This new F-22 video has a good narration by the demo pilot.
He explains each maneuver before actually showing it.

CLICK FOR VIDEO

 

The F-15 variants that this aircraft replaces are just so awesome, I can't believe that the USAF is scrapping them. Yes they are aging, but still function so well. This new platform excels past the F-15 platform so well so the future of the US's air superiority will be assured for the next 20-30 years

 

Same as the F-14 phase out...

 

Hey guys dot forget about our euro fighter. Aint a bad bird either

 

Isn't the F-18EF supposed to take care of the multi-role long range fleet defense and electronic attack??

F-14's & A-6 platform (A-6E, EA-6B, etc.)

 

Awesome video! Thanks Valkryderguy.

I think it was Men's Health that did an article on the fitness routine that the F-22 pilots have to go through to be able to tolerate the G forces involved. The article also mentioned that if we go to the next level in fighter technology the planes will have to be unmanned.

 

The Raptor is a great plane.......but I still love the Eagle! Something about being able to hit mach 2.5 and going into the outer edges of the earth's atmosphere! WOW....truly an amazing bird!

 

Awesome machine, What is the max airspeed for the x.. I mean..F 22?

 

Very cool! I sent that to my father-in-law. He's an AF Colonel. I wonder why is Colonel pronounced kernal?

 

Got to love thrust vectoring technology. Thank you Mother Russia

 

I believe that the F-22 was supposed to the replacement for all fighter/bombers for all services. The F-14 has been decommsioned and no longer is in service.

 

My understanding is that the Air Force is sort of consolidating its fleet and the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning-II are both replacements for a large number of aircraft, including but not limited to:

A-6
F-14
F-15
F/A-18
F-16
F-117

All of these planes sort of grew out of the Aerospace boom post WWII, but maintaining so many different aircraft gets expensive.

If I understand correctly, there's no direct mapping between each replaced aircraft and the F-22 or the F-35, despite what unreliable sources like Wikipedia have written about the aircraft. The real issue is basically cost cutting, reducing:

1. Spares Costs
2. Supply Chain Costs
3. Training Costs
4. Number of Pilots in Air

Each plane overlaps the other somewhat and is unique in other ways. For example , the F-35 is designed as a cheap exportable aircraft, while the F-22 is designed for US-only operation. The F-22 is designed to go places very quickly and without being noticed, most of the money is in making it go faster than any other plane and be less vulnerable than any other plane to radar weapons. Both tasks are very expensive to execute.

The F-35 has comparatively cheaper, but more flashy tech, such as the HMDS:



Which is designed to allow the gunner to basically "see through" the aircraft, moving towards reducing the burden of combining the (traditionally separate) gunner and pilot. One variant of the JSF airframe also has VTOL capability as was displayed in the latest "Die Hard" movie.

I'm hoping that other people can chime in and share more.