5 new F/A-22 Raptors land at base

miami.com ^

[iso]

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE -- (AP) -- Five more F/A-22 Raptors landed Friday at this Florida Panhandle base where Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Force chief of staff, is among the first pilots being trained to fly the new stealth fighter.

The five Raptors arrived from the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. plant in Marietta, Ga., a day after all F/A-22s were cleared to resume flying for the first time since a Dec. 20 crash at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

The additional planes increased the number of Raptors at Tyndall to 18, more than half of the 33 now in the Air Force inventory. A 34th plane had been scheduled to arrive but its flight was postponed due to mechanical problems, said Capt. Susan A. Romano, a Tyndall spokeswoman.

Jumper is scheduled to make his final F/A-22 qualification flight here Wednesday.

The planes were grounded as a precaution after the Nellis crash. Safety and accident investigation boards have not disclosed a cause, but Air Force officials said they were confident the jets could be flown safely based on preliminary findings. The pilot suffered scrapes but was otherwise unharmed.

Eight F/A-22s are stationed at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and seven at Nellis for testing and evaluation. All pilot training is done at Tyndall. Langley Air Force Base, Va., is expected to receive the first operational Raptors this year.

[GBA]

If you don't mind someone volunteering an opinion, I think the F-16 is one of the prettiest airplanes ever built, but the F-18 is a badass. One time I was working at Cecil NAS and for some reason there was an F-15, F-15 and an F/A-18 parked together. I love them all, but I liked the Hornet the best.

[GBA]

Should have read "...F-15, F-16 and an F/A-18...".

[norton]

I have to agree on the F-86. I think it's because it spanned the WW2-to-today era, still looked and was flown like we'd seen in the news and movies back then - that and it just looked soo cool.

Hist notes:
1. Maybe we'll be saying the same about F-22 ten years from now when unmanned platforms really do start to ramp up. And,
2. I watched the Hustlers when they took them into the bone yard at DMAFB. Sad sight for such a hot looking aircraft.

[Tallguy]

The F/A-22 is unstable in pitch. The plane must have lost the fly-by-wire control on take-off and bellied in. Pilot ejected safely. He had no other option, you can't correct fast enough to fly it if the flight computer goes out.

[af_vet_rr]

Five more F/A-22 Raptors landed Friday at this Florida Panhandle base where Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Force chief of staff, is among the first pilots being trained to fly the new stealth fighter.

I hope when the new rifles for the Army start being issued (the ones currently being tested), that the Army chief of staff is among the first to qualify with them ;-)

[Lx]

I remember seeing something like that in the Fa-22 documentary. I think it was one of the first two prototypes where he was trying to land it and the software interpreted the pilot's input wrong and the plane was all over the place. He landed it but I think it was more of a controlled crash.

I remember that and the Paris airshow where the Scarebus landed in the trees whenever I board a scarebus.

[blogbat]

I remember that. No doubt recovering that airplane from the ice was a job they could really dig...

[CFIIIMEIATP737]

The Brits ordered some P-38's from us. They foolishly elected to get them without superchargers. The performance was lacking. That, too, was a failed experience for the P-38 in Europe.

[tm22721]

The design is 15 years old and already obsolete !!

While new electronics take 9 months to hit the market, cost less and have a lifespan of 6 months !!

What a ripoff !!

BUMP

[MattinNJ]

At least we don't have a Commander-in-chief allowing missile, nuclear, satellite, etc. technologies to be more or less given to the Chicoms as we did a few years ago...at least, I don't think we do.

Unfortunately, his wife sits on the Armed Services Committee to make sure that they can still sell info to the highest bidder for her '08 run.

[Charles Martel]

Sexiest airplane... has to be the SR 71 and its predecessors.

Hard to argue with that; the Blackbird is indeed a beautiful piece of work. I once saw an SR-71 drop in on the Belle Chasse, Louisiana Naval Air Station back around 1988-89. I was in the right place at precisely the right time, driving along a highway near the Naval Air Station, when that unmistakable black shape glided overhead, its landing gear just beginning to lower. I was happy for a week. :-)

Wish this plane (which also rates a spot on the "sexiest aircraft list") had seen a production run; betcha it was really something to see in the air:

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I've seen a photo like this but can't recall what it was...
btw, I was not aware that the first Black Birds carried a small drone aircraft on the back of the airplane. From the rear of the plane (at the Museum), it looks like two humongous engines and a curious peewee engine in the middle.

[RinaseaofDs]

General Johnny Jumper?

I'll bet you anything that guy is as tough as nails, because there was only two outcomes for a man named Johnny Jumper: wearing a dress or calouses on his knuckles.

The first act of ritual child abuse starts with the names these parents give their kids. Apple Roberts anyone?

[Charles Martel]

I've seen a photo like this but can't recall what it was...

That's the XB-70 Valkyrie, with it's wingtips cranked down for a high-speed run. A MACH THREE bomber - we sure used to turn big dreams into big reality with just a slide rule. The emergence of ICBMs as the nuke delivery system of choice made the Valkyrie obsolete before the flight testing was complete (and one of the prototypes was destroyed in a particularly spectacular mid-air collision).

btw, I was not aware that the first Black Birds carried a small drone aircraft on the back of the airplane. From the rear of the plane (at the Museum), it looks like two humongous engines and a curious peewee engine in the middle.

Only two of the SR-71 type aircraft (designated M-21s) were fitted to carry the drone (it was more often carried by a B-52H). Interesting story behind that drone:

The United States signed a treaty to end flights of manned vehicles over the Soviet Union, which meant an end to SR-71 (manned) overflights of that country. To prevent undermining the treaty, the D-21 unmanned vehicle was built to continue the same sort of overflights that had previously been handled by the SR-71. I believe one of the M-21s collided with a drone while launching it, causing the Air Force to use the B-52 as the drone launch platform.

According to the gubmint, none of the D-21 drones was *ever* used for an overflight of the USSR. Uhhh... okay, if they say so. Wink-wink, nudge-nudge.

[ninonitti]

But the A-10, lives in your heart. Ain't no explaining why A-10 lovers have a thing for them, you either do or you don't. I do.

Amen to that. This summer I had the pleasure of watching a flight of A-10's work over the range on Noman's Island for about 45 minutes. Actually stopped fishing and just drifted for the show - tax money well spent.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

A page from the history books. Is there an XB 70 still around ?

[Atchafalaya]

F104 Starfighter from Lockheed's Kelly Johnson. Best looking jet fighter ever made.

[Atchafalaya]

Ahhh, we think alike. No other plane looks as good as the Starfighter.

[Dont_Tread_On_Me_888]

For sure.

I think it looks its sexiest without the fuel tanks on.

Have you seen photos of the F-104 straight on from the front at an angle where you can't see the top or bottom of the wing but just its 1/4 inch thin wing width, the air intakes and the needle nose? Enough to give you a big "O".

Kelly Johnson was an artist the way he designed aircraft.

[Charles Martel]

Is there an XB 70 still around?

Yep... the sole surviving prototype is the centerpiece of the Air Force Museum's collection at Wright Patterson.