Old Soldiers (rest in peace)
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The Airmens Memorial can be found between great carrs and swirl how in the lake district the halifax bomber crashed in october 1944 whilst on a night flying exercise killing all eight crew members a few pieces of wreckage are incorporated into the memorial
North American P-51C Mustang Tuskegee Airmen USAAF
N61429 42-103645 CAF/Commemorative Air Force
Built at Tulsa Oklahoma USA
Photo taken at EAA Airventure Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin USA 2019
2AA_2929
A 2 shot panorama of the Turnberry monument to the Aerial Gunnery Schools that were based there during WW1 & 2.
WIKIPEDIA
RAF Turnberry was an airfield in Scotland used by the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the First World War, and again by the RAF in the Second World War. Between the two wars, the site reverted to its pre-1914 use as the Turnberry Golf Course and hotel. It reverted to this use again after the Second World War. Although there is still a disused landing strip, the site is now the Trump Turnberry.
During the First World War, the base housed No. 1 School of Aerial Fighting (Loch Doon, to the east, was used for a School of Aerial Gunnery). The school merged with No. 2 (Auxiliary) School of Air Gunnery, becoming No. 1 School of Aerial Fighting and Gunnery, renamed No. 1 Fighting School (North-West Area) on 29 May 1918. It provided pilots with three-week courses in the arts of aerial gunnery and combat. It was disbanded on 25 January 1919. The Turnberry Hotel was used during the war as a hospital for the wounded. After the war, courses 1 and 2 were rebuilt and renamed "Ailsa" and "Arran". A memorial to honour lost airmen was erected on the hill overlooking the 12th green of Ailsa and still remains.
The cycle was repeated for the Second World War. The hotel was commissioned as a hospital, and the golf courses were seconded for air training for the Royal Air Force. Coastal Command based Consolidated Liberators there for anti-submarine patrols over the Atlantic. The base was also used for training Bristol Beaufighter and Bristol Beaufort crews. Testing of Barnes Wallis's "Highball" bouncing bomb was also performed by 618 Squadron, flying from Turnberry. The hotel was used a Royal Navy hospital. It is thought that as many as 200 died at the base.
North American P-51C Mustang Tuskegee Airmen USAAF
NL61429 N61429 42-103645 CAF/Commemorative Air Force
Built at Tulsa Oklahoma USA
Photo taken at EAA Airventure Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin USA 2019
2AA_2927
NAS Whidbey Base, WA
This is a T-6 “Double Vee" aircraft. It was exclusively utilized by the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II.
Thanks for all the views, faves, and comments! Much appreciated! :)
North American P-51C Mustang Tuskegee Airmen USAAF NL61429 N61429 42-103645 CAF/Commemorative Air Force
Built at Tulsa Oklahoma USA
Photo taken at EAA Airventure Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin USA 2019
1AA_9199
North American P-51C Mustang Tuskegee Airmen USAAF
NL61429 N61429 42-103645 CAF/Commemorative Air Force
Built at Tulsa Oklahoma USA
Photo taken at EAA Airventure Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin USA 2019
2AA_2938
North American P-51C Mustang Tuskegee Airmen USAAF
NL61429 N61429 42-103645 CAF/Commemorative Air Force
Built at Tulsa Oklahoma USA
Photo taken at EAA Airventure Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin USA 2019
2AA_2926
Entrance to the Airmen's Restaurant at RAF West Raynham, an abandoned RAF Base in Norfolk, UK.
View more on my website - www.bcd-urbex.com/raf-west-raynham-norfolk-uk/
Tuskegee Airmen tribute with P51 "Tall in the Saddle" from the Hanger 11 Collection at North Weald Aerodrome.
North American P-51C Mustang Tuskegee Airmen USAAF
NL61429 N61429 42-103645 CAF/Commemorative Air Force
Built at Tulsa Oklahoma USA
Photo taken at EAA Airventure Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin USA 2019
Tuskegee AIrmen attending 60th Reunion in Nov 2004. Standing in front of North American P-51C Mustang "Ina the Macon Belle"
North American P-51C Mustang Tuskegee Airmen USAAF
NL61429 42-103645 CAF/Commemorative Air Force
Built at Tulsa Oklahoma USA
Photo taken at EAA Airventure Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin USA 2019
1AA_9193
Doug Rozendaal in the North American P-51C Mustang "Tuskegee Airmen" performing at the 2017 MCAS Yuma Airshow held March 17-18, 2017.
U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft from the 35th and 80th Fighter Squadrons of the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea; the 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron of the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah; the 55th EFS from the 20th FW at Shaw AFB, S.C.; and the 38th Fighter Group of the Republic of Korea Air Force demonstrate an “Elephant Walk” as they taxi down the runway during an exercise at Kunsan AB March 2, 2012. The exercise showcased Kunsan AB aircrews' capability to quickly and safely prepare an aircraft for a wartime mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brittany Y. Auld)
North American P-51C Mustang Tuskegee Airmen USAAF 42-103645 NL61429 N61429
CAF/Commemorative Air Force, Built at Tulsa Oklahoma USA
Photo taken at EAA Airventure Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin USA 2019
1AA_9200
North American P-51C Mustang Tuskegee Airmen USAAF 42-103645 NL61429 N61429
CAF/Commemorative Air Force, Built at Tulsa Oklahoma USA
Photo taken at EAA Airventure Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin USA 2019
2AA_2931
The area that was to become West Palm Beach was settled in the late 1870s and 1880s by a few hundred settlers who called the vicinity "Lake Worth Country." These settlers were a diverse community from different parts of the United States and the world. They included founding families such at the Potters and the Lainharts, who would go on to become leading members of the business community in the fledgling city. The first white settlers in Palm Beach County lived around Lake Worth, then an enclosed freshwater lake, named for Colonel William Jenkins Worth, who had fought in the Second Seminole War in Florida in 1842. Most settlers engaged in the growing of tropical fruits and vegetables for shipment the north via Lake Worth and the Indian River. By 1890, the U.S. Census counted over 200 people settled along Lake Worth in the vicinity of what would become West Palm Beach. The area at this time also boasted a hotel, the "Cocoanut House", a church, and a post office. The city was platted by Henry Flagler as a community to house the servants working in the two grand hotels on the neighboring island of Palm Beach, across Lake Worth in 1893, coinciding with the arrival of the Florida East Coast railroad. Flagler paid two area settlers, Captain Porter and Louie Hillhouse, a combined sum of $45,000 for the original town site, stretching from Clear Lake to Lake Worth.
On November 5, 1894, 78 people met at the "Calaboose" (the first jail and police station located at Clematis St. and Poinsettia, now Dixie Hwy.) and passed the motion to incorporate the Town of West Palm Beach in what was then Dade County (now Miami-Dade County). This made West Palm Beach the first incorporated municipality in Dade County and in South Florida. The town council quickly addressed the building codes and the tents and shanties were replaced by brick, brick veneer, and stone buildings. The city grew steadily during the 1890s and the first two decades of the 20th century, most residents were engaged in the tourist industry and related services or winter vegetable market and tropical fruit trade. In 1909, Palm Beach County was formed by the Florida State Legislature and West Palm Beach became the county seat. In 1916, a new neo-classical courthouse was opened, which has been painstakingly restored back to its original condition, and is now used as the local history museum.
The city grew rapidly in the 1920s as part of the Florida land boom. The population of West Palm Beach quadrupled from 1920 to 1927, and all kinds of businesses and public services grew along with it. Many of the city's landmark structures and preserved neighborhoods were constructed during this period. Originally, Flagler intended for his Florida East Coast Railway to have its terminus in West Palm, but after the area experienced a deep freeze, he chose to extend the railroad to Miami instead.
The land boom was already faltering when city was devastated by the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. The Depression years of the 1930s were a quiet time for the area, which saw slight population growth and property values lower than during the 1920s. The city only recovered with the onset of World War II, which saw the construction of Palm Beach Air Force Base, which brought thousands of military personnel to the city. The base was vital to the allied war effort, as it provided an excellent training facility and had unparalleled access to North Africa for a North American city. Also during World War II, German U-Boats sank dozens of merchant ships and oil tankers just off the coast of West Palm Beach. Nearby Palm Beach was under black out conditions to minimize night visibility to German U-boats.
The 1950s saw another boom in population, partly due to the return of many soldiers and airmen who had served in the vicinity during the war. Also, the advent of air conditioning encouraged growth, as year-round living in a tropical climate became more acceptable to northerners. West Palm Beach became the one of the nation's fastest growing metropolitan areas during the 1950s; the city's borders spread west of Military Trail and south to Lake Clarke Shores. However, many of the city's residents still lived within a narrow six-block wide strip from the south to north end. The neighborhoods were strictly segregated between White and African-American populations, a legacy that the city still struggles with today. The primary shopping district remained downtown, centered around Clematis Street.
In the 1960s, Palm Beach County's first enclosed shopping mall, the Palm Beach Mall, and an indoor arena were completed. These projects led to a brief revival for the city, but in the 1970s and 1980s crime continued to be a serious issue and suburban sprawl continued to drain resources and business away from the old downtown area. By the early 1990s there were very high vacancy rates downtown, and serious levels of urban blight.
Since the 1990s, developments such as CityPlace and the preservation and renovation of 1920s architecture in the nightlife hub of Clematis Street have seen a downtown resurgence in the entertainment and shopping district. The city has also placed emphasis on neighborhood development and revitalization, in historic districts such as Northwood, Flamingo Park, and El Cid. Some neighborhoods still struggle with blight and crime, as well as lowered property values caused by the Great Recession, which hit the region particularly hard. Since the recovery, multiple new developments have been completed. The Palm Beach Mall, located at the Interstate 95/Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard interchange became abandoned as downtown revitalized - the very mall that initiated the original abandonment of the downtown. The mall was then redeveloped into the Palm Beach Fashion Outlets in February 2014. A station for All Aboard Florida, a high-speed passenger rail service serving Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Orlando, is under construction as of July 2015.
Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
The Tuskegee Airmen and American history
Photo Reference: www.flickr.com/photos/blackheritage/2164935580/
Founded In 1941 during World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen were a group of African-American military pilots (fighters and bombers) who fought in World War II. They formed the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). The name also implies the navigators, mechanics, bombardiers, crew chiefs, instructors, nurses, cooks, and other support personnel involved.
Before the formation of the Tuskegee Airmen, no African-American had been a U.S. Military pilot. In 1917, African-American men attempted to become aerial observers but were immediately rejected. African-American Eugene Bullard served in the French Air Service during the First World War because he wasn’t allowed to serve in an American unit. Instead, Bullard returned to infantry duty with the French.
All African-American military personnel in the United States trained at Morton Field and the Tuskegee Army Air Field and were educated at Tuskegee University located near Tuskegee, AL. The group consisted of five Haitians from the Haitian Air Force and one pilot from Trinidad. It also included a Hispanic or Latino airmen from the Dominican Republic.
The racially motivated rejections of World War I African-American recruits sparked more than 20 years of advocacy by African-Americans who wished to enlist and train as military aviators. Prominent civil rights leaders, including Walter White of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and labor union leader A, led the effort. Phillip Randolph, and Judge William H. Hastie. Finally, on April 3rd, 1939, U.S. Congress passed Appropriations Bill Public Law 18, containing an amendment by Senator Harry H. Schwartz, designating funds for the training of African-American pilots. The War Department put the money into funds for civilian flight schools willing to train African Americans.
After World War II ended in 1945, the U.S. Army sold off its military surplus. For only $1.00 ($16.90 today), Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana, bought a P-51C aircraft parked on its campus in front of the engineering building. The P-51C was left alone in Montana, except for an occasional coat of silver paint. In 1965, when the University wanted to add a parking lot, restorer Lloyd Creek bought it from the University for $1.00, provided that he could remove it from the campus within 24 hours of notification of winning the bid. To move the P-51C promptly to Billings, Montana, necessitated the removal of the wings, which were sawed off with a circular saw. The wings were reattached to the fuselage when the aircraft arrived in Billings.
In 1970, frustrated with restoration efforts, Creek donated the P-51C to the CAF, which disassembled the aircraft and shipped it to the organization's home base in Texas. While awaiting restoration, the plane endured a hurricane, which exposed numerous parts of the aircraft to seawater damage. Several CAF volunteers attempted to rehab the plane in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Texas, Council Bluffs, Iowa, and finally, in the late 1980s, at the home of the Southern Minnesota wing of the CAF, which had just completed the restoration of the North American B-25 Mitchell bomber, Miss Mitchell. After noting the P-51C needed restoration, Don Hinz channeled his energy and talents into the emerging Red Tail project. The aircraft is now one of only four existing P-51C Mustangs. As one of the four flying Mustangs, it is worth $2.5 million.
For more information about the Tuskegee Airmen and this plane’s incredible story, check out the link below: www.tuskegeeairmen.org/
Airmen maneuver through traffic lights while towing an F-15 Eagle on Watson Boulevard to the Warner Robins City Hall in Warner Robins, Ga., Sept. 6, 2014. The aircraft was loaned to the city by the Georgia Air National Guard’s 116th Air Control Wing to serve as a static display for a new veteran’s memorial. The Airmen moving the aircraft are assigned to the 116th Maintenance Group. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Regina Young/Released)
ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (July 13, 2021) - Airmen fly an aircraft during exercise Arctic SWAT at Joint Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, July 14, 2021. (Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Shelton Sherrill) 210713-F-FC081-1034
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Airmen prepare an F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft Jan. 17, 2015, on Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, in transit to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, and Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. More than 150 maintainers will keep the 18th Aggressor Squadron in the air during Pacific Air Forces exercises, which are meant to prepare Airmen, Sailors and Marines, along with coalition partners in the Pacific theater of operations, for contingency operations if the need arises. The Airmen are from the 354th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Turner/Released)
Airmen listen as Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein speaks about current Air Force operations during an all-call at Shaw Air Force Base, May 30, 2017. During the all-call Airmen asked Goldfein questions about the current state of the Air Force and the direction the service is headed. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Christopher Maldonado)
Airmen, carrying 35-pound rucksacks, participate in the 2016 Bataan Memorial Death March with 6,600 other participants March 20, 2016, at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The 27th annual march was 26.2 miles long and served as a reminder for today’s generation of the harsh conditions World War II veterans endured during their 60-mile march to a prisoner-of-war camp in the Philippines. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Harry Brexel)
Airmen from the 71st Rescue Squadron return from a deployment in southwest Asia, Feb. 11, 2019, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. Reintegration events like these are especially important to Moody’s Airmen and their families as Moody is the most deployed base in Air Combat Command. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Erick Requadt)
An F-15C Eagle from the 493rd Fighter Squadron takes off from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, March 6, 2014. The 48th Fighter Wing sent an additional six aircraft and more than 50 personnel to support NATO's air policing mission in Lithuania, at the request of U.S. allies in the Baltics. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Emerson Nunez/Released)
Date Taken:03.06.2014
Date Posted:03.07.2014 03:06
Photo ID:1180988
VIRIN:140306-F-TF218-250
Resolution:2012x1188
Size:1.13 MB
Location:RAF LAKENHEATH, GB
Read more: www.dvidshub.net/image/1180988/airmen-aircraft-support-na...
A U.S. Air Force Lockheed Martin F-22 "Raptor" flies above Royal Australian Air Force Base Tindal, Australia, March 2, 2017. Twelve Lockheed Martin F-22 "Raptors" and approximately 200 U.S. Air Force Airmen participated in the first Enhanced Air Cooperation, an initiative under the Force Posture Agreement between the U.S. and Australia.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation, single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft developed for the United States Air Force (USAF). The result of the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, the aircraft was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but also has ground attack, electronic warfare, and signal intelligence capabilities. The prime contractor, Lockheed Martin, built most of the F-22's airframe and weapons systems and conducted final assembly, while Boeing provided the wings, aft fuselage, avionics integration, and training systems.
The aircraft was variously designated F-22 and F/A-22 before it formally entered service in December 2005 as the F-22A. Despite its protracted development and various operational issues, USAF officials consider the F-22 a critical component of the service's tactical air power. Its combination of stealth, aerodynamic performance, and situational awareness enable unprecedented air combat capabilities.
Service officials had originally planned to buy a total of 750 ATFs. In 2009, the program was cut to 187 operational production aircraft due to high costs, a lack of clear air-to-air missions due to delays in Russian and Chinese fighter programs, a ban on exports, and development of the more versatile F-35. The last F-22 was delivered in 2012.
Development
Origins
In 1981, the U.S. Air Force identified a requirement for an Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) to replace the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon. Code named "Senior Sky", this air-superiority fighter program was influenced by emerging worldwide threats, including new developments in Soviet air defense systems and the proliferation of the Su-27 Flanker- and MiG-29 Fulcrum-class of fighter aircraft. It would take advantage of the new technologies in fighter design on the horizon, including composite materials, lightweight alloys, advanced flight control systems, more powerful propulsion systems, and most importantly, stealth technology. In 1983, the ATF concept development team became the System Program Office (SPO) and managed the program at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The demonstration and validation (Dem/Val) request for proposals (RFP) was issued in September 1985, with requirements placing strong emphasis on stealth and supercruise. Of the seven bidding companies, Lockheed and Northrop were selected on 31 October 1986. Lockheed teamed with Boeing and General Dynamics while Northrop teamed with McDonnell Douglas, and the two contractor teams undertook a 50-month Dem/Val phase, culminating in the flight test of two technology demonstrator prototypes, the YF-22 and the YF-23, respectively.
Dem/Val was focused on risk reduction and technology development plans over specific aircraft designs. Contractors made extensive use of analytical and empirical methods, including computational fluid dynamics, wind-tunnel testing, and radar cross-section calculations and pole testing; the Lockheed team would conduct nearly 18,000 hours of wind-tunnel testing. Avionics development was marked by extensive testing and prototyping and supported by ground and flying laboratories. During Dem/Val, the SPO used the results of performance and cost trade studies conducted by contractor teams to adjust ATF requirements and delete ones that were significant weight and cost drivers while having marginal value. The short takeoff and landing (STOL) requirement was relaxed in order to delete thrust-reversers, saving substantial weight. As avionics was a major cost driver, side-looking radars were deleted, and the dedicated infra-red search and track (IRST) system was downgraded from multi-color to single color and then deleted as well. However, space and cooling provisions were retained to allow for future addition of these components. The ejection seat requirement was downgraded from a fresh design to the existing McDonnell Douglas ACES II. Despite efforts by the contractor teams to rein in weight, the takeoff gross weight estimate was increased from 50,000 lb (22,700 kg) to 60,000 lb (27,200 kg), resulting in engine thrust requirement increasing from 30,000 lbf (133 kN) to 35,000 lbf (156 kN) class.
Each team produced two prototype air vehicles for Dem/Val, one for each of the two engine options. The YF-22 had its maiden flight on 29 September 1990 and in flight tests achieved up to Mach 1.58 in supercruise. After the Dem/Val flight test of the prototypes, on 23 April 1991, Secretary of the USAF Donald Rice announced the Lockheed team as the winner of the ATF competition. The YF-23 design was considered stealthier and faster, while the YF-22, with its thrust vectoring nozzles, was more maneuverable as well as less expensive and risky. The aviation press speculated that the Lockheed team's design was also more adaptable to the U.S. Navy's Navalized Advanced Tactical Fighter (NATF), but by 1992, the Navy had abandoned NATF.
Production and procurement
As the program moved to full-scale development, or the Engineering & Manufacturing Development (EMD) stage, the production version had notable differences from the YF-22, despite having a broadly similar shape. The swept-back angle of the leading edge was decreased from 48° to 42°, while the vertical stabilizers were shifted rearward and decreased in area by 20%. To improve pilot visibility, the canopy was moved forward 7 inches (18 cm), and the engine intakes moved rearward 14 inches (36 cm). The shapes of the wing and stabilator trailing edges were refined to improve aerodynamics, strength, and stealth characteristics. Increasing weight during development caused slight reductions in range and maneuver performance.
Prime contractor Lockheed Martin Aeronautics manufactured the majority of the airframe and performed final assembly at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia; program partner Boeing Defense, Space & Security provided additional airframe components as well as avionics integration and training systems. The first F-22, an EMD aircraft with tail number 4001, was unveiled at Marietta, Georgia, on 9 April 1997, and first flew on 7 September 1997. Production, with the first lot awarded in September 2000, supported over 1,000 subcontractors and suppliers from 46 states and up to 95,000 jobs, and spanned 15 years at a peak rate of roughly two airplanes per month. In 2006, the F-22 development team won the Collier Trophy, American aviation's most prestigious award. Due to the aircraft's advanced nature, contractors have been targeted by cyberattacks and technology theft.
The USAF originally envisioned ordering 750 ATFs at a total program cost of $44.3 billion and procurement cost of $26.2 billion in fiscal year (FY) 1985 dollars, with production beginning in 1994. The 1990 Major Aircraft Review led by Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney reduced this to 648 aircraft beginning in 1996. By 1997, funding instability had further cut the total to 339, which was again reduced to 277 by 2003. In 2004, the Department of Defense (DoD) further reduced this to 183 operational aircraft, despite the USAF's preference for 381. A multi-year procurement plan was implemented in 2006 to save $15 billion, with total program cost projected to be $62 billion for 183 F-22s distributed to seven combat squadrons. In 2008, Congress passed a defense spending bill that raised the total orders for production aircraft to 187.
The first two F-22s built were EMD aircraft in the Block 1.0 configuration for initial flight testing, while the third was a Block 2.0 aircraft built to represent the internal structure of production airframes and enabled it to test full flight loads. Six more EMD aircraft were built in the Block 10 configuration for development and upgrade testing, with the last two considered essentially production quality jets. Production for operational squadrons consisted of 37 Block 20 training aircraft and 149 Block 30/35 combat aircraft; one of the Block 35 aircraft is dedicated to flight sciences at Edwards Air Force Base.
The numerous new technologies in the F-22 resulted in substantial cost overruns and delays. Many capabilities were deferred to post-service upgrades, reducing the initial cost but increasing total program cost. As production wound down in 2011, the total program cost is estimated to be about $67.3 billion, with $32.4 billion spent on Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) and $34.9 billion on procurement and military construction (MILCON) in then year dollars. The incremental cost for an additional F-22 was estimated at about $138 million in 2009.
Ban on exports
The F-22 cannot be exported under US federal law to protect its stealth technology and other high-tech features. Customers for U.S. fighters are acquiring earlier designs such as the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon or the newer F-35 Lightning II, which contains technology from the F-22 but was designed to be cheaper, more flexible, and available for export. In September 2006, Congress upheld the ban on foreign F-22 sales. Despite the ban, the 2010 defense authorization bill included provisions requiring the DoD to prepare a report on the costs and feasibility for an F-22 export variant, and another report on the effect of F-22 export sales on U.S. aerospace industry.
Some Australian politicians and defense commentators proposed that Australia should attempt to purchase F-22s instead of the planned F-35s, citing the F-22's known capabilities and F-35's delays and developmental uncertainties. However, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) determined that the F-22 was unable to perform the F-35's strike and close air support roles. The Japanese government also showed interest in the F-22 for its Replacement-Fighter program. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) would reportedly require fewer fighters for its mission if it obtained the F-22, thus reducing engineering and staffing costs. However, in 2009 it was reported that acquiring the F-22 would require increases to the Japanese government's defense budget beyond the historical 1 percent of its GDP. With the end of F-22 production, Japan chose the F-35 in December 2011. Israel also expressed interest, but eventually chose the F-35 because of the F-22's price and unavailability.
Production termination
Throughout the 2000s, the need for F-22s was debated, due to rising costs and the lack of relevant adversaries. In 2006, Comptroller General of the United States David Walker found that "the DoD has not demonstrated the need" for more investment in the F-22, and further opposition to the program was expressed by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon R. England, Senator John McCain, and Chairman of U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services Senator John Warner. The F-22 program lost influential supporters in 2008 after the forced resignations of Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force General T. Michael Moseley.
In November 2008, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stated that the F-22 was not relevant in post-Cold War conflicts such as irregular warfare operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in April 2009, under the new Obama Administration, he called for ending production in FY2011, leaving the USAF with 187 production aircraft. In July, General James Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated to the Senate Committee on Armed Services his reasons for supporting termination of F-22 production. They included shifting resources to the multirole F-35 to allow proliferation of fifth-generation fighters for three service branches and preserving the F/A-18 production line to maintain the military's electronic warfare (EW) capabilities in the Boeing EA-18G Growler. Issues with the F-22's reliability and availability also raised concerns. After President Obama threatened to veto further production, the Senate voted in July 2009 in favor of ending production and the House subsequently agreed to abide by the 187 production aircraft cap. Gates stated that the decision was taken in light of the F-35's capabilities, and in 2010, he set the F-22 requirement to 187 aircraft by lowering the number of major regional conflict preparations from two to one.
In 2010, USAF initiated a study to determine the costs of retaining F-22 tooling for a future Service Life Extension Program (SLEP). A RAND Corporation paper from this study estimated that restarting production and building an additional 75 F-22s would cost $17 billion, resulting in $227 million per aircraft, or $54 million higher than the flyaway cost. Lockheed Martin stated that restarting the production line itself would cost about $200 million. Production tooling and associated documentation were subsequently stored at the Sierra Army Depot, allowing the retained tooling to support the fleet life cycle. There were reports that attempts to retrieve this tooling found empty containers, but a subsequent audit found that the tooling was stored as expected.
Russian and Chinese fighter developments have fueled concern, and in 2009, General John Corley, head of Air Combat Command, stated that a fleet of 187 F-22s would be inadequate, but Secretary Gates dismissed General Corley's concern. In 2011, Gates explained that Chinese fifth-generation fighter developments had been accounted for when the number of F-22s was set, and that the U.S. would have a considerable advantage in stealth aircraft in 2025, even with F-35 delays. In December 2011, the 195th and final F-22 was completed out of 8 test EMD and 187 operational aircraft produced; the aircraft was delivered to the USAF on 2 May 2012.
In April 2016, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee proposed legislation that would direct the Air Force to conduct a cost study and assessment associated with resuming production of the F-22. Since the production halt directed in 2009 by then Defense Secretary Gates, lawmakers and the Pentagon noted that air warfare systems of Russia and China were catching up to those of the U.S. Lockheed Martin has proposed upgrading the Block 20 training aircraft into combat-coded Block 30/35 versions as a way to increase numbers available for deployment. On 9 June 2017, the Air Force submitted their report to Congress stating they had no plans to restart the F-22 production line due to economic and operational issues; it estimated it would cost approximately $50 billion to procure 194 additional F-22s at a cost of $206–$216 million per aircraft, including approximately $9.9 billion for non-recurring start-up costs and $40.4 billion for aircraft procurement costs.
Upgrades
The first aircraft with combat-capable Block 3.0 software flew in 2001. Increment 2, the first upgrade program, was implemented in 2005 for Block 20 aircraft onward and enabled the employment of Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM). Certification of the improved AN/APG-77(V)1 radar was completed in March 2007, and airframes from production Lot 5 onward are fitted with this radar, which incorporates air-to-ground modes. Increment 3.1 for Block 30 aircraft onward provided improved ground-attack capability through synthetic aperture radar mapping and radio emitter direction finding, electronic attack and Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) integration; testing began in 2009 and the first upgraded aircraft was delivered in 2011. To address oxygen deprivation issues, F-22s were fitted with an automatic backup oxygen system (ABOS) and modified life support system starting in 2012.
Increment 3.2 for Block 35 aircraft is a two-part upgrade process; 3.2A focuses on electronic warfare, communications and identification, while 3.2B includes geolocation improvements and a new stores management system to show the correct symbols for the AIM-9X and AIM-120D. To enable two-way communication with other platforms, the F-22 can use the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) as a gateway. The planned Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL) integration was cut due to development delays and lack of proliferation among USAF platforms. The F-22 fleet is planned to start receiving Increment 3.2B as well as a software upgrade for cryptography capabilities and avionics stability in May 2019. A Multifunctional Information Distribution System-Joint (MIDS-J) radio that replaces the current Link-16 receive-only box is expected to be operational by 2020. Subsequent upgrades are also focusing on having an open architecture to enable faster future enhancements.
In 2024, funding is projected to begin for the F-22 mid-life upgrade (MLU), which is expected to include new sensors and antennas, hardware refresh, cockpit improvements, and a helmet mounted display and cuing system. Other enhancements being developed include IRST functionality for the AN/AAR-56 Missile Launch Detector (MLD) and more durable stealth coating based on the F-35's.
The F-22 was designed for a service life of 8,000 flight hours, with a $350 million "structures retrofit program". Investigations are being made for upgrades to extend their useful lives further. In the long term, the F-22 is expected to be superseded by a sixth-generation jet fighter to be fielded in the 2030s.
Design
Overview
The F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter that is considered fourth generation in stealth aircraft technology by the USAF.[91] It is the first operational aircraft to combine supercruise, supermaneuverability, stealth, and sensor fusion in a single weapons platform. The F-22 has four empennage surfaces, retractable tricycle landing gear, and clipped delta wings with reverse trailing edge sweep and leading edge extensions running to the upper outboard corner of the inlets. Flight control surfaces include leading-edge flaps, flaperons, ailerons, rudders on the canted vertical stabilizers, and all-moving horizontal tails (stabilators); for speed brake function, the ailerons deflect up, flaperons down, and rudders outwards to increase drag.
The aircraft's dual Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 augmented turbofan engines are closely spaced and incorporate pitch-axis thrust vectoring nozzles with a range of ±20 degrees; each engine has maximum thrust in the 35,000 lbf (156 kN) class. The F-22's thrust-to-weight ratio at typical combat weight is nearly at unity in maximum military power and 1.25 in full afterburner. Maximum speed without external stores is approximately Mach 1.8 at military power and greater than Mach 2 with afterburners.
The F-22's high cruise speed and operating altitude over prior fighters improve the effectiveness of its sensors and weapon systems, and increase survivability against ground defenses such as surface-to-air missiles. The aircraft is among only a few that can supercruise, or sustain supersonic flight without using fuel-inefficient afterburners; it can intercept targets which subsonic aircraft would lack the speed to pursue and an afterburner-dependent aircraft would lack the fuel to reach. The F-22's thrust and aerodynamics enable regular combat speeds of Mach 1.5 at 50,000 feet (15,000 m). The use of internal weapons bays permits the aircraft to maintain comparatively higher performance over most other combat-configured fighters due to a lack of aerodynamic drag from external stores. The aircraft's structure contains a significant amount of high-strength materials to withstand stress and heat of sustained supersonic flight. Respectively, titanium alloys and composites comprise 39% and 24% of the structural weight.
The F-22's aerodynamics, relaxed stability, and powerful thrust-vectoring engines give it excellent maneuverability and energy potential across its flight envelope. The airplane has excellent high alpha (angle of attack) characteristics, capable of flying at trimmed alpha of over 60° while maintaining roll control and performing maneuvers such as the Herbst maneuver (J-turn) and Pugachev's Cobra. The flight control system and full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) make the aircraft highly departure resistant and controllable, thus giving the pilot carefree handling.
Stealth
The F-22 was designed to be highly difficult to detect and track by radar. Measures to reduce radar cross-section (RCS) include airframe shaping such as alignment of edges, fixed-geometry serpentine inlets and curved vanes that prevent line-of-sight of the engine faces and turbines from any exterior view, use of radar-absorbent material (RAM), and attention to detail such as hinges and pilot helmets that could provide a radar return. The F-22 was also designed to have decreased radio emissions, infrared signature and acoustic signature as well as reduced visibility to the naked eye. The aircraft's flat thrust-vectoring nozzles reduce infrared emissions of the exhaust plume to mitigate the threat of infrared homing ("heat seeking") surface-to-air or air-to-air missiles. Additional measures to reduce the infrared signature include special topcoat and active cooling of leading edges to manage the heat buildup from supersonic flight.
Compared to previous stealth designs like the F-117, the F-22 is less reliant on RAM, which are maintenance-intensive and susceptible to adverse weather conditions. Unlike the B-2, which requires climate-controlled hangars, the F-22 can undergo repairs on the flight line or in a normal hangar. The F-22 has a Signature Assessment System which delivers warnings when the radar signature is degraded and necessitates repair. While the F-22's exact RCS is classified, in 2009 Lockheed Martin released information indicating that from certain angles the aircraft has an RCS of 0.0001 m² or −40 dBsm – equivalent to the radar reflection of a "steel marble". Effectively maintaining the stealth features can decrease the F-22's mission capable rate to 62–70%.
The effectiveness of the stealth characteristics is difficult to gauge. The RCS value is a restrictive measurement of the aircraft's frontal or side area from the perspective of a static radar. When an aircraft maneuvers it exposes a completely different set of angles and surface area, potentially increasing radar observability. Furthermore, the F-22's stealth contouring and radar absorbent materials are chiefly effective against high-frequency radars, usually found on other aircraft. The effects of Rayleigh scattering and resonance mean that low-frequency radars such as weather radars and early-warning radars are more likely to detect the F-22 due to its physical size. However, such radars are also conspicuous, susceptible to clutter, and have low precision. Additionally, while faint or fleeting radar contacts make defenders aware that a stealth aircraft is present, reliably vectoring interception to attack the aircraft is much more challenging. According to the USAF an F-22 surprised an Iranian F-4 Phantom II that was attempting to intercept an American UAV, despite Iran's assertion of having military VHF radar coverage over the Persian Gulf.
Airmen from the 320th Special Tactics Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, ready their scuba diving gear during an amphibious operations exercise Sept. 22, 2015, off the west coast of Okinawa, Japan. Teamwork is vital to the successful and safe completion of special tactics objectives, especially in the face of adversities such as harsh weather conditions and terrain. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman John Linzmeier)
Airmen of the 820th Base Defense Group jump out of a U.S. Air Force HC-130P/N King cargo aircraft at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., March 21, 2012. There were a total of 30 Airmen who participated in the static line jump. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Douglas Ellis)
Airmen from Nellis and Creech Air Force Bases in Nevada, hold the American flag at Sam Boyd Stadium before the Las Vegas Bowl Dec. 17, 2016. The 25th Las Vegas Bowl saw Mountain West champion San Diego State rally by scoring 34 unanswered points to defeat Houston, 34-10. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Kevin Tanenbaum)
Airmen from the 376th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron de-ice a KC-135 Stratotanker Nov. 27, 2013, at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan. Using an extended reach de-icer, Airmen remove the build-up of snow, frost and ice from the aircraft to prevent obstruction of flight operations. The buildup of debris can affect the aerodynamics of an aircraft resulting in a potential emergency. The 376th EAMXS ensures all aircraft are de-iced and secure prior to take off. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Krystie Martinez/Released)
Today saw the unveiling of Hangar 11's 1945 P51D mustang in her original livery.
Peter Teichmann and the team stand proudly in front of this beautiful historic aircraft.
The Tuskegee experiment in world war II was to see the creation of the 332nd FG better known as the Red Tails and was America's first all African American Squadron. It was also one of its most decorated.
This plane was assigned to Lt. George Hardy in 1945 who was assigned to bomber escort and strafing patrols. Lt. Col Hardy retired from the Air Force in November 1971. His career decorations include the DFC with Valor, and the Air Medal with 11 OLC.