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Bird of Prey: Raptor brings never-before-seen capabilities to aerial warfare
Airman ^ | December 31, 2012 | Tech. Sgt. Matthew Bates

Posted on 04/04/2013 6:50:57 AM PDT by EnjoyingLife

Col. Kevin Robbins still remembers the first time he saw the F-22 Raptor. He was driving near the flightline of then Langley Air Force Base when he heard a load roar and saw a plane streak across his field of vision and start performing several aerial maneuvers. He stopped the car, got out and stared in amazement. An F-15 Eagle pilot himself, the colonel couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"This plane was doing things that shouldn't be possible in a jet," he said. "I just kept thinking that if anyone tried that in any other plane, he'd be dead."

The colonel wasn't sure how the plane was able to do the things in the air that he was witnessing, but he couldn't wait to find out. He applied for and was accepted to the F-22 program soon after.

Today, he not only flies the jet, but also leads some of the best pilots in the world as commander of the 1st Fighter Wing at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.

(Excerpt) Read more at airman.dodlive.mil ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: f22a; fighter; raptor; stealth
Video No. 1: "The F-22 Raptor is Absurd"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRejg06jJPQ

Video No. 2: "4 F-22 Raptors break formation @ 2009 Thunder Over the Boardwalk"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qE1QJqgHYU

1 posted on 04/04/2013 6:50:57 AM PDT by EnjoyingLife
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To: EnjoyingLife
Many, many years ago, lived in Williamsburg Va and was driving down to Newport Newes. All of a sudden....big sign..."Road Closed"....and we could see little fighter jets all over the place...along with the booms....Awesome...

Also visited the Langley Complex and they had planes of the future....This was my first look at the Stealth.

IIRC, at Langley....You temporarily give them all rights to your person and all possessions.

2 posted on 04/04/2013 7:03:31 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: EnjoyingLife

We saw them fly in an airshow at Andrews. They are amazing.


3 posted on 04/04/2013 7:13:32 AM PDT by RedMDer (May we always be happy and may our enemies always know it. - Sarah Palin, 10-18-2010)
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To: EnjoyingLife

But are they good enough to beat the mighty North Korean Air Force?


4 posted on 04/04/2013 7:18:17 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (The ballot box is a sham. Nothing will change until after the war.)
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To: EnjoyingLife

another good one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc04qQTY6bs

you can thank 0bama for shutting down its development / deployment (not to mention the lack of attention towards the sabotage efforts...)

i’m guessing they pushed a few to NK just to scrap them


5 posted on 04/04/2013 7:18:42 AM PDT by sten (fighting tyranny never goes out of style)
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To: sten

I wonder how long before the traitors give the blueprints to Russia and China ?


6 posted on 04/04/2013 7:22:55 AM PDT by Minutemen ("It's a Religion of Peace")
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To: EnjoyingLife

Thanks for the video links. I just watched the first one. Amazing! Its maneuverability makes it look like one of those radio controlled planes we used to fly.


7 posted on 04/04/2013 7:23:31 AM PDT by bubbacluck (You don't drive out the darkness; you turn on the light.)
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To: EnjoyingLife

It is unfair for the US to have this advantage. All F22s must be grounded and scrapped. /liberal


8 posted on 04/04/2013 7:25:10 AM PDT by piytar (The predator-class is furious that their prey are shooting back.)
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To: ClearCase_guy
But are they good enough to beat the mighty North Korean Air Force?

It can take out the first 100 NK fighters that come after it.

9 posted on 04/04/2013 8:07:00 AM PDT by null and void (Gun confiscation enables tyranny. Republicans create the tools of oppression and Democrats use them.)
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To: EnjoyingLife
"This plane was doing things that shouldn't be possible in a jet," he said. "I just kept thinking that if anyone tried that in any other plane, he'd be dead."

Talk about laying it on thick...

The thrust-vectoring nozzles (TVN) fitted to the MiG-29 and Su-35/Su-37 are 3D nozzles whereas the TVN fitted to the F-22 are only 2D, so this makes them more maneuverable.

Video #1 - Best Sukhoi Su 37 Terminator 360° Kulbit

Video #2 - MiG-29 with TVN at 2006 Farnborough.

10 posted on 04/04/2013 8:09:36 AM PDT by Ol' Dan Tucker (People should not be afraid of the government. Government should be afraid of the people)
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To: EnjoyingLife

That there is what we call Freedom.


11 posted on 04/04/2013 8:40:03 AM PDT by twoputt
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To: Minutemen

“I wonder how long before the traitors give the blueprints to Russia and China?”

Even if they had complete plans, they still lack the manufacturing ability.

I’m sure they could build something resembling the F-22 to the naked eye but stealth construction requires incredibly tight tolerances. Machines that manufacture to such a tolerance typically have be isolated from the earth’s natural vibrations. Small parts you can hold in your hand cost a fortune to manufacture to such a tolerance and the F-22 is full of HUGE ones.


12 posted on 04/04/2013 9:01:45 AM PDT by varyouga
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To: varyouga
but stealth construction requires incredibly tight tolerances.

That's why they use tape and caulk to seal the gaps on stealth platforms like the F-117 and the B-2.

13 posted on 04/04/2013 9:36:45 AM PDT by A.A. Cunningham (Barry Soetoro can't pass E-verify)
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To: EnjoyingLife
"This plane was doing things that shouldn't be possible in a jet,"

The first time I saw one at an airshow I thought the same thing.
14 posted on 04/04/2013 11:32:29 AM PDT by TalonDJ
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To: Minutemen

already happened within the last few years... theirs is called the J-20:
http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/thinking-tech/china-stealing-top-secret-technology-from-f-22-stealth-fighter/11850

0bama made sure... along with re-instating the chinese nationals in our nuke labs:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/dec/21/inside-the-ring-105581724/?page=all


15 posted on 04/04/2013 11:49:27 AM PDT by sten (fighting tyranny never goes out of style)
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