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

[randy hatfield]

Del K. Rykert wrote:
> 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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really cool.  But I wonder why the USAF needs an IMAC plane.  Looked 
like high alpha, 3-D stuff to me.

Randy