The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is an air dominance fighter due to replace the F-15C Eagle’s of the United States Air Force.
In October 1986 the USAF launched the Advanced Tactical Fighter program and invited Lockheed and Northrop to build two prototypes each, by specification of the USAF, to be evaluated and tested.
For the engines General Electric (YF120) and Pratt & Whitney (YF119) were the choice of the USAF to build test models for the new ATF.
Lockheed got together with General Dynamics and Boeing and their YF-22 flew for the first time on September 29th 1990. Northrop/McDonnell Douglas’s YF-23 made it’s first flight on August 27th that same year.?
The USAF selected Pratt &Whitney to develop their YF119 in April 1991.
The first F-22A (first of eleven) development aircraft took off on September 7th 1997, and the second on June 28th 1998. The first production Raptor will be delivered to the USAF around early 2003, after that the first operational unit will be active in 2005. A production of 295 Raptors has been authorized so far.
| Developing Nation: | United States |
| Task: | Strike Fighter |
| First Flight: | September 29th 1990 |
| Crew: | 1 |
| Wing Span: | 13,56 m |
| Wing Area: | 78,04 sm |
| Length: | 18,90 m |
| Height: | 5,08 m |
| Engine (s): | Class Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 afterburning turbofans with 156+ kN thrust |
| Thrust to Weight | 1.08 (1.26 with 50% fuel) |
| Radar: | RWR (Radar warning receiver) 463 km or more.Radar: 200-240 km against 1 m? targets (estimated) |
| Weight: | 19700 kg |
| Max.Take off weight: | 38000 kg |
| Wing load: | 322 kg/sq m |
| Max. Speed: | – At altitude: 2410 Km/h (Mach 2.25)- Supercruise: 1963 km/h (Mach 1.82) |
| Max. Range: | 2960 km with 2 external fuel tanks |
| Combat radius: | 759 km |
| Ferry range: | 3219 km |
| Service ceiling: | 19812 m |
| Weapons: | – Long barrel GE M61A2 Vulcan 20 mm cannon (internal)Air to Air:- 6x AIM-120 AMRAAM and- 2x AIM-9 Sidewinder and one of the following:
– 2x 450 kg JDAM or – 2x Wind Corrected Munitions Despensers (WCMDs) or – 8x 110 kg GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs. Hardpoints: – 4x under-wing pylon stations can be fitted to carry 600 US gallon Sargent Fletcher drop tanks or weapons, each with a capacity of about 2268 kg. |
The Raptor is only in service with the US air force, 122 are in service (July 2008)
Pictures Rob Vogelaar zap16.com
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