Top 15 Technologies
6.
First flight of the F-22 Raptor
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Paul Metz, Lockheed Martin's (www.lockheedmartin.com) F-22 chief test pilot, flew the F-22 on its maiden flight over Dobbins Air Reserve Base, GA, early last September. On its first flight, the two Pratt & Whitney (www.pratt-whitney.com) F119-PW-100 engines propelled the Raptor to a 140 knot takeoff velocity. The Raptor soared to an altitude of 15,000 ft, while Metz tested the control characteristics and engine performance through a series of power changes.
"The F-22 team is building confidence from successes in the Demonstration/Validation phase through the Critical Design Review phase of the program. First flight is one of many important milestones that continue to demonstrate the capabilities of this great air dominance fighter for the 21st century" said Brigadier General Michael Mushala.
During the one hour flight, Metz took the Raptor up to 20,000 ft, where he retracted the gear and conducted engine transients. He evaluated the engines' performance in the "clean" configuration and flew the Raptor in formation with one of the F-16 chase aircraft flown by John Beesley, F-22 test pilot from Lockheed Martin. This was to evaluate the precision handling characteristics of the Raptor. The other F-16 flying chase was flown by Lieutenant Colonel Steve Rainey, who is scheduled to be the first Air Force pilot to fly the Raptor.
According to Tom Burbage, the F-22 Team Program Office general manager, the F-22 is ready for the next phase. "The entire Air Force/contractor team has worked very hard over the past six years to develop the F-22 and get to this point. Now it is time to test the Raptor, start production on schedule, and then get the aircraft fielded," said Burbage.
Prior to the delivery of the second aircraft, Aircraft 4002, a series of 50 test flights will be conducted on the first aircraft, Aircraft 4001. Aircraft 4002, now in the final assembly stage at Lockheed Martin, is scheduled for completion in the summer of 1998. It will be delivered to the U.S. Air Force (USAF) at Edwards Air Force Base in mid-1998.
The F-22 is designed to provide air dominance through a combination of stealth, integrated avionics, maneuverability, and su-percruise capability. The supercruise is supersonic flight without afterburner. It is hoped that with the F-22's air dominant power objectives will be achieved quickly and decisively with fewer U.S. casualties.
Those collaborating on the F-22 project are: Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems; Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems; Boeing Military Airplanes; and Pratt & Whitney. The USAF hopes to replace the aging F-15 fleet with the F-22 at the begining of the next century.
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