F-22 Raptor Returns to Perform at Sun 'n Fun

Lt. Col. James Hecker flies over Fort Monroe before delivering the first operational F/A-22 Raptor to its permanent home at Langley Air Force Base, Va., on May 12. This is the first of 26 Raptors to be delivered to the 27th Fighter Squadron. The Raptor program is managed by the F/A-22 System Program Office at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. Colonel Hecker is the squadron’s commander. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ben Bloker)The world’s only operational fifth-generation fighter aircraft – the F-22 “Raptor” – will return to the Sun ’n Fun International Fly-In & Expo, which  will be held March 29 to April 3 on its campus at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida. Considered the U.S. Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft, the F-22 Raptor utilizes a unique combination of supersonic speed, stealth technology, a “see-it-to-believe-it” maneuverability, integrated avionics and improved supportability that represents an exponential leap in warfighting capabilities.

“We were honored to be the first civilian aviation event to host this amazing fighter jet and we are honored to welcome it back to Sun ’n Fun this year,” said Sun ’n Fun President and Convention Chairman John Burton. “Whether or not you’ve seen the Raptor fly before, it will be well worth the effort to see it fly at Sun ’n Fun. Fighter jets are capable of some pretty amazing things but this aircraft exceeds even the highest expectations.  We can’t wait to see it fly again!”

The Raptor made its public debut at the 2006 Sun ’n Fun Fly-In after previously flying at several military air shows and installations.  The sleek, high-tech military jet will return to this year’s Sun ’n Fun event and take to the skies above Lakeland on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 1, 2 and 3.  

The aircraft is powered by two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan engines with afterburner that generate 35,000 lbs. of thrust per engine.  Each engine incorporates “pitch axis thrust vectoring,” which greatly enhances the Raptor’s performance characteristics – especially its ability to turn on both the horizontal and vertical axes.

The Air Force considers the F-22 a critical component for maintaining America’s tactical air power superiority worldwide and claims the aircraft is unmatched by any current or projected fighter. Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor who is responsible for the majority of the Raptor’s airframe, weapon systems and final assembly, claims that the Raptor’s combination of stealth, speed, agility, precision and situational awareness, combined with air-to-air and air-to-ground strike capabilities, makes it the best overall fighter in the world. 

The Raptors flying at Sun ’n Fun this year will be piloted by members of the Air Combat Command F-22 Demonstration Team at Langley Air Force Base.  The team performs precision aerial maneuvers to demonstrate the unique capabilities of Team members and to exhibit the professional qualities the Air Force develops in the people who fly, maintain and support these supersonic fighter aircraft. 

F-22 RAPTOR FACT SHEET

General Characteristics

Primary Function: Air dominance, multi-role fighter 

Contractor: Lockheed-Martin, Boeing 

Power Plant: Two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan engines with afterburners and

two-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles. 

Thrust: 35,000-pound class (each engine) 

Wingspan: 44 feet, 6 inches (13.6 meters) 

Length: 62 feet, 1 inch (18.9 meters)

Height: 16 feet, 8 inches (5.1 meters)

Weight: 43,340 pounds (19,700 kilograms)

Maximum Takeoff Weight: 83,500 pounds (38,000 kilograms)

Fuel Capacity: Internal: 18,000 pounds (8,200 kilograms); with 2 external wing fuel tanks: 26,000 pounds (11,900 kilograms)

Payload: Same as armament air-to-air or air-to-ground loadouts; with or without 2 external wing fuel tanks.

Speed:  Mach 2 class with supercruise capability

Range: More than 1,850 miles ferry range with 2 external wing fuel tanks (1,600 nautical miles)

Ceiling: Above 50,000 feet (15 kilometers)

Armament: One M61A2 20-millimeter cannon with 480 rounds, internal side weapon bays carriage of two AIM-9 infrared (heat seeking) air-to-air missiles and internal main weapon bays carriage of six AIM-120 radar-guided air-to-air missiles (air-to-air loadout) or two 1,000-pound GBU-32 JDAMs and two AIM-120 radar-guided air-to-air missiles (air-to-ground loadout)

Crew: One

Unit Cost: $143 million

Initial operating capability:  December 2005

Inventory: Total force, 137