Classic Fighter Fling Video

[Dingobat]

Never seen those flicks before! Great post and great follow on discussion. I always wondered what happened to that F/A designation on the 22.

 

[Lawman]

Raptor has 4 external hardpoints (mainly for tanks for ferry missions, but they can carry eight heaters in a ferry conditon above the tanks as well). The main bay can carry six compressed carriage AMRAAMs internally and the side bays carry a heater apiece. When they called it the F/A-22 briefly (it's now F-22 again), they were crashing on developing Small Diameter Bomb (250# class GPS munition) to give them better numbers of A/G weapons (note diagram on left below does not show SDB, but more recent drawing on right does).

Add on to HeyJoe's info. 120's are cleared for all the wing stations. You could quite literally turn a Raptor into a missile truck (16), but you could do the same with a Rhino (14). Short of something along the scenes of the Alien Space Ship invasion ala Independence Day not exactly something your gonna see.

 

[raptor10]

Add on to HeyJoe's info. 120's are cleared for all the wing stations. You could quite literally turn a Raptor into a missile truck (16), but you could do the same with a Rhino (14). Short of something along the scenes of the Alien Space Ship invasion ala Independence Day not exactly something your gonna see.

That's not entirely accurate...

 

[Swanee]

I'm interested to know the story behind the gun kill, someone care to spend a minute or two in explaining it? Thanks!

I've heard a skewed version from the Raptor guys here at Langley. They say it was a 6v2 or 4v2 BFM hop, but really a 2vX for the Raptor guys. I have also heard that it was only 1 frame on the footage, not the 3 or 4 or however many frames that are required to confirm a kill. For all we know the Raptor could be flying at mach .99 going the opposite way and just happened to fly through the pipper. Like I said, it's a skewed version.

The image has created a lot of controversy, and I'm sure there are only 2 guys who really know the truth, the one taking the shot and the one in the footage.

Either way, it's a way to get some tail at the bar. "I'm the first guy to ever get a raptor in my gun pipper.

 

[BigRed389]

I've heard a skewed version from the Raptor guys here at Langley. They say it was a 6v2 or 4v2 BFM hop, but really a 2vX for the Raptor guys. I have also heard that it was only 1 frame on the footage, not the 3 or 4 or however many frames that are required to confirm a kill. For all we know the Raptor could be flying at mach .99 going the opposite way and just happened to fly through the pipper. Like I said, it's a skewed version.

The image has created a lot of controversy, and I'm sure there are only 2 guys who really know the truth, the one taking the shot and the one in the footage.

Either way, it's a way to get some tail at the bar. "I'm the first guy to ever get a raptor in my gun pipper.

Mmmm....somehow I doubt that line would work too well.

 

[JData]

Add on to HeyJoe's info. 120's are cleared for all the wing stations. You could quite literally turn a Raptor into a missile truck (16), but you could do the same with a Rhino (14). Short of something along the scenes of the Alien Space Ship invasion ala Independence Day not exactly something your gonna see.

I know there's a PR picture of the full load out of -120s but I don't think the dual pylon has not been cleared for fleet use from what I have read with those 'in the know'.

 

[HeyJoe]

I've heard a skewed version from the Raptor guys here at Langley. They say it was a 6v2 or 4v2 BFM hop, but really a 2vX for the Raptor guys. I have also heard that it was only 1 frame on the footage, not the 3 or 4 or however many frames that are required to confirm a kill. For all we know the Raptor could be flying at mach .99 going the opposite way and just happened to fly through the pipper. Like I said, it's a skewed version.

I agree that it is just a snapshot in time, but you can still discern quite a bit. No way he was anywhere near the number going the other direction as you suggest. The two frames that have made it to the internet show the Raptor clearly defensive and in low energy, nose low trying to pull into the attack with pipper on. Whether the Super hornet got the requisite frames for a confirmed kill is a moot point. The relevance was the Super Hornet had the Raptor against the ropes even if for a snapshot min range guns opportunity(for training rules/ROE at least).

The Raptor is still clearly a nearly invincible machine in BVR and WVR arenas, but as Japanese pilots found out in WWII, a well flown F4F Wildcat or P-40 Warhawk could prevail. In a WVR arena, the more participants there are, the less the superior performance of an aircraft like the Raptor will matter. Always good to have, but the dynamics of a big furball put more onus on the individuals at the controls to achieve and maintain SA and seize upon often fleeting opportunities.

Either way, it's a way to get some tail at the bar. "I'm the first guy to ever get a raptor in my gun pipper.

And as to getting a female to be impressed....as VADM Dave Frost said in response to a similar statement..."The only people impressed by fighter pilots are other fighter pilots and Boy Scouts at airshows"

 

[Lawman]

I know there's a PR picture of the full load out of -120s but I don't think the dual pylon has not been cleared for fleet use from what I have read with those 'in the know'.

I believe they only have the one pylon for exterior carriage of AIM's (hence why they used a dual rack for the picture with the 120's). Whether or not they have cleared it for weapons seperation yet I dont know but I could see it being a "further down the road when we get more money" thing just like JHMCS and such. The Raptor driver on another site Im on pretty much made it clear that the focus on the Raptor the last 3-5 years has been more in the element of "what can we do to make it work now and how fast can we do it" so a lot of things have been skimmed or flat out passed over until later (2010 onward). Frankly I dont blame them as I think Commanche getting the axe proved to everybody that it doesnt matter how much your service wants your new project if you cant get it ready in a timely manner it will be dead.