Aviation Specials — F-22 Raptor (2017)

• First prototype, N22YF, rolled out at
  Palmdale August 29, 1990.


• First flight September 29, 1990.


• First air-to-air refuelling October 26, 1990.


• Second prototype, N22YX, first flight
  (Palmdale to Edwards), October 30, 1990.


• First supercruise flight (PAV-1) November
  3, 1990.


• First thrust-vectoring demonstration by
  PAV-1, November 15, 1990.


• First supercruise flight by PAV-2,
  November 23, 1990.


• First AIM-9M Sidewinder launch
  November 28, 1990, by Jon Beesley in
  PAV-2 over the NAWS China Lake ranges.


• First thrust-vectoring demonstration by
  PAV-2, December 1, 1990.


• First AIM-120A AMRAAM launch
  December 20, 1990, by Tom Morgenfeld
  in PAV-2 over the Pacific Missile Test
  Range at Point Mugu, California.

YF-22 TEST POINTS

the decision at a Pentagon briefing,

stating that the F-22/F119 combination

offered ‘clearly better capability with

lower cost, thereby providing the Air

Force with a true best value.’

A formal EMD contract was awarded

that August. Two contracts totalling

$10.91 billion ($9.55 billion for the

airframe and $1.36 billion for engines)

were awarded to the F-22 and F119 teams

— then Lockheed, Boeing and General

Dynamics plus Pratt & Whitney.

The Pratt & Whitney-powered YF-

PAV-2 resumed test flying on October

30, 1991, to support additional handling

tests and some pre-Engineering,

Manufacturing and Demonstration (EMD)

work. It performed 39 flights during this

time before, on April 25, 1992, it crashed

after a control loss during a slow pass

at Edwards. The YF-22 experienced a

series of pilot-induced pitch oscillations

at roughly 40ft above the runway upon

returning to Edwards AFB after a test flight.

With the landing gear retracted, the aircraft

hit the runway and slid 8,000ft. Although

no longer flight worthy, the external

damage was later repaired and the YF-

was flown aboard a C-5 to Griffiss AFB, New

York, where it was used for antenna testing.

PAV-2 had been flown on 70 test flights for

a total of more than 100 hours.

It was a sad final event for the YF-22, but

attention was already turning to the next

phase — EMD. Initially, this was planned

as being for 11 Production Representative

Test Vehicles (PRTVs) including a pair of

F-22B two-seaters, plus one static test and

one fatigue test airframe. Like the YF-

fly-off, the timelines were ambitious,

with the first EMD aircraft expected to

fly in August 1995 and a push for Initial

Operating Capability with the USAF

in 2001.

Above: A rare

shot of the

competing ATF

designs flying

together near

Edwards AFB.

USAF

RAPTOR^15

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