F/A-22

Just an interesting tid-bit I got in an email. Some co-workers have seen the assembly line of the F-22, how cool would that be. Make sure to click on the link at the end to watch the video. It's awesome


The New F/A-22

Fast (super-cruise*) and stealthy, and integrated avionics are cool, but what's really impressive is the F/A-22s low speed stability and maneuverability. In the late 40s and to early 60s aeronautical engineers were going nuts on how to shape intakes to handle both subsonic and super-sonic air flows, without stagnation or compressor stalls. Supersonic in itself was a big challenge because you had to use shock waves to slow the intake air mass to sub-sonic before it hit the compressor blades, or they would stall. The engineers figured it out, but the solution was keeping a lot of air going in the front end to make sure the all hot air kept going out the back end. As you watch this Mach 2 airplane suspend motionless in air and do tail slides, be aware of the truly amazing performance of the engines and intakes.

Some used to think the Su-27 / Su-31 "Cobra" maneuver was the epitome of 3rd to 4th generation fighter maneuverability. That snap maneuver doesn't hold a candle to what this two-dimensional vectored-thrust fighter with fat independent horizontal stabs can do at low speed. There must be far more tricks up its sleeve in the high subsonic dogfight speed range.

ACC (Air Combat Command) recently approved the Raptor's new DEMO profile. This was the first show. The F/A-22 can sustain supersonic flight without the use of fuel-gulping afterburners.

The video is about 5 minutes long but the last 30-40 seconds are priceless.