Aviation Nation 2016: The Spectacular F-22 Raptor

The sight and sound of a USAF Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor air dominance fighter is something special to see and hear (air superiority is too old school for this Fifth Generation fighter). The noise, the speed, the maneuverability is spectacular and the F-22 Demonstration Team performance as Aviation Nation 2016 was no exception!

USAF Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor take-off at Nellis AFB Aviation Nation 2016
USAF Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor take-off at Nellis AFB
USAF Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor take-off at Nellis AFB Aviation Nation 2016
F-22 take-off at Nellis AFB. A spectacular sight with the afterburner roaring and that mountain backdrop!
USAF Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor Nellis AFB Aviation Nation 2016
Up and away!
Weapons Bay USAF Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor Nellis AFB Aviation Nation 2016
Weapons bay pass (note the rather patchy paint job!)
USAF Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor Nellis AFB Aviation Nation 2016
Afterburner
USAF Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor fifth generation air dominance fighter Aviation Nation 2016
USAF Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor fifth generation air dominance fighter
USAF Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor fifth generation air dominance fighter Aviation Nation 2016
The sky colour and light was very different on the Saturday flying display of Aviation Nation 2016
F-22 top pass with afterburner Aviation Nation 2016
F-22 top pass with afterburner
USAF Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor Nellis AFB Aviation Nation 2016
A beautiful top pass with afterburner
USAF Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor Nellis AFB Aviation Nation 2016
Barrel Roll
USAF F-22 Aviation Nation 2016
F-22 Raptor pilot and tail wave

14 thoughts on “Aviation Nation 2016: The Spectacular F-22 Raptor”

  1. Awesome pix of an awesome aircraft! It’s kind of a pity that the F-22 programme got truncated. I still wonder what would have happened if the F-23 had won – apparently it was the better aircraft in some ways, certainly faster supercruise with the F-120 motor (I believe it could hit Mach = 1.8 without afterburner).

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks! I think it was just too radical a design for the time. A lack of vector thrust engines probably didnt help (heat reducing engines though). I have seen both of the prototypes of the YF-23. Must finish a post I started on it! Also I need to do the same for the YF-17

      Liked by 1 person

      2. I saw one at Dayton and the other in California. It was a sinister looking aircraft. The engines were removed from the one in Cali but I got a much closer look at that one

        Like

  3. I saw the F-22 demo this past summer at Thunder Over Michigan. Just a spectacular show. With the thrust vectoring the Raptor can do seemingly impossible maneuvers. It just has to be seen to be believed!

    Liked by 1 person

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