Air Vanguard - Lockheed F117 Nighthawk Stealth Fighter

The F-117 was the USAF's first stealth fighter aircraft. Even years following its entry to service, the F-117 was a black project, its existence being denied by USAF officials. On 10 November 1988, the Blackhawk was publicly acknowledged for the first time. The F-117 was widely publicized for its role in the Gulf War of 1991. This book is well written by Paul Crickmore, with illustrations by Adam Tooby and Henry Morshead. The narrative covers the history of the F-117 from design to development to deployment and finally into retirement. The text is accomplished by an excellent selection of photographs, diagrams and illustrations. The section on technical specifications is written in astonishing detail. The first person accounts of its test and combat flights are unvarnished and fascinating. The section on Bosnia includes an explanation of a shoot-down of one of the F-117's, an indication that its technology was already no longer quite cutting edge. The general reader may find the text a bit thick with jargon; an aviation-oriented audience should find it quite interesting. It is highly recommended to that audience.