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F-22 Raptor Looks Unimpressed by Wall of Clouds Moving In to Engulf It

It’s not often we can say something that was engineered to kill looks serene. But that’s the feeling one gets while looking at the F-22 Raptor sitting idle on the tarmac of some base in Alaska, unimpressed by the very low clouds that surround it.
F-22 Raptor 7 photos
Photo: USAF/Senior Airman Samuel Colvin
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The pic (click main photo to enlarge) is a perfect representative of one of those many instances people with the Air Force (USAF) get very creative when shooting stuff, but with a camera – this one was taken by one of USAF’s Senior Airmen back in August.

The fighter, assigned to the Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia, is pictured on the tarmac of the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, where it deployed to take part in the Red Flag-Alaska 21-3 exercise. And even in this inactive state, the thing looks utterly deadly, exclusive, and rare.

When it started testing the Raptor back in 1997, Lockheed Martin had few ways of knowing it would end up making just 195 of them, test planes included. But that’s what happened in the end, after elements conspired to make the F-22 irrelevant in modern-day warfare.

Most of those planes are still in service, deployed solely with the American military, and will probably continue to serve for the next few decades, so plenty of chances of seeing this thing will continue to present themselves.

And a sight it is, the F-22. Built as a stealth tactical fighter, it comes with both a distinctive shape and incredible hardware. Two Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines are on deck to push the sleek machine through the air at speeds of Mach 2 (1,534 mph / 2,469 kph).

The unique canopy of the F-22 can be seen at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet (15 km), and it can fly for up to 1,841 miles (2,962 km) without the need to visit a refueling station.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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