F-22s Coming To A Show Near You
It works in car sales: dazzle the buyer with all the things
that shiny new automobile can do, in hopes that'll sway him or
her to sign on the dotted line. Lockheed Martin and the US Air
Force hope a similar tactic will win public support for the
hyper-impressive -- but uber-expensive -- F-22 Raptor program.
To that end, expect to see the advanced F-22 in the skies over
larger air shows in the near future -- as both parties attempt to
convince lawmakers, and their constituents, the Raptor program is
worth its staggering $72 billion pricetag.
"The Air Force realizes it's very important that the Raptor
demonstrations look different than any other flight profile we've
ever done," said F-22 demo pilot Major Paul "Max" Moga to the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "As I continuously develop the
aerobatic maneuvers, I hope to add them one at a time, By the end
of the year, I'll have a full aerobatic profile that will be much
different from the [F-15] Eagle or [F-16] Viper."
Those moves include some which have only just recently been
perfected -- and named. As Aero-News reported, crowds
at AirVenture 2006 got a sneak peek at what the Raptor can do last
year. Since then, Raptors have shown what they could do in
simulated wargames in Alaska and Nevada... and pilots have grown
more familiar with its abilities.
Hence, crowds can expect to see such maneuvers as the "Mongo
flip," the "J-turn" and "The Cobra" -- in which the plane abruptly
pitches up from level flight, far past vertical, and slows to about
80 miles an hour before lowering its nose and accelerating in level
flight -- demonstrating the Raptor's incredible maneuverability,
thanks to its vectored-thrust powerplant nozzles.
"Most of the maneuvers were developed for dogfighting," Moga
said. "They just happen to look pretty neat and show off the
plane's unique capabilities."
Many of those demonstrations will coincide with US Air Force
events commemorating its 60th anniversary.
Both Lockheed and the USAF hope seeing the Raptor in action will
convince taxpayers, and their elected officials, to support the
admittedly expensive program... something that, unlike the Raptor's
demonstrated tactical abilities, is a hit-or-miss proposition.
"A broad audience lets people see that the F-22 is an impressive
achievement," said Teal Group analyst Richard Aboulafia. "It
changes the debate. Politicians find it harder to portray the plane
as public enemy No. 1. There could and should be serious
discussions about how many to buy and at what cost. But getting the
word out to large numbers of people is something of a defensive
move because it makes it harder for politicians to grandstand
against it."