Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor

["Clevor" Angel]

as far as i know, stealth = hard to maneuver
so anything incorporating stealth has to compromise some maneuvering capability, which is why the F-117 is like a flying brick.
but i could be wrong

The F-117 was more an early excercise in stealth. We needed to know how to make stealth before we could make it go fast. The Nighthawk utilized geometric shapes and every surface on the plane, even the cockpit window edges, were slanted so radar waves bounce are deflected. It had radar absorbing materials and filter and cooled exhuast to reduce its heat signiture. The F/A-22 Raptor is a more advanced version that uses more from the F-117 than many people think. The Raptor's overall body shape is a diamond like the F-117 and is coated in an advanced version of the radar absorbing paint used on the Nighthawk. The Raptors thrust vectoring system allows it to more rapidly change direction by giving the aircraft a 4th way to alter its direction beyond the normal aelerons, flaps and tail fins. It also has the highest thrust engines of any fighter at 10,600lbs a piece. This gives it a very high thrust to weight ratio.The F-22 can go supersonic without the use of afterburners for this reason.

[ruim20]

It's not the best maneuverall plane out there, show me an F22 doing thoose Sukhoi maneuvers and i'll bellieve you...

The F22 was built to be and ADF Air Dominance Fighter, it's made to have the same roll as the F15, fight from far distance never to enter dog fights or out maneuver anyone.

[KonaGreen]

Werd,

I am waiting to see vid of an F-22 or a Typhoon or a Gripen or a Rafale moving like the Sukhoi. Till then the F-22 remains as a Beyond Visual Range fighter, and not a true dogfighter. It has a ton of bells and whistles, state of the art weapons, and radar, high thrust engines, exotic body construction etc etc... But how well does it truly move? (did anyone watch the Sukhoi vid?) Also, I am not worried about the supercriuse bit, it gives the Raptor the ability to get to the fight first, and provide defense in the event of an invasion of airspace.

Actually, a question: How does the Raptor perform in Offensive missions?

[Cyco]

All the technology in that is packed into these still doesn't prevent them being shot down - ask the F-111 pilots who took 6 kills in war games against them last year.