Design

The aircraft fuselage had a prismatic shape which reduced its radar cross section by a large margin. No other plane before the Nighthawk ever employed such a design and as such, aerodynamic disadvantages became apparent. The design had to compromise some maneuverability and controllability in order to reduce its radar detection. The result of the Nighthawk design provided a radar cross section similar to the size of a bird.

The aircraft benefitted from two General Electric F-404 turbofan engines with no fuel afterburners. In contrast to the afterburning turbojet engines used on fighters during this time, the Nighthawk employed turbofan engines to reduce noise and heat signature, increase thrust at lower speeds, and eliminate the hot, loud, fuel consuming afterburner systems. Even though the Nighthawk was designated F-117, with the F signifying a fighter role, Maloney says it's design focused on surprise ground attack missions rather than mid air dogfights against other aircraft. The Nighthawk also employed a variety of smaller technologies in addition to the design of the aircraft to further reduce its radar cross section.