The F-22 will be remembered for being a generation or two ahead of its time with respect to air superiority prowess and maneuverability.
The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is renowned for its maneuverability. Anyone who has witnessed the F-22 in action will notice that the aircraft can move in ways other aircraft simply can not.
That maneuverability is no fluke or coincidence but the result of intensive efforts to craft the world’s most dominant air superiority fighter. Facilitating the F-22’s world-class maneuverability are multiple design features, including raw engine power, aerodynamic innovations, and stealth-integrated architecture.
The F-22 Raptor’s Specifications
- Year Introduced: 2005
- Number Built: 195 (including 8 test aircraft)
- Length: 62 ft 1 in (18.9 m)
- Height: 16 ft 8 in (5.1 m)
- Wingspan: 44 ft 6 in (13.6 m)
- Weight:
- Empty: 43,340 lb (19,700 kg)
- Standard conditions: ~64,800 lb (29,400 kg) (typical combat configuration)
- Maximum takeoff weight: 83,500 lb (37,900 kg)
- Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofans with thrust vectoring
- Top Speed: Mach 2.25 (~1,500 mph or 2,414 km/h)
- Range: ~1,839 mi (2,960 km) with internal fuel
- Service Ceiling: 65,000 ft (19,812 m)
- Loadout: M61A2 20 mm rotary cannon; up to 6 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 2 AIM-9 Sidewinders in internal bays; external hardpoints
- Aircrew: 1
The F-22’s Thrust Vectoring System Is Second to None
Contributing significantly to the F-22’s maneuverability is its thrust vectoring system. Whereas traditional jets rely only on aerodynamic control surfaces to maneuver, the F-22 features two-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles that can pivot up or down by up to 20 degrees. The nozzles are integrated with the F-22’s two Pratt & Whitney F1119-PW-1000 engines, each of which produces a massive 35,000 pounds of thrust. Pairing the aircraft’s massive engine power with thrust vectoring nozzles affords the F-22 the ability to perform extreme pitch maneuvers that traditional jets simply cannot do, including sudden vertical climbs, rapid deceleration, and high-alpha turns.
The practical application here is that the F-22 is likely to have the edge in a close-range dogfighting scenario with any other aircraft in the world. While dogfighting is rapidly becoming obsolete as enhanced sensors push beyond-visual-range (BVR) engagements to become the default form of aerial combat, the F-22 was crafted before that reality set in.
The Raptor’s Design Is Built Around Agility
The F-22 also features an aerodynamic design, which further enhances the aircraft’s high maneuverability. With a blended wing-body configuration and large control surfaces, the F-22 is notably agile. The wings are highly swept and feature leading-edge extensions that generate strong vortex lift during high-angle maneuvers, which improves control and stability. The F-22 is also inherently unstable in pitch, which sounds counterintuitive but improves its responsiveness. To assist the pilot in handling such an unstable and reactive aircraft, the F-22 features a fly-by-wire system that interprets pilot inputs and manages the aircraft with precise and rapid inputs that a human pilot would be incapable of managing alone.
Indirectly affecting the F-22’s maneuverability is the aircraft’s stealth performance. Since the F-22 can engage the enemy undetected, the aircraft can dictate the terms of engagement by bypassing BVR combat to get in-tight, allowing the F-22 to exploit its maneuverability advantages over an enemy aircraft. For example, features such as an internal weapons bay, while included primarily for the stealth benefits, also happen to reduce drag and improve maneuverability.
However, the F-22 will eventually be phased out, with the upcoming Boeing F-47 NGAD expected to replace it. Will the F-47 be more maneuverable than the F-22? Answering that question is difficult, as F-47’s design details have been kept tightly under wraps. Regardless, the F-22 will be remembered for being a generation or two ahead of its time with respect to air superiority prowess and maneuverability.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a Senior Defense and National Security Writer at The National Interest. Kass is an attorney and former political candidate who joined the US Air Force as a pilot trainee before being medically discharged. He focuses on military strategy, aerospace, and global security affairs. He holds a JD from the University of Oregon and a master’s in Global Journalism and International Relations from NYU.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
