(All images by Zaq Landsberg, reproduced with permission)
The US government is notoriously obstructive when it comes to allowing members of the plane spotting public near its fleet of mothballed F-117 Nighthawks. Apart from four full scale development aircraft in museums, a hybrid jet mounted on a pole outside the Skunk Works and some wreckage in Belgrade, you’re unlikely to get anywhere near a production F-117 in the near or distant future.
So artist Zaq Landsberg built his own 1:1 scale model. Thanks to his creativity and funds raised via Kickstarter, the full size replica Stealth Fighter was originally constructed for the 2011 Figment Festival on Governor’s Island in New York Harbor.
Recreating the plane’s stealthy faceted shape using flat plywood panels, the end result is a convincing F-117 mock-up, and is probably the closest you’ll come to ever climbing on one.
While the surfaces of real Nighthawks are coated in radar absorbent materials (RAM), Landsberg’s creation features an astro-turf top coat, giving it a ‘hidden-in-plain-sight’ appearance, similar to the concept of active camouflage, when viewed against the grass.
The artwork, aptly named ‘Stealth Fighter’, was constructed in about 50 sections before being transported to Governor’s Island to be exhibited in the Long Terrace Sculpture Garden. But Landsberg didn’t stop there. His sculptures also include a full scale tank and AH 64 Apache Gunship replica – more here.
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