F/A-22 Raptor at Langley AFB

[Apollo Leader]

My brother-in-law, who's stationed at Langley, took these pictures of this F/A-22 Raptor that was briefly at Lanley on its way to the Kitty Hawk air show (the 100th anniversary of the Wright brother's historic flight is on Wednesday). Late next year, Langley will be receiving its first Raptors to form the first operational Raptor fighter squadron.

Does anybody know which AFB uses "OT" on the tails of its aircraft? To my knowledge, only Edwards (ED) and Tyndall (TY) are the only bases that currently have the Raptor.

[Apollo Leader]

Pic 2.

[Apollo Leader]

Pic 3.

[Apollo Leader]

Last pic.

[Wumzi]

Sweeeeeeeeet

[UN Spacy]

Wow. Thanks for the super pics Apollo Leader.

Is the F/A-22 already the standard Air Force fighter?

If not, then when are they going into mass production?

Do you know how many are planned for active use?

[Apollo Leader]

Wow. Thanks for the super pics Apollo Leader.

Is the F/A-22 already the standard Air Force fighter?

If not, then when are they going into mass production?

Do you know how many are planned for active use?

1) Besides the F/A-22's being used as part of the test program at Edwards, Tyndall down in Florida has received a few starting back in September... Tyndall is where Raptor pilots will be trained. The first full blown fighter squadron will at Langley... first Raptor to be delivered there in late 2004.

2) The production run is currently set at 339 aircraft. I don't know when the peak production rate will be reached.

[Isamu Atreides 86]

that thing is awesome. kick ass.

[Skull Leader]

Man, the more I see those things, the more badass they look....

... I can't wait to hear of some Sukhoi or Foxbat getting sideways with one of these things and the F-22 taking them down....

[David Hingtgen]

F-22 was "uglified" from the YF-22. YF looks better... (And of course, the -23 beats all, coolest-looking plane EVER)

Anyways, OT is another tailcode for Eglin. The wargames/testing part, not operational squadrons.

[bsu legato]

Thanks for the pic, Apollo Leader.

Slightly OT, has anybody produced an accurate kit of the F-22 yet, or is everybody just repackaging the older YF-22 kits as an F-22?

[David Hingtgen]

I believe Italeri has an actual F/A-22, 1/48.

[NERV]

very nice cut wuts with the red buttplugs?

[VF-19]

very nice cut wuts with the red buttplugs?

The red buttplugs are so that you can't see what the interior of the engine looks like. I think it's because they don't want David Hingtgen to put his camera up the tailpipe of the F/A-22.

[buddhafabio]

my pop is retired air force. the last base we were stationed at was tyndall the training in the f-22 those boys will be getting will most likly be air to air combat as tyndall had a lot of qf-107 aircraft and were getting qf-4s in 95 when we left. and a few areas for launching smaller drones for targeting.

Edited December 14, 2003 by buddhafabio

[waylandcool]

F-22 was "uglified" from the YF-22. YF looks better... (And of course, the -23 beats all, coolest-looking plane EVER)

Anyways, OT is another tailcode for Eglin. The wargames/testing part, not operational squadrons.

The expert has now spoken.

[Anubis]

my pop is retired air force. the last base we were stationed at was tyndall the training in the f-22 those boys will be getting will most likly be air to air combat as tyndall had a lot of qf-107 aircraft and were getting qf-4s in 95 when we left. and a few areas for launching smaller drones for targeting.

The F-4's are still at Tyndall for target practice. At least they were in April 2001 when I went

The 22's a great looking plane, wouldn't have minded working on that one, probably. I wonder if they made the 22 easier on maintenance as they were saying. I know they added some stuff to the Ejection seat, so that would have added some stuff for me at least. Leg Guards, and they moved the drogue chute up on top instead of in the back of the seat like the other ACES II seats.

Kinda surprized they covered up the engines like that, but also not really because they probably don't want 5000 pics of the actual vector nozzles yet.

Interesting, the Canopy Jettison seems to be on the side of the jet by the missle bay instead of by the cockpit like usual. Note where the Rescue arrow points.

[Hurin]

Uh, I see the engines covered up on things as old as A-10s and F-15s when I visit airshows. I'm not sure there is any conspiracy or "Super-secrecy" here.

But I could be wrong!

H

[VF19]

already on unit 14? impressive. they are churning those things out pretty quick. and the engines is because of the unique shape and thrust vectoring on the nozzles.

[Anubis]

If they covered the engines and the intakes, then it wouldn't seem wierd at all, but since they only covered the engines it kind of suggests they didn't want pics of the vector nozzles. At least they displayed it with the weapon bay doors open.

Looks like it can hold two x 2000 pounders in the bay underneath. What's the official internal weapons count on the 22?

Edited December 15, 2003 by Anubis

[Godzilla]

That looks cool. I wish I was there. Thanks for the pic. I thought the F-22 program was in question. I thought Congress was going to cancel the program. I guess it wasnt.

[Macross_Fanboy]

Sweeeeeet!!!!!!!!!

[David Hingtgen]

Hey, nobody else takes tailpipe shots, the world needs to know! (Actually, I'm in it more for COLOR, than anything else---"jet exhaust" simply isn't specific enough a color of paint) Of course, I need to know if the the side-mounted supplemental flaps really do exist, that'll take a GOOD shot of the interior of the nozzle...

Official site: http://www.f-22raptor.com/

Unofficial site: http://www.f22-raptor.com/

Anyways, air-to-ground maxes out at 2 1,000lb JDAM's. But the preferred load is 2 500lb JDAMs plus 2 AMRAAM's. (it'll fit) F-22 is heavily AMRAAM-optimized, it'll take them if at all possible.

[VF19]

If they covered the engines and the intakes, then it wouldn't seem wierd at all, but since they only covered the engines it kind of suggests they didn't want pics of the vector nozzles. At least they displayed it with the weapon bay doors open.

Looks like it can hold two x 2000 pounders in the bay underneath. What's the official internal weapons count on the 22?

something around a missile each in the side bays, but there is way more room in the ventral bay.

[VF19]

Anyways, air-to-ground maxes out at 2 1,000lb JDAM's. But the preferred load is 2 500lb JDAMs plus 2 AMRAAM's. (it'll fit) F-22 is heavily AMRAAM-optimized, it'll take them if at all possible.

you forgot the ventral ordnance bay. around 6 Large AMRAAMs it looks like. Also, Ive seen it with 2 2000 lb PGB's (laser guided i believe, possibly GPS)

[VF-19]

If they covered the engines and the intakes, then it wouldn't seem wierd at all, but since they only covered the engines it kind of suggests they didn't want pics of the vector nozzles. At least they displayed it with the weapon bay doors open.

Looks like it can hold two x 2000 pounders in the bay underneath. What's the official internal weapons count on the 22?

They didn't have to cover up the intakes because the engines aren't visible from the intakes. In order to make any fighter more stealthy, you have to hide the high reflection fanblades of a jet engine.

[mighty gorgon]

Just type Pratt & Withney F-119 into Google and you are going to find lots of images of the vector nozzles. One of my faves from http://www.f-22raptor.com

Regds.

Gorgon

Edited December 15, 2003 by mighty gorgon

[ogami]

Just type Pratt & Withney F-119 into Google and you are going to find lots of images of the vector nozzles. One of my faves from http://www.f-22raptor.com

Regds.

Gorgon

[jking] Look at that engine... I have the feeling that we will see VF-0 very soon... [/jking]

I feel sad for NASA. I can hear them yelling, "where is our funding for the new shuttle?"

[David Hingtgen]

No, I meant only the ventral bay. Inside that, it can hold either 6 AMRAAMs, or 2 1,000lb JDAMs, or 2 500lb JDAMs and 2 AMRAAMS.

Since the F-22's stealthiness w/external ordnance is on par with that of a UPS truck, most people only talk about the internal carriage. And 2,000lbs are surely not going to fit. It was designed to hold AMRAAM's, nothing else. They BARELY got the smaller JDAM's to fit, so they could call it an F/A-22 instead of an F-22.

If you want to count external ordnance, the thing could carry practically anything you want. It's bigger than an F-15E.

As for vectoring--I need close-up, interior, angled shots of an installed, final engine in an actual F/A-22. No prototypes of any kind. Most F119 shots are test engines, and in YF-22's. Nozzles tend to change a LOT before a plane's in service. And I do not know whether what I'm looking for is actually part of the engine, the vectoring nozzle, or the plane itself. Most drawings do show that they exist, but not exactly how they work, or if they even do anything other than sit there. (As in, do they move, rotate, pivot, translate, etc? All of them, half of them, etc) And if so--how/when/why? Vectoring only, counteract yawing action, general nozzle control, afterburner control, etc?

Edited December 15, 2003 by David Hingtgen

[Anubis]

You know they're keeping it a secret so far if David Hingtgen hasn't found pics yet. Shame I never kept with anyone from when I was in. I knew a guy who was heading to Edwards right after I got out, and a couple of Eglin. Oh well.

Thanks for the stats. I was dumb again saying 2000 pounders ( I've seen the damn things how many times with the guidance tips, so I should have realized those wouldn't fit). Even so, all those missles really is a lot for internal weapon bays. Very impressive plane.

What kind of external fuel tanks can it carry? Usual externals I'm sure if they wanted, but I'm sure they normally wouldn't plan on it since it would kill the steath. Does anyone know if there is one to fit in the ventral bay, maybe? For long distance travel and what not?

[Apollo Leader]

very nice cut wuts with the red buttplugs?

The red buttplugs are so that you can't see what the interior of the engine looks like. I think it's because they don't want David Hingtgen to put his camera up the tailpipe of the F/A-22.

Usually red plugs like these are for preventing foreign objects (ie. birds, insects, dust, etc.) from getting into the engines from either the rear or the air intakes. Since these plugs match the shape of the thrust vectoring nozzles in the first place, I would have to say the primary function is to prevent the entry of foreign debris, but it might be serving the dual purpose of keeping prying eyes from any infrared or RCS reducing applications... to this day, whenever a B-2 Spirit is to be put on a ground display at an air show, the back side of the aircraft is blocked from public viewing because certain aspects of its exhaust system are pretty classified.

[Apollo Leader]

Anyways, OT is another tailcode for Eglin. The wargames/testing part, not operational squadrons.

My brother-in-law says these 2 F/A-22's (there was another one there as part of this deployment) had come up from Nellis AFB, though that doesn't necessarily mean they are based there.

[muswp1]

I believe Italeri has an actual F/A-22, 1/48.

Italeri has a 1/48 and a 1/72 F/A-22 model currently out. Testors has a re-packaged Italeri 1/48. Revell-Germany also has a F/A-22 1/48 (supposedly with LANTRIN pods???) and a 1/72 model out. Revell-Monogram has a F/A-22 1/48 coming out (probably the Revell-Germany kit repackaged, the two companies routinely use each other's molds). I believe that Hasegawa is going to have at least one, I'm not sure what scales they will be using.

I still build models, so I keep as current as possible.

[B-52 GUNNER]

OT comes from both Eglin and Nellis.

Here is the info straight from www.af.mil

OT F-15A/B/C/E, F-16A/C U.S. Air Force Air Warfare Center, Nellis AFB, Nev. (ACC)

OT F-15A/B/C/D/E, F-16A/B/C/D 53rd WG, Eglin AFB, Fla. (ACC)

The Red Boots are there to keep Rain, birds, bolts, rocks, and bugs from getting in there.

If you want to see that engine just come over to Dayton, Ohio and goto the U.S. Air Force Museum. They have one sitting next to the YF-22 on display

[Mr.Sci-Fi]

We have the sweetest looking jet fighter! it looks like it's right out of some scifi novel.