What a piece of American ingenuity.
My apologies if this has been posted before.
Hope they wait a long while before selling any of them to anyone.
Link

Thanks, Fender.
That thing could perform a Lufbery circle in a wash tub.

The weakest link on that machine is the pilot and his inability to take more G-force. There isn't an airforce in the world that plane couldn't defeat in large part because of the training of our pilots. Very impressive indeed.

Jim

You can see Col John Boyd's design influence here

They should have built a lot more.

How did they get the F22 so right and the F35 so wrong?

The F35 was not supposed to be what it became. It was supposed to be the low part of a high-low mix with the F-22. The F-22 was the primary air defense interceptor, and the F-35 was the lighter fighter/attack aircraft. This was very much in the same vein that the F-15 and 16 operated.

But the F-22 run got cut short, and all the chips went on the F-35. And it didn't help that it had to be the be all - end all for the navy an, in VSTOL form for the Marines too. They just dumped too much on one airframe.

The really need to do an updated design, using some of the new electronics designed for the F-35, and reopen the F-22 line, and build at least 500 more.

quote:

Originally posted by Lefty Sig:
How did they get the F22 so right and the F35 so wrong?

quote:

Originally posted by Lefty Sig:
How did they get the F22 so right and the F35 so wrong?

The F22 was designed to be the best without cutting corners. It also didn't have to meet Navy and Marine requirements. The F35 was designed on a budget to be more of a second line fighter/attack aircraft. It had to not only meet airforce requirements but the Navy's and Marines.

They tried to do too much with that aircraft. It was also never meant to be at the same level as the F22.

That video is cool but doesn't do justice to seeing it perform in person.

First time I saw it at an airshow I think I stood there watching with my mouth open. The way that the plane can turn and be thrown around is amazing.

I pity the poor Sukhoi that has to go up against the F-22...

quote:

Originally posted by comet24:
That video is cool but doesn't do justice to seeing it perform in person.

First time I saw it at an airshow I think I stood there watching with my mouth open. The way that the plane can turn and be thrown around is amazing.

Agreed.

We fought the F-22s out of Langley not long after they were operational. Not the long range Air to Air stuff, but up close 1 v 1 BFM (basic fighter maneuvers, what a layman would call 'dogfighting'), all within visual range.

The aerodynamic and engine performance is eye watering - typical cues that indicate that the fight is turning in your favor and the F-22 just powers through it and ends up behind you when an other aircraft would be buried nose low - the first time you see it, it's awe inspiring.

Too bad stupid political decisions shut down the production line, we would be better off with 400+ Raptors than 150+ and still waiting on the JSF to mature. But LM made the smart business move to make restarting the F-22 line cost prohibitive after getting fucked by .Gov with the shutdown of the line.

Pogo was right, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

Me thinks these jets are too important, and in so few numbers, to be driven on the edge like this.

I wish we ALSO produced the YF23.

Both aircraft in our line-up would be outstanding!

Never too late to fire up the YF23 production.