Photo: USAF
There are things in life people can never get enough of. Depending on a great deal of factors, these things can be anything from the tangible material possessions to the more elusive feelings. The pic we have here is for those who can’t have enough of seeing F-22 Raptors making short work of their natural environment, and looking spectacular in the process.
The F-22 will probably go down in history as one of the shortest-lived (in terms of production) military machines ever made. Born as an idea in 1997, it came into service in 2005, only to be pulled from the assembly lines in 2011.
Originally intended as a replacement for the F-15 Eagle, the plane had a planned production run of around 750 units. But this highly-technological machine arrived at the wrong time, when America was engaged in wars against enemies that didn’t require this level of sophistication, and it's cost was huge - each was priced at around $150 million, R&D not included. That means just around 200 of them ended up being built – 186 production and 9 test aircraft.
Each F-22 can reach speeds of Mach 2 (1,534 mph/2,469 kph), and can fly at altitudes of over 50,000 feet (15 km), for a range of 1,841 miles (2,962 km). These monsters can carry a wide variety of weapons, from cannons to missiles and bombs.
The F-22 you’re looking at in the main pic of this piece (click photo to enlarge) is deployed with the plane’s own demonstration team, because, even if America is no longer making it, the things still looks good in the skies over various air shows.
Here, the F-22 has been captured on camera during the Abbotsford International Air Show in Abbotsford, Canada, at the beginning of the month and is, of course, a perfect fit for our Photo of the Day section.
Originally intended as a replacement for the F-15 Eagle, the plane had a planned production run of around 750 units. But this highly-technological machine arrived at the wrong time, when America was engaged in wars against enemies that didn’t require this level of sophistication, and it's cost was huge - each was priced at around $150 million, R&D not included. That means just around 200 of them ended up being built – 186 production and 9 test aircraft.
Each F-22 can reach speeds of Mach 2 (1,534 mph/2,469 kph), and can fly at altitudes of over 50,000 feet (15 km), for a range of 1,841 miles (2,962 km). These monsters can carry a wide variety of weapons, from cannons to missiles and bombs.
The F-22 you’re looking at in the main pic of this piece (click photo to enlarge) is deployed with the plane’s own demonstration team, because, even if America is no longer making it, the things still looks good in the skies over various air shows.
Here, the F-22 has been captured on camera during the Abbotsford International Air Show in Abbotsford, Canada, at the beginning of the month and is, of course, a perfect fit for our Photo of the Day section.
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