It’s expensive, but it’s baaaahaaad.
 

The deadliest fighter jet goes operational.
March 2006

The F22 Raptor air superiority fighter is the meanest airplane in the skies, and now its' coming to a TFR near you.
It’s official: The United States Air Force has certified the world’s only "fifth generation" fighter jet as operationally ready. The Lockheed Martin F-22 combines supersonic speed (including supersonic cruise without afterburner) with stealth and advanced targeting, weaponry and defense capabilities to make it hands down the most advanced fighter jet on the planet. With plans to field 183 Raptors in all, the Air Force has already begun to fly operational missions with the jet, including homeland defense missions, so you might see one any day now.
It wasn’t a short gestation period for the world’s best air superiority fighter. The need for a jet like the F-22 to replace the F-15 was first officially voiced by the Air Force in the early 1980s. But the first flight of the prototype YF-22 didn’t take place until 1990, while the first supersonic flight wouldn’t occur for another seven years.
While much of its performance remains classified, according to some reports, in aerial combat tests against F-15s and other frontline U.S. fighters, the
F-22 had a near perfect "kill record" and was never picked up by its foes’ radar during mock combat flights.
Such capabilities come at a price, though: The cost of each F-22, by some estimates, is around $125 million.

http://www.flyingmag.com/assets/imag...2006141727.jpg

Linky.

That's really cool. But...


YF23 > YF22

http://www.voodoo.cz/yf23/

:)

Only 183 to replace the almost 500 F-15s that were in service at one time. That is worrisome.

I had the opportunity to go and visit the F22 production line. One amazing stat was it's fly time was twice the F15 and could cruise at super sonic speeds giving it 3 times the distance without refueling.

I've seen them flying over Atlanta before, that's one bad mamba jamma.

Considering that eight of them recently took out 33 F-15Cs in an exercise without a single loss, I wouldn't be that concerned.

Su-35/Su-37. :D

Peh. An Air Force pilot in a Cessna could shoot one of those down.

They do have great ejection seats, however, which is nice.

Weeeee!

Wow.

ROFL

In all seriousness the Mig series were pretty sweet, though they were basically just copies of the F series with modifications/improvements. Them Ruskies sure knew how to steal a good design.

I'm sure you know this, but there are whole websites dedicated to the F-22 vs. Su-35/37 hypothetical dogfights.

It was pretty interesting what the Russians were able to do with a lot less technology in the airplanes.

1. Russian pilots versus American pilots. Sorry, but the training isn't comparable.

2. Non-stealth versus stealth. Kind hard to fight when you're already dead.

3. American avionics are still FAR superior to Russian.

4. Sure the SUs can do some really cool tricks, but the odds of the SUs surviving long enough for the "Cobra" and other stuff to come into play are very low.

The old adage of "he who sees the other guy first and shoots first, wins" is still very applicable to 5G aircraft.

While to a very technical level that bolded statement is true, (i.e. an F117 will appear as a object about the size of a large bird on a radar screen, it is a highly self-deceiving thought.