F-22 JET CRUISES TO TEST FLIGHT MILESTONE.Byline: Jim Skeen Daily News Staff Writer The F-22 Raptor “F-22” redirects here. For other uses, see F-22 (disambiguation). The F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation American fighter aircraft that utilizes fourth-generation stealth technology. , the nation's newest air superiority fighter An air superiority fighter is a type of fighter aircraft intended to enter and seize control of enemy airspace. Air superiority fighters are usually expensive aircraft, and procured in lesser numbers compared to smaller and generally more limited aircraft. , passed a congressional flight test mandate of 183 flight tests and is proving to be a robust airplane, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the flight test director. The F-22 Combined Test Force logged more than 186 hours in two F-22 test aircraft before Thanksgiving, clearing the way for the release of funds for the ``advanced buy'' of the first six production F-22 aircraft. ``There's a lot of smiles around the F-22 flight test community,'' said Lt. Col. C.D. Moore, director of the F-22 CTF CTF Capture The Flag CTF Child Trust Fund (UK) CTF Canadian Tax Foundation CTF Canadian Taxpayers Federation (lobby group) CTF Canadian Television Fund CTF Canadian Teachers' Federation . ``There's a lot of happy campers Happy Campers are a punk/rock band, from Las Vegas. The band consists of three members: Isaac Campa (Vox & Guitar), Master Jay (Drums & Vox) and MeanGene (Bass & Vox). The band is featured heavily on the Bumfights series and this has helped to ensure their popularity. here.'' The passing of the 183-hour mandate was praised by Pentagon leaders. ``Meeting this flight-test goal ahead of schedule is a terrific piece of work,'' acting Secretary of the Air Force F. Whitten Peters said in a statement. ``The F-22, with its stealth, integrated avionics, and supercruise will be the weapon of choice to ensure air dominance in the 21st century.'' The F-22 is intended to be the nation's next air superiority fighter, replacing the F-15 Eagle that first flew in the 1970s. The aircraft is intended to be hard to spot on radar and to be able to cruise at supersonic speeds without using the fuel-guzzling afterburners needed by present fighter jets. The Air Force plans to have 438 F-22s by 2013. Lockheed Martin For the former company, see . Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is a leading multinational aerospace manufacturer and advanced technology company formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta. produces the craft in Georgia. At Edwards, the F-22 CTF has about 350 workers and two aircraft. That will grow over the next three to four years to nine airplanes and 700 people. The test program logged 87 flights before Thanksgiving. The airplane's first flight at Mach 1 occurred on Oct. 10. Since then, the airplane has gone to Mach 1.4 without using the afterburners. ``It's been an unbelievably robust airplane,'' Moore said. ``The main message we would like to convey is the airplane has worked quite well.'' The F-22s will make approximately 2,700 flights and log more than 4,800 hours of flying during the test program. Prototypes of the F-22 Raptor, two YF-22 aircraft, were flown at Edwards in the early 1990s when the Air Force was deciding between Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman for the production contract. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO (Color) An F-22 Raptor, a supersonic fighter planned to replace the F-15 Eagle, streaks over Edwards Air Force Base Edwards Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 301,000 acres (121,805 hectares), S Calif., NE of Lancaster; est. 1933. It is one of the largest air force bases in the United States and has the world's longest runway. on a recent test flight. |
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