Worlds Most Advanced Fighter Jet Debuted At Farnborough

The F-22 Raptor is often described as the world’s most technically advanced fighter jet. This amazing aircraft is capable of defying the laws of flying and it never ceases to awe any audience it may have when it takes to the skies. Once you’ve seen an F-22 Raptor in action, you’ll know exactly why that is.

The F-22 Raptor is often described as the world’s most technically advanced fighter jet. This amazing aircraft is capable of defying the laws of flying and it never ceases to awe any audience it may have when it takes to the skies. Once you’ve seen an F-22 Raptor in action, you’ll know exactly why that is.

The Farnborough International Air Show became the first European location to stage a 15-minute flight display by the F-22 Raptor. The £71million aircraft absolutely wowed crowds at this event as it performed seemingly impossible pirouettes, dips and dives. The radically maneuverable U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Raptor was clearly the highlight of the entire show. This single-seater aircraft weighs 43,340 pounds and features dual engines that are capable of propelling the aircraft at twice the speed of sound. The aircraft is also capable of slowing down dramatically and defying gravity. All this was clearly evident when the aircraft shot almost straight up into the skies during its performance. After this, it started plummeting back to earth in a ‘tail-slide’ which was controlled by the aircraft’s powerful engines. The show didn’t end there. After exposing the aircraft’s concealed weapons by opening the bay doors during a fly-by, the aircraft did a back flip, followed by an impressive slowdown which gave the aircraft the appearance of floating above the horizon. It then roared supersonically into the distance with its after-burners glowing a bright orange from the incredible heat produced by this maneuver. Clearly this aircraft has no equal at this point in time.

The aircraft was flown by Major Paul Moga of the U.S. Air Force’s 27th Fighter Squadron. No one can deny that he did an impressive job of displaying the aircraft’s unbelievable capabilities. One of the things that make the Raptor special is that its weapons are all stored internally. This not only makes the aircraft more streamlined, but also makes it harder to detect on radar. After the show it was clear that there was not an unimpressed person in the audience. Foreign military institutions have expressed a definite interest in buying the F-22 should the U.S. Congress choose to change laws that prohibit the export of the F-22 Raptor. While it remains to be seen if the ten-year-old law will be changed, U.S. Air Force officials are crying out for more of the aircraft to be produced for local use. Unfortunately the Pentagon’s 2009 fiscal budget made no provision for any more than the 183 jets already approved, leaving officials with a shortage of an estimated 198 jets. Those that already exist will no doubt continue to be put to good use as a fighter, ground attack, intelligence gathering and electronic warfare aircraft.