Page 35 - Jetpower (January 2020)

034-039 F-22 Raptor:Layout 1 Englisch 09.01.2020 13:49 Uhr Seite 35

Shortly after the introduction in the US Air Force I saw him at in series. In the production period 2002 to 2011, 195 single-
one of the first public demonstrations at the Nellis Airshow seater F-22s and two two-seater YF-22s were built.
2007 near Las Vegas. The Raptor is a huge jet, which impres- Due to the F-22's structural design, it was possible to combi-
sed me already by its appearance when it rolled past me a few ne stealth characteristics with high manoeuvrability. The tre-
meters away with its strange engine noise. And when, thanks mendous progress in stealth technology made this possible.
to its thrust vector control, it conjured up never before seen fly- When the F-117 Nighthawk was developed, the level of
ing figures in the sky above the Sierra Nevada, it gave me goo- knowledge was not yet so far advanced. The F-22's high ma-
se bumps. Ten years later, I saw two F-22s with an even more noeuvrability is due in large part to its vertical 2D thrust vector
sophisticated flying display at the Royal Air Tattoo (RIAT) 2017 control. It allows an angle of attack of over 70°. The weapons
in Fairford, England, to mark the 70th anniversary of the USAF. of the F-22 are located in a closed weapon pit in the front fu-
Unique in Europe, the two aircraft flew over specially from selage area, which further improves the stealth characteristics.
Langley Eustis AFB in Virginia, because normally USAF Rap- 40% of the fuselage is made of titanium, which is therefore
tors are not shown at airshows outside the USA. highly durable, but nevertheless very light. Thermoset materi-
Special features of the F-22 Raptor are stealth, advanced als were primarily used for the surface planking, while alumini-
avionics and the ability to break the sound barrier without af- um is mainly used in the cockpit area. In relation to the total
terburner. But all this at a system cost unit price of almost 200 mass, 24 % are made of thermoset materials. Depending on
million US dollars. This makes the F-22 the most expensive the component, these can be reinforced with carbon, glass, bo-
fighter aircraft ever built in the world. In combination of stealth ron or aramid fibers. A sophisticated halon-based fire extin-
characteristics, airspeed, maneuverability, avionics and wea- guishing system almost completely eliminates the danger of
pon precision, the F-22 is currently the best fighter aircraft built explosion if hit by cannon or missile fire.
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