[NSRCA-discussion] Fw: The New F/A-22 does things airplanes cannot do.

[Del K. Rykert]

This was my first glimpse of seeing this aircraft. Hope others find it as impressive. Link is at the bottom.
     
    Del  

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 go!  nag 
 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. 
 
 The video is about 5 minutes long but the last 30-40 seconds are  priceless. 
 
 ACC recently approved the Raptors new DEMO profile. This was the first  show. 
 
 Five minute video. 
 Watch the elevators of the airplane in this demo. They work  independently. 
 It also has vectored thrust. 
 
 ACC = Air Combat Command (for the non-Air Force folks) 
 
 *Supercruise: The F/A-22 can sustain supersonic flight without the use of 
 fuel-gulping afterburners.

 

http://www.f22-raptor.com/media/video_gallery/videos/F22_AirShow_Langley.wmv  
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