Lucky13
Forum Mascot
17 years since first flight in '97, thinking to myself, what the f...!? 
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soulezoo
Senior Airman
Yes. It's been awhile.
I used to watch a lot of take off/landing of them at Kadena AB Okinawa along side the F-15's . Quite a difference in the two in terms of roll out, take-off length, AoA and noise.
During the mock combats the eagle drivers told me on average it took 4 or 5 -15's to make a kill on a -22. Very impressive.
I used to watch a lot of take off/landing of them at Kadena AB Okinawa along side the F-15's . Quite a difference in the two in terms of roll out, take-off length, AoA and noise.
During the mock combats the eagle drivers told me on average it took 4 or 5 -15's to make a kill on a -22. Very impressive.
Had two of them parked at my work last month.
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razor1uk
Staff Sergeant
Hard to believe it's that old, is that 17 yrs related to prototypes or their service acceptance date?
The birds don't look old do they, mind due, most of them were only built within the last 10 years or so I think, those wonderfully pictured ones seem of the younger members of its breed.
Great pics Adler 8)
The birds don't look old do they, mind due, most of them were only built within the last 10 years or so I think, those wonderfully pictured ones seem of the younger members of its breed.
Great pics Adler 8)
I think we should have built more of them. We are gonna need them when the aliens invade.
Despite the length of time since the start of the run, she is still a really impressive aircraft and not half bad looking either...
Even more impressive when you see her fly. Absolutely amazing.
Here is a few I took with a P-51D.
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GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
Hard to believe the F-22 is that old?
Hell, I'm still trying to figure out what the heck happened to the wobbly Goblin...
Hell, I'm still trying to figure out what the heck happened to the wobbly Goblin...
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
Did I miss something?
fubar57
General
fubar57
General
swampyankee
Chief Master Sergeant
- 3,954
- Jun 25, 2013
The F-22 is, without a doubt, the best air superiority fighter ever to see service. The question is whether it's enough better than its stablemates to justify its cost (the same may be said of the F-35). I tend to think we should have bought more, but I also think that it's arguable that the defense budget is disproportionately high relative to the threats the US currently faces, although Putin and, to a lesser extent, China are making me rethink that (note: it's mainly Putin, secondarily China, with ISIS a distant third. The last is likely to be a long term pain in the butt, akin to the Shining Path, the FARC, INLA, etc, but not directly existential).
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
Russia and China both have considerable air assets, but ISIS shouldn't be much of an adversary.
If any one particular nation wanted to prove a a point about what happens to ground forces that do not possess the air above them, this would be it. A few random bombing runs being made at the present time isn't going to do much but annoy them.
*IF* we were to take the Allied air campaign (late 44 onward) from WWII and place it over Iraq/Syria right now, ISIS would be in serious trouble.
If any one particular nation wanted to prove a a point about what happens to ground forces that do not possess the air above them, this would be it. A few random bombing runs being made at the present time isn't going to do much but annoy them.
*IF* we were to take the Allied air campaign (late 44 onward) from WWII and place it over Iraq/Syria right now, ISIS would be in serious trouble.
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
"On Sept. 17, the general not only confirmed that the escorting fighters were F-22 stealth fighters but also said that: "He [the Raptor pilot] flew under their aircraft [the F-4s] to check out their weapons load without them knowing that he was there, and then pulled up on their left wing and then called them and said 'you really ought to go home."
https://medium.com/war-is-boring/f-22-raptors-taunted-iranian-fighter-jets-ab0dbf5707f
https://medium.com/war-is-boring/f-22-raptors-taunted-iranian-fighter-jets-ab0dbf5707f
fubar57
General
Great story FBJ.
Geo
Geo
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
And then it gets a little more interesting...
The J-31 seen at the Zhuhai international airshow
China's Newest Fighter Jet Looks Awfully Familiar, Raising Concerns From the Pentagon
The J-31 seen at the Zhuhai international airshow
China's Newest Fighter Jet Looks Awfully Familiar, Raising Concerns From the Pentagon
GregP
Major
The Wobbly Goblin was in SERIOUS need of computer upgrades and was structurally somewhat suspect after a long time down low in turbulence, if some of the reports were correct. Maybe not. Most aircraft with 1970's - 1980's computer ARE in need of upgrades in that department.
The one that broke up during and airshow was an exception, there was a major piece of structure that was not attached properly with bolts inside the wing box and the wing came off in a high speed pass. Definitely not a typical failure, but the F-117 also was experiencing a LOT of fatigure at high speed down low and was in need of mid-life-upgrades including the engines. These were NOT going to be cheap, and neither are the alternative replacement F-35's. Whicj on eis better? Well, we KNOW what the F-117 could do and can only HOPE the F-35 does a good job. I don't like the F-35 at all myself and will say I think it is a turkey of the first magnitude. But the experience of F-35's operationally may prove a good one and we can only wait and see what this thing will really do in service. I know ONE thing, I can't canel it all on my own since I haven't been elected to anything that makes a difference there.
I knew three guys who flew F-117s and they loved what it could DO, but not how it flew. All were happy when they went back to other aircraft, at least in conversation with me.
When I was getting out of the serice, the early items were called Have Blue and Pave Blue and they resulted in the F-117 ... and I heard about these things in the mid-1970's in the USAF. That alone tells me they might well be due for retirement.
What does that say about the way our country feels about the B-52 and the U-2? Both are still operational!
The one that broke up during and airshow was an exception, there was a major piece of structure that was not attached properly with bolts inside the wing box and the wing came off in a high speed pass. Definitely not a typical failure, but the F-117 also was experiencing a LOT of fatigure at high speed down low and was in need of mid-life-upgrades including the engines. These were NOT going to be cheap, and neither are the alternative replacement F-35's. Whicj on eis better? Well, we KNOW what the F-117 could do and can only HOPE the F-35 does a good job. I don't like the F-35 at all myself and will say I think it is a turkey of the first magnitude. But the experience of F-35's operationally may prove a good one and we can only wait and see what this thing will really do in service. I know ONE thing, I can't canel it all on my own since I haven't been elected to anything that makes a difference there.
I knew three guys who flew F-117s and they loved what it could DO, but not how it flew. All were happy when they went back to other aircraft, at least in conversation with me.
When I was getting out of the serice, the early items were called Have Blue and Pave Blue and they resulted in the F-117 ... and I heard about these things in the mid-1970's in the USAF. That alone tells me they might well be due for retirement.
What does that say about the way our country feels about the B-52 and the U-2? Both are still operational!
