The gorgeous F-22 Raptor

The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a single-seat, twin-engine fifth-generation supermaneuverable fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles.Lockheed Martin Aeronautics is the prime contractor and is responsible for the majority of the airframe, weapon systems and final assembly of the F-22. Program partner Boeing Defense, Space & Security provides the wings, aft fuselage, avionics integration, and training systems.

F-22 Raptor
The F-22 Raptor
Role	Stealth air superiority fighter
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Boeing Defense, Space & Security
First flight	7 September 1997[1]
Introduction	15 December 2005
Status	In service, out of production[2]
Primary user	United States Air Force
Produced	1997-2011
Number built	195 (8 test and 187 operational) aircraft[2]
Program cost	US$66.7 billion[3]
Unit cost	US$150 million (flyaway cost for FY2009)[4]
Developed from	Lockheed YF-22
Developed into	Lockheed Martin X-44 MANTA Lockheed Martin FB-22

 Lockheed Martin claims that the Raptor's combination of stealth, speed, agility, precision and situational awareness, combined with air-to-air and air-to-ground combat capabilities, makes it the best overall fighter in the world today .

Production and procurement

The first operational F-22 Raptor is painted at the Lockheed Martin assembly plant at Marietta, Georgia

The production F-22 model was unveiled on 9 April 1997 at Lockheed Georgia Co., Marietta, Georgia. It first flew on 7 September 1997. The first production F-22 was delivered to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, on 7 January 2003. In 2006, the Raptor's development team, composed of Lockheed Martin and over 1,000 other companies, plus the United States Air Force, won the Collier Trophy, American aviation's most prestigious award. In 2006, the USAF sought to acquire 381 F-22s, to be divided among seven active duty combat squadrons and three integrated Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard squadrons.

Several design changes were made from the YF-22 for production. The swept-back angle on the wing's leading edge was decreased from 48° to 42°, while the vertical stabilizer area was decreased by 20%. To improve pilot visibility, the canopy was moved forward 7 inches (178 mm), and the engine intakes were moved rearward 14 inches (356 mm). The shape of the wing and stabilator trailing edges was refined to improve aerodynamics, strength, and stealth characteristics. Also, the vertical stabilizer was shifted rearward.

F-22 production was split up over many subcontractors across 46 states, in a strategy to increase Congressional support for the program.However the production split, along with the use of several new technologies were likely responsible for increased costs and delays.Many capabilities were deferred to post-service upgrades, reducing the initial cost but increasing total project cost.Each aircraft required "1,000 subcontractors and suppliers and 95,000 workers" to build.The F-22 was in production for 15 years, at a rate of roughly two per month.

Two F-22s during flight testing, the upper one being the first EMD F-22, "Raptor 01"

The United States Air Force originally planned to order 750 ATFs at a cost of $26.2 billion, with production beginning in 1994; however, the 1990 Major Aircraft Review led by Defense Secretary Dick Cheney altered the plan to 648 aircraft beginning in 1996. The goal changed again in 1994, when it became 438 aircraft entering service in 2003 or 2004, but a 1997 Department of Defense report put the purchase at 339. In 2003, the Air Force said that the existing congressional cost cap limited the purchase to 277. In December 2004, the Department of Defense reduced procurement funding so only 183 aircraft could be bought.The Pentagon stated the reduction to 183 fighters would save $15 billion but raise the cost of each aircraft; this was implemented in the form of a multi-year procurement plan, which allowed for further orders later. The total cost of the program by 2006 was $62 billion.

In April 2006, the cost of the F-22 was assessed by the Government Accountability Office to be $361 million per aircraft. By April 2006, $28 billion had been invested in F-22 development and testing; while the Unit Procurement Cost was estimated at $177.6 million in 2006, based on a production run of 181 aircraft. It was estimated by the end of production, $34 billion will have been spent on procurement, resulting in a total program cost of $62 billion, around $339 million per aircraft. The incremental cost for an additional F-22 was estimated at about $138 million.

On 31 July 2007, Lockheed Martin received a multi-year contract for 60 F-22s worth a total of $7.3 billion.The contract brought the number of F-22s on order to 183 and extended production through 2011.If production were restarted the cost for another 75 aircraft was estimated in 2009 to be an extra $70 million per unit.

Stealth

The stealth of the F-22 is due to a combination of factors, including the overall shape of the aircraft, the use of radar absorbent material (RAM), and attention to detail such as hinges and pilot helmets that could provide a radar return.However, reduced radar cross section is one of five facets of presence reduction addressed in the designing of the F-22. The F-22 was designed to disguise its infrared emissions, reducing the threat of infrared homing ("heat seeking") surface-to-air or air-to-air missiles, including its flat thrust vectoring nozzles.^[170] The aircraft was designed to be less visible to the naked eye; radio, heat and noise emissions are equally controlled.

Aircraft	Radar cross section (estimate)
Sukhoi Su-30MKI	20 square metres[174]
Dassault Rafale	2 square metres[175]
Eurofighter Typhoon	1 square metre[176]
Sukhoi Su-35BM	1 square metre[177]
Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk	0.025 square metres[175]
Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor	0.0001 square metres[178]

Specifications

F-22 with drop tanks in transit to Kadena Air Base, Japan from Langley Air Force Base, Virginia

Data from USAF, F-22 Raptor Team web site, Lockheed Martin,Aviation Week,Journal of Electronic Defense,^[142] andManufacturers' data

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 62 ft 1 in (18.90 m)
• Wingspan: 44 ft 6 in (13.56 m)
• Height: 16 ft 8 in (5.08 m)
• Wing area: 840 ft² (78.04 m²)
• Airfoil: NACA 64A?05.92 root, NACA 64A?04.29 tip
• Empty weight: 43,430 lb (19,700 kg)
• Loaded weight: 64,460 lb (29,300 kg^{[N 5]})
• Max. takeoff weight: 83,500 lb (38,000 kg)
• Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 Pitch Thrust vectoring turbofans
  • Dry thrust: 23,500 lb (104 kN) each
  • Thrust with afterburner: 35,000+ lb (156+ kN) each
• Fuel capacity: 18,000 lb (8,200 kg) internally, or 26,000 lb (11,900 kg) with two external fuel tanks

Performance

• Maximum speed:
  
  • At altitude: Mach 2.25 (1,500 mph, 2,410 km/h) [estimated]
  • Supercruise: Mach 1.82 (1,220 mph, 1,963 km/h)
• Range: >1,600 nmi (1,840 mi, 2,960 km) with 2 external fuel tanks
• Combat radius: 410 nmi (with 100 nmi in supercruise)  (471 mi, 759 km)
• Ferry range: 2,000 mi (1,738 nmi, 3,219 km)
• Service ceiling: 65,000 ft (19,812 m)
• Wing loading: 77 lb/ft² (375 kg/m²)
• Thrust/weight: 1.09 (1.26 with loaded weight & 50% fuel)
• Maximum design g-load: -3.0/+9.0 g

USAF poster overview of key features and armament

Armament

• Guns: 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M61A2 Vulcan 6-barreled gatling cannon in starboard wing root, 480 rounds
• Air to air loadout:
  • 6× AIM-120 AMRAAM
  • 2× AIM-9 Sidewinder
• Air to ground loadout:
  • 2× AIM-120 AMRAAM and
  • 2× AIM-9 Sidewinder for self-protection, and one of the following:
    • 2× 1,000 lb (450 kg) JDAM or
    • 8× 250 lb (110 kg) GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs
• Hardpoints: 4× under-wing pylon stations can be fitted to carry 600 US gallon drop tanks or weapons, each with a capacity of 5,000 lb (2,268 kg).

Avionics

• RWR (Radar warning receiver): 250 nmi (463 km) or more
• Radar: 125–150 miles (200–240 km) against 1 m² (11 sq ft) targets (estimated range)
• Chemring MJU-39/40 flares for protection against IR missiles.