The F-22 Raptor has a length of 62ft 1in, a height of 16ft 5in, and a wing area of 840sq. ft. At take-off the Raptor weighs 55,00lb and with no fuel the plane weighs 31,670lb. The weight of the internal fuel is 25,000lb. The F-22 has two F119-PW-100 T/V augmented turbofans. The jet has a maximum velocity of over Mach 2, the minimum velocity of Mach 1.21, and the cruise speed of Mach 1.43. The F-22 has a load out of one 20mm M61A-2 cannon with 480 rounds and six AIM-120C Amraam missiles. the only country that uses the Raptor is the United States.
Two teams were contracted to produce prototypes: Northrop (the most stealth-experience) and McDonnell Douglas, who had already collaborated the F/A-18 Hornet. Lockheed was teamed with Boeing and General Dynamics to produce the YF-22. The Northrop/McDonnell Douglas came up with a design of a cropped trapezoidal wing with a Northrop ruddervators. After a long flyoff period the YF-22 was declared the winner in April 1991. The radar is the Northrop/Grumman APG-77 coupled with VHSIC computing. The pilots Associate can give order while in combat. Current orders are for 339 Raptors to equip three US Fighter Wings. Intial operational capability is scheduled for 2005.
