can run, but why die tired?
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

I agree...she looks a little funny to me...

Brought to you by your friendly neighborhood moderator...

If you can't go fast...go Ugly

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the underside is SOOO broad, shadows will be a problem. A proper blend of fluorescent paint might lessen that a great deal.

"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us". George Orwell

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/atengun2X.GIF" border=0>

_________________
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

Maybe a little day-glo orange?<img src=icon_smile_evil.gif border=0 align=middle>

Hajji, you can run, but why die tired?

_________________
\"Those who hammer their guns into plows
will plow for those who do not.\"
- Thomas Jefferson

The best quote from the have blue program "The airforce wanted it black, Well as it turns out black is not the best color at night, But fightertpilots dont fly pastel colored airplanes. Sow e painted them black." HAHAHAHA

"The power to Destroy the planet, is insignifigant to the power of the Air Force----Mudd Vader

Yeah, that was in K.Johnson's book.

The other great quote was "Dont EVER work with the navy".

lol

<img src="http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/sigs/snipersig.jpg " border=0>

Kelly Johnson said a LOT of things including "the SR-71 had a computer capable of dropping a bowling ball into a trash can from 70,000ft" not very likely.

"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us". George Orwell

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/atengun2X.GIF" border=0>

_________________
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

You mean my new toys might be gray instead of black? I'm going ot Holloman.

"Some pup"
Nickname by Fenderstrat72

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Evil is evil, no matter how small.

Funny, where I heard the "pastel-colored aircraft" quote was on the Discovery Channel on a program about the F-117 by an elderly gentleman with dark, sunken eyes, a wild sense of humor, a black suit, and an English accent that looked right out of the X-Files...

"Now that he had recognized himself as a dead man it became important to stay alive as long as possible."
George Orwell, 1984