Collier Trophies
Skunk Works®
With the success of the XP-80, the Skunk Works earned a reputation that has followed it through the years. Some of the most notable aircraft developed at the Skunk Works® have received the prestigious Collier Trophy which bears the name of the past publisher and early president of the Aero Club of America, Robert J. Collier. The trophy is awarded annually by the National Aeronautic Association for "the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles, the value of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by actual use during the preceding year."
The Skunk Works®’ aircraft recognized include: the F-104 Starfighter (1958), the USAF A-11 Mach 3 aircraft, precursor to the famed SR-71 Blackbird (1963), the F-117A Nighthawk(1989), the U-2S/ER-2 Dragonlady (1998), and the JSF/X-35B Short Take-Off Vertical Landing (STOVL).
The F-104 Starfighter, the first Mach 2 aircraft was developed to compete against Soviet MiGs in the early 1950s.
The SR-71 "Blackbird" reconnaissance aircraft, which was the first to cruise at speeds in excess of Mach 3. It was retired in 1990, but remains the highest flying and fastest jet aircraft ever developed.
The F-117 Nighthawk, was the world's first operational stealth fighter developed in complete secrecy. It first proved its extraordinary capability in the Middle East in Desert Storm, 1991.
Though the trophy for the U-2S was given in 1998, the first U-2 got its start in 1954 when the threat of Soviet Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles compelled the CIA to task Kelly Johnson and the Skunk Works® team to develop a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. The U-2S remains the highest flying, single engine airplane in service today.
The most recent Collier trophy is the Skunk Works®’ led development and flight testing of the Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems X 35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) prototypes. Included in this effort was the successful flight testing of the innovative lift fan system on the X-35B demonstrator. The successful testing of this revolutionary vertical landing capability was a key factor in the Lockheed Martin team's win in the JSF competition.
The photo below shows 4 of the 5 Collier Trophy winners, with an addition of the P-80 Shooting Star and the F-94 Starfire.
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