Post by davebasing on Aug 7, 2022 10:32:52 GMT
Following from the F22 videos and Jeff's Lakenheath pictures, just a few of my F22 photos.
The 22 was chosen over the competing Northrop F23 as the air superiority fighter to replace the F15C & F16. Original order was for 750 but this was progressively pared down to 187 as the view was that changing threats meant that air combat had become less important than ground attack (counter insurgency). The F35 designed for ground attack was therefore favoured. The 22 was designed as a stealth aircraft with radar absorbent surfaces (like the F117) which are expensive to maintain and weather (particularly heat) vulnerable, no doubt why the Alaskans were sheltered on arrival at Lakenheath. This, together with reduced build numbers and the ban on exporting the type due to the sensitivity of its stealth characteristics, resulted in greatly increased unit costs as development and production set up costs had to be amortised over such a reduced number of aircraft. Thus, flying costs of the 22 are varyingly reported as being anything up to a staggering $68,000 per hour, more than double that of the F16.
The first batch of production 22s were built primarily to be used as trainers for F22 pilots and lack the complex combat systems of the later aircraft which were designed to be fully combat ready. Earlier this year the Air Force announced its proposals to retire 33 of this early batch in 2023 as these were vastly expensive to maintain and were no longer representative of the versions that squadron pilots would move on to once trained. The US House of Representatives is however opposed to this and favours upgrading the aircraft to full standard at a cost of 1 billion dollars while the Senate would approve the retirements if a detailed plan for training without these aircraft was put before them. Time will tell the Air Force, the House or the Senate wins the argument.
My photos below include the two losing F23s (taken at Edwards AFB in 1994) & some taken at Luke, Tyndall & Nellis in the States, from RIAT and of 08-4163 participating in the Bastille Day flypast over Paris in 2017.
94-as by dave tompkins, on Flickr
94-au by dave tompkins, on Flickr
IMG_1350 by dave tompkins, on Flickr
IMG_2351 by dave tompkins, on Flickr
IMG_6691 by dave tompkins, on Flickr
IMG_6969 by dave tompkins, on Flickr
IMG_6989 by dave tompkins, on Flickr
IMG_6591 by dave tompkins, on Flickr
IMG_9402 by dave tompkins, on Flickr
IMG_7372 by dave tompkins, on Flickr
IMG_3592-2 by dave tompkins, on Flickr
The 22 was chosen over the competing Northrop F23 as the air superiority fighter to replace the F15C & F16. Original order was for 750 but this was progressively pared down to 187 as the view was that changing threats meant that air combat had become less important than ground attack (counter insurgency). The F35 designed for ground attack was therefore favoured. The 22 was designed as a stealth aircraft with radar absorbent surfaces (like the F117) which are expensive to maintain and weather (particularly heat) vulnerable, no doubt why the Alaskans were sheltered on arrival at Lakenheath. This, together with reduced build numbers and the ban on exporting the type due to the sensitivity of its stealth characteristics, resulted in greatly increased unit costs as development and production set up costs had to be amortised over such a reduced number of aircraft. Thus, flying costs of the 22 are varyingly reported as being anything up to a staggering $68,000 per hour, more than double that of the F16.
The first batch of production 22s were built primarily to be used as trainers for F22 pilots and lack the complex combat systems of the later aircraft which were designed to be fully combat ready. Earlier this year the Air Force announced its proposals to retire 33 of this early batch in 2023 as these were vastly expensive to maintain and were no longer representative of the versions that squadron pilots would move on to once trained. The US House of Representatives is however opposed to this and favours upgrading the aircraft to full standard at a cost of 1 billion dollars while the Senate would approve the retirements if a detailed plan for training without these aircraft was put before them. Time will tell the Air Force, the House or the Senate wins the argument.
My photos below include the two losing F23s (taken at Edwards AFB in 1994) & some taken at Luke, Tyndall & Nellis in the States, from RIAT and of 08-4163 participating in the Bastille Day flypast over Paris in 2017.
94-as by dave tompkins, on Flickr
94-au by dave tompkins, on Flickr
IMG_1350 by dave tompkins, on Flickr
IMG_2351 by dave tompkins, on Flickr
IMG_6691 by dave tompkins, on Flickr
IMG_6969 by dave tompkins, on Flickr
IMG_6989 by dave tompkins, on Flickr
IMG_6591 by dave tompkins, on Flickr
IMG_9402 by dave tompkins, on Flickr
IMG_7372 by dave tompkins, on Flickr
IMG_3592-2 by dave tompkins, on Flickr