Raptor 11 maiden voyage. (Digest).The first production representative test F/A-22 Raptor to fly, Raptor 11, recently conducted its maiden flight Noun 1. maiden flight - the first flight of its kind; "the Stealth bomber made its maiden flight in 1989" flying, flight - an instance of traveling by air; "flying was still an exciting adventure for him" . Eight production representative aircraft are to be delivered to Nellis AFB AFB abbr. acid-fast bacillus AFB Acid-fast bacillus, also 1. Aflatoxin B 2. Aorto-femoral bypass in Nevada in 2003 for operational testing (testing) operational testing - A US DoD term for testing performed by the end-user on software in its normal operating environment. and tactics development. 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. recently changed its F/A-22 manufacturing process to conduct first flights of each Raptor prior to the application of final structural finishes, such as the low observable coatings, which in turn means that the yellow sheen seen in the photo is actually the primer paint. This revised `fly before painting' procedure ensures that, should any additional work be required before delivery of the aircraft after the first flight, it won't impact the Raptor's stealth abilities. (Lockheed Martin) |
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