Marc Yap, M. Eng. 🚀 🤖 on LinkedIn: Aerospace Historical Engineering Analysis: The Northrop Grumman X-47B… (2024)

I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Lead Systems Engineer and Integrator at Booz Allen Hamilton!

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The SR-71 blackbird was a high altitude, high speed, reconnaissance aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin’s Skunkworks, and is one of the most famous aircraft in aerospace history.It was so revolutionary for its time that its engineers had to utilize never-before-used materials in its manufacture and develop new methods to maintain and sustain the aircraft to perform its role of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance over hostile territory, that its standard operating procedure when fired upon by any surface-to-air missile was to accelerate and outrun it.I recently had the opportunity to visit its predecessor, the A-12 at the San Diego Air and Space Museum. In this first of at least three deep-dive analyses on the SR-71, we’ll look at the aircraft as a whole, the revolutionary techniques and engineering used in its manufacture, and how this amazing aircraft was among the first to implement aspects of radar cross section reduction, or stealth.

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I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Program Manager Program Management Office at Booz Allen Hamilton!

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F-117A Nighthawk: Aerospace AnalysisThe F117A Nighthawk is an iconic aircraft in aerospace history, and the first #stealth aircraft to go into production. Built as a classified “Black Project, the F117A was not officially acknowledged until five years after it entered service in 1983.With a distinctive Black Diamond Shape and angular facade, make the #F117A one of the most easily recognizable aircraft in any museum.The angular design of the aircraft necessitated a fly-by-wire configuration to be installed for the aircraft, whereby a flight computer would control the details of flight to ensure the aircraft stay level while in the air, allowing for the pilot to focus on their mission and make major adjustments to the direction of the aircraft as necessary.This angular design was not only a feature of the F117A Nighthawk, but in fact necessary. While other 5th generation aircraft such as the B-2A , and F-35 Lighting II are characterized by their curves the F-117A’s design, primarily composed of two-dimensional plates, is due to the limitations of computer power at the time to render three-dimensional designs.On the underside of the aircraft, you can see an open window. This window contained a laser designator that would laze the target for the JDAM to lock onto. The JDAM would look for the designated laser point, and follow the point until it hit the target.You can see that there is a grate over the inlet to the engine. This grid is the right size to let air into the engine for combustion but also prevent radar waves from entering. This ensures that the radar waves are bounced away and kept from returning to the transmitting radar.One of the few unknown accessories for the F117A is the pilot's Travel Pod. As the aircraft was transported and moved to different locations, the Travel pod was utilized to store the pilots belongings and then hoisted into the bombay.The F117A Nighthawk is an iconic aircraft that at the time of its development was so classified, it was not officially acknowledged until five years after it entered service. The Nighthawk was the first of the so-called fifth generation aircraft developed to evade radar and increase the pilot’s tactical advantage against its targets. Its developments were so cutting edge, that the F117A Nighthawk’s concept of war paved the way for future generation of aircraft such as the B-2 spirit, F-22 Raptor, and now, the F-35 Lightning II.Even to this day, although the aircraft was officially “retired” in 2008, there are still sightings of active Nighthawks in flight testing at Groom Lake, or “Area 51”. This technical prowess, a testament to capabilities so far ahead of its time, and more are what ensures the F117A Nighthawk rightfully deserves its place in aeronautical history.

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