>>6701437 I assume the F117 uses the RAM paint everyone else is nowadays, which has tiny iron spheres in it. I remember seeing some manufacturers marketing RAM paints in other colors, which I assume trades off a little bit of detection countermeasure but not sure. The skin of the aircraft will not escape IR even if painted black...
Reportedly, the J-20's absorbing layer is cured to the panels before primer layer. Not sure if that's how it's done for other aircraft.
>>6701448A little extra info on the Gray Dragon
https://theaviationist.com/2012/08/31/gray-dragon/ 