In a followup to our ongoing reporting on the F-117 Nighthawk stealth attack jet that the Reagan Library is receiving, we can report that the restored aircraft has made it to the Simi Valley compound and is about to get reassembled for display. We can also report that the F-117 will all but certainly be displayed high above the ground on a pole near the library’s F-14A Tomcat. The War Zone has obtained exclusive images from our friend and regular contributor Matt Hartman who was onsite as the partially disassembled black faceted jet snaked its way up the hill to the museum aboard a flatbed truck.
Make sure to read all about the intricate work that goes into readying an F-117, which still has a multitude of secret components, for public display, and a bit about the battle-proven aircraft involved that carries the nickname “Unexpected Guest” in this recent article of ours. Last September, we were first to report that the Library was getting one of just 12 F-117s earmarked or already on public display. All of the existing Nighthawks in museums, with the exception of the remains of Vega 31 in Serbia, are pre-production YF-117s. Although the F-117s were officially retired over a decade ago, some remain flying under mysterious circumstances.
So, without further delay, check out Unexpected Guest’s very much expected arrival at the Reagan Library earlier today:
Note that in this photo the pole where the aircraft is likely to be installed is visible on the far right:
Here’s also a little clip of the jet as it awaits to be put back together and lifted into its final resting place:
Unexpected Guest will be a wonderful and fitting feature of the Reagan Library. The F-117 force, and stealth technology as a whole, became operational under Reagan’s administration. Reagan even offered the jet to the British while it still existed in the realm of deep classification. But the F-117’s arrival is also another sign that the F-117’s days are finally coming to an end. With the exception of the dozen aircraft set aside for public display, the rest of the remaining 51 airframes will slowly be disposed of at a rate of 4 per year until they have been entirely liquidated from the Air Force’s inventory, thus marking the end of the beginning of the stealth revolution.
Contact the author: Tyler@thedrive.com