In testing the F-117, one of the V-tails fell right off in flight – if my memory serves me right. The pilot didn’t notice it as the FBW automatically compensated for the loss – but as soon as the chase plane spotted it – it was a quick RTB.
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Shower Xxx

There seems to be a lot of anti-JSF talk in the UK and Europe. I get the feeling many people want it to fail – or mabye all the programs over here are destined for bad press uptill their operational debuts. But what I want to know is: for NATO countries which probably won’t operate without US support and US based air-superiority in form of the F-22 – is the strike optimised platform not the best bet?
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Jizz

Lol 🙂 Let me quote myself:

It can achieve SC of Mach 1.82 and who knows if that’s the absolute upper limit. Will an F-22 always be cruising at Mach 1.82? Obviously not. No one is saying that – is that what you were thinking?

But the point is FTD and now AFM use the speeds above as the operational F-22 SC speed. Its not that hard to understand :). Cruise conditions – I repeat are not taken in a dive – the temperature and hence the local speed of sound is fairly constant above the 11 km mark at 216.6 K and the F-22 flies clean with probably 26000lb of thrust in each engine. 4000lb + thrust more than an F-15C with P&W F100-P220 turbofans in afterburner. That could potentially get to Mach 2.5 clean.
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Cat wheel

Mate the reports as you seem to be mentioning are probably based on the ATF requirements :). Do you know sometimes aircraft actually have the ability to exceed their requirements? 🙂 When the requirements become standard performance specs – stated by operational pilots then I think you can start using them. Do you still believe the Raptor is limited to Mach 1.8 max speed?
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PREGNANT MEXICAN

While to a large extent that is probably true in the sense that if flown properly the F-22 has many overwhelming abilities. But that does not means it is totally unbeatable. There are many ways to skin a cat. Attack it on the ground(the best option) – Overwhelm it with numbers etc etc etc. But I’d rather be in an F-22 than fighting it and I’d bet if truely honest, any FJ pilot would be the same.
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Expert Insurance

There are just as many crazy claims about eastern equipment as there are about the western kit. 🙂
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MAINE DISPENSARY

Yes this generation jargon has become accepted in Europe to classify aircraft.

As for over G the Mach 1.82 claim for SC comes from the 1st and 192nd FW’s – operational squadrons flying operational jets. The fact of the matter is the F-22 can cruise at Mach 1.82 period. Accept it or at least stay current. Just as pro-western enthusiats accept a Mig-25 can hit Mach 3+ despite it only officially being capable of Mach 2.8.
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Dodge Charger Daytona

The F-35 in the strike role has the advantage of greater internal fuel – a wing more focused on bomb trucking and internal sensors that are ideal for AtG. Obviously LO – to whatever extent export versions are this will still be an advantage. It will be interesting to see how they data-link it. The F-22 has an LPI data-link. How they make that compatible with Link-16 is the current challenge with a few possible solutions. If they add link-16 to export versions of the F-35 it might indicate degraded stealth.
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MEDIGAP FORUMS