Lockheed Have Blue was the code name for Lockheed's proof of concept demonstrator for a stealth fighter. Have Blue was designed by Lockheed's Skunk Works division, and tested at Groom Lake, Nevada. The Have Blue was the first fixed-wing aircraft whose external shape was defined by radar engineering rather than by aerospace engineering.

In the mid-1970s, DARPA oversaw the development of Have Blue, the first practical combat stealth aircraft, which made its first test flight by the end of 1977. This led to the procurement by the Air Force of the F-117A stealth fighter, which became operational in October 1983.

Nov 28, 2017 · Dyson calls the Have Blue a “small fella” and recounts how it could almost taxi underneath a F-117 Nighthawk’s wing. The Have Blue aircraft not only used the F-16’s fly-by-wire system but also its side-stick controller.

Aug 2, 2020 · In the mid-1970s, DARPA oversaw the development of HAVE Blue, the first practical combat stealth aircraft, which made its first test flight by the end of 1977. This led to the procurement by the U.S. Air Force of the F-117A stealth fighter.

Dec 16, 2017 · Forty years have passed since the Have Blue project's two demonstrator aircraft—built on a relative shoestring budget by Lockheed's Skunk Works—flew over the Nevada desert and ushered in a new...

Jul 22, 2023 · The Have Blue project was a groundbreaking initiative that paved the way for the development of the F-117 Nighthawk, the world’s first operational stealth aircraft.

Jul 7, 2011 · HAVE BLUE was a proof-of-concept aircraft designed to test out Lockheed's concepts for "very low observable" capabilities while meeting a set of realistic...

Mar 13, 2025 · Before the F-117 Nighthawk became an icon, there was Project Have Blue—the experimental aircraft that launched the stealth revolution. Developed in secret by Lockheed’s Skunk Works, this...

Have Blue, also built by Lockheed, was developed as a proof-of-concept aircraft to demonstrate the viability of a stealth-centric aircraft, including fly-by-wire controls, stealth airframe design and stealth airframe materials. The result is a completely unique aircraft in aviation history.

Development began in April 1976 with the USAF Flight Dynamics Laboratory contract to Lockheed Advanced Development Projects (Skunk Works) for two 60-percent scale flyable test aircraft. The two XST (Experimental Survivable Testbed) prototypes were produced under the name of Have Blue.