document_title: Steptoe and Son

question_text: name of the horse in steptoe and son

question_tokens: name of the horse in steptoe and son

text: Steptoe and Son

text: Background[edit]

text: The show had its roots in a 1962 episode of Galton & Simpson's Comedy Playhouse.[3] Galton and Simpson's association with comedian Tony Hancock, for whom they had written Hancock's Half Hour, had ended and they had agreed to a proposal from the BBC to write a series of 10 comedy shows. The fourth in the series, "The Offer", was born both out of writer's block and budgetary constraints.[4] Earlier shows in the series had cost more than expected, so the writers decided to write a two-hander set in one room. The idea of two brothers was considered but father and son worked best. Ronald Fraser was second choice for Harold, which would have produced a totally different character.

text: Galton and Simpson were not aiming to make a pilot for a series, having worked for seven years with Hancock. However, Tom Sloan, the BBC's head of comedy, told them during rehearsals that "The Offer" was a definite series pilot: he saw that the Steptoe idea had potential, as did the audience of that edition of Comedy Playhouse. Galton and Simpson were reportedly overwhelmed by this reaction, and the first of what became eight series was commissioned, the first four of which were transmitted between 1962 and 1965. The last four series were broadcast between 1970 and 1974, in colour. At the peak of the series' popularity, it received viewing figures of some 28,000,000 viewers per episode. In addition, the early 1970s saw two feature films, two 46-minute Christmas specials. In 2005, the play Steptoe and Son in Murder at Oil Drum Lane, written by Ray Galton and John Antrobus, brought the storyline to a close.

text: The series was one of the first UK situation comedy programmes to employ actors rather than comedians in the principal roles. Galton and Simpson had decided that they wanted to try to write for performers who "didn't count their laughs".

text: The series' title music, "Old Ned", won its composer Ron Grainer his second successive Ivor Novello award.[1] The series had no standard set of opening titles but the opening sequences would often feature the Steptoe's horse, Hercules. "Steptoe and Son" is the Steptoes' trading name, but as established in the first episode, the "Son" is not Harold as initially believed, but Albert. The name dates from when he and his mother—Mrs. Steptoe—worked the rounds. The first series has the pair as very rough looking and often dirty and wearing ragged clothes, but they quickly "tidied up" for later series.

text: Outside filming of the Steptoe's yard took place at a car breakers' yard in Norland Gardens, London W11, then changing to Stable Way, Latimer Road, for the later series.[5] Both sites have subsequently been redeveloped with no evidence now remaining of the iconic entrance gates through which the horse and cart were frequently driven.

text: Characters[edit]

text: Situation[edit]

text: The episodes often revolve around (sometimes violent) disagreements between the two men, Harold's attempts to bed women and momentary interest over things found on his round. As in many of the best examples of British comedy, much of the humour derives from the pathos of the protagonists' situation, especially Harold's continually thwarted (usually by the elder Steptoe) attempts to "better himself" and the unresolvable love/hate relationship that exists between the pair.

text: Albert almost always comes out on top, and routinely and effortlessly proves himself easily superior to his son whenever they compete, e.g. in their frequent game-playing, such as snooker played into the night and pouring rain in 1970 and the Scrabble and badminton games in the 1972 series. Harold takes them desperately seriously and sees them as symbols of his desire to improve himself, but his efforts come to nothing every time. His father's success is partly down to superior talent but is aided by cynical gamesmanship and undermining of his son's confidence. In addition, Albert habitually has better judgement than his son, who blunders into all sorts of con tricks and blind alleys as a result of his unrealistic, straw-clutching ideas. Occasionally the tables are turned, but overall the old man is the winner, albeit in a graceless fashion.

text: Harold is infuriated by these persistent frustrations and defeats, even going to the extent in "Divided We Stand" (1972) of partitioning the house in two so that he does not have to share with his selfish, uncultured and negative father. Predictably, his plan ends in failure and ultimately he can see no way out. However, for all the bitterness there is an essential bond between the pair. Deep down, Albert seems to love his son and his behaviour is perhaps a selfish but misguided way of holding on to him so he does not have to face life alone. When the crunch comes, Harold sticks by his father. This protective bond is much in evidence in "The Seven Steptoerai" (1974) when they are menaced by a local gangster running a protection racket. Typically though, it is Albert who gets them ingeniously out of a very hazardous predicament.

text: The 1974 Christmas special ended the run and seems Harold once again is on the bad end of poor planning, when he books a Christmas holiday abroad, but then finds his passport is out of date. His father must go alone, and Harold, tearfully it seems, waves him off to enjoy a potential good time without him. Harold trudges away, only to jump in a car with a woman to drive off on his own holiday, revealing that he had engineered the whole situation from the beginning. A victory, but only a temporary one, the viewers know that once their holidays end they will return to the familiar status quo once more.

text: Production[edit]

text: Both of the main actors used voices considerably different from their own. Brambell, despite being Irish, spoke with a received pronunciation English accent, as did Corbett. Brambell was aged 49 when he accepted the role of Albert, only 13 years older than Corbett. For his portrayal, he acquired a second set of "rotten" dentures to accentuate his character's poor attitude to hygiene.

text: During its production in the 1960s and 1970s, Steptoe and Son marked itself out as radical compared to most UK sitcoms. This was an age when the predominant sources of laughter in British comedy were farce, coincidence, slapstick and innuendo. However Steptoe and Son brought greater social realism. Its characters were not only working class but demonstrably poor. The earthy language and slang used were in marked contrast to the refined voices heard on most television of the time: e.g., in "Back in Fashion", Harold warns Albert that when the models arrive, "if you feels like a D'Oyly Carte (rhyming slang for 'fart'), you goes outside." Social issues and debates were routinely portrayed, woven into the humour. The programme did not abandon the more traditional sources of comedy but used them in small doses. The characters, and their intense and difficult relationship, displayed deeper qualities of writing and performance than comedy fans were used to.

text: The pilot episode and the first four series which aired from 1962–1965 were recorded in the BBC Lime Grove Studios in London. When the show returned in 1970 after a four-year hiatus, the programme was made in the BBC Television Centre studios in west London, as from 1970 the show was recorded in colour.[6][7][8][9]

text: Episodes[edit]

text: Steptoe and Son is rare among 1960s BBC television programmes in that every episode has survived, despite the mass wiping of BBC archive holdings between 1972 and 1978. However, all the instalments from the first 1970 series and all but two from the second that were originally made in colour only survive in the form of black and white domestic videotape recordings. Copies were made from the master tapes for the writers by an engineer at the BBC using a Shibaden SV-700 half-inch reel-to-reel b/w video recorder—a forerunner of the video cassette recorder. In 2008, the first reel of a b/w telerecording of the Series 5 episode "A Winter's Tale" (lasting approximately 15 minutes) was returned to the BBC; this is the only telerecording of a colour Steptoe and Son episode known to still exist.[citation needed]

text: The original 2" Quad videotapes of all the episodes of the original 1962–65 series were wiped in the late-1960s. However, these episodes mostly survive on film transfers of the original videotapes as 16mm black and white telerecordings. The exception being "My Old Man's a Tory" which only exists as an optical transfer made from a domestic 405 line reel to reel videotape obtained from Galton and Simpson.[citation needed]

text: The BBC has released 10 DVDs of the series—each of the eight series, and two compilations entitled "The Very Best of Steptoe and Son" volumes 1 and 2. Two Christmas specials are also available on DVD, as are two feature films: Steptoe and Son and Steptoe and Son Ride Again. A boxed set of Series 1–8 and the two Christmas specials was released on Region 2 DVD by 2entertain on 29 October 2007.[citation needed]

text: Also, 52 episodes were remade for BBC Radio, initially on the Light Programme in 1966–67 and later Radio 2 from 1971 to 1976.[citation needed]

text: A special one-off remake of the "A Winter's Tale" episode aired on BBC Four on 14 September 2016,[10] as part of the BBC's Lost Sitcom season recreating lost episodes of classic sitcoms.[11]

text: Sketch appearances[edit]

text:
In 1962, Brambell and Corbett appeared as Steptoe and Son in a short sketch written by Galton and Simpson on the BBC's annual Christmas Night with the Stars programme, broadcast on 25 December 1962. There are no known recordings.
In 1963, they appeared on the ITV Royal Variety Performance in a sketch written by Galton and Simpson featuring Steptoe and Son totting outside Buckingham Palace, the telerecording of the live show, broadcast on 10 November 1963, still exists. The audio of the sketch was also released on a 7-inch single.
On 31st December 1963 the BBC broadcast an edition of It's a Square World which featured a cameo by Wilfrid Brambell as Albert Steptoe witnessing the launch of BBC TV Centre into space. The sketch was included as an extra on the special edition DVD release of Doctor Who: The Aztecs
In 1966, they appeared on the BBC series The Ken Dodd Show in another live on stage sketch written by Galton and Simpson featuring Steptoe and Son on Blackpool beach, with Ken Dodd in the last two minutes as a strange golf professional. A telerecording of the show, broadcast on 24 July 1966, survives.
In 1967, they appeared in character in a short filmed sequence for the BBC's annual Christmas Night with the Stars programme. The black and white film sequence featuring Steptoe and Son, broadcast on 25 December 1967, still exists.
In 1978, they recorded a Radio 2 sketch, referred to by fans as "Scotch on the Rocks", produced especially for a show titled Good Luck Scotland. This was again written by Galton and Simpson and had a basic premise of Albert wishing to go to Argentina to watch the Scottish football team play in the 1978 World Cup as the "Good Luck Scotland" title of the programme referred to Scotland's chances of winning the World Cup that year.

tag: ul

text: Adverts[edit]

text: In 1977, Brambell and Corbett appeared in character for two television ads for Ajax cleaning products, recorded during their tour of Australia. [12] In 1981, their final ever appearance together was in a UK advert for Kenco Coffee. [13]

text: Audio[edit]

text: A number of LPs and EPs featuring TV soundtracks have been released.[14]

text: Books[edit]

text: To tie-in with the original series, two novelisations were written by Gale Pedrick:

text:
Steptoe and Son. Hodder & Stoughton. 1964.
Steptoe and Son at the Palace. Hodder & Stoughton. 1966.

text: In 2002 BBC Books published Steptoe and Son by Galton, Simpson and Rosswhich comprehensively covered the television series, the radio series, films, Royal Variety Shows, commercials and the Sanford & Son spin-off.[15]

text: Other countries[edit]

text:
United States: In 1965 Joseph E. Levine produced a pilot based on The Offer for the American market with Galton and Simpson. Starring Lee Tracy as Albert and Aldo Ray as Harold, it was unscreened, and did not lead to a series. The pilot was released on DVD in the UK in 2018.[16] The concept was later re-worked as Sanford and Son, a top-rated series that ran for five years (1972–77) on the NBC network.[17]
Sweden; Sten-Åke Cederhök and Tomas von Brömssen starred in Albert & Herbert. The pair lived at Skolgatan 15, an address in a working-class neighbourhood of Haga, Gothenburg.[18][19]
The Netherlands; Stiefbeen en Zoon (re-translation; Stepbone and Son) ran for thirty three episodes. It was awarded the 1964 Golden Televizier Ring.[20][21]
Norway; The 1975 Norwegian film, Skraphandlerne, starred Leif Juster and Tom Tellefsen. The names of the characters were Albert and Herbert, the names of the characters in the Swedish remake.[22]
Portugal; Camilo & Filho Lda., starring famous Portuguese comedian Camilo de Oliveira, with Nuno Melo as his son.[23]

text: Spin-offs[edit]

text: Films[edit]

text: In 1972 a film version was released of the show proving highly popular. This first film, also called Steptoe and Son focuses on Harold getting married but still not being able to get away from his father. Due to popular demand another film, Steptoe and Son Ride Again, was released in 1973.

text: When Steptoe Met Son[edit]

text: When Steptoe Met Son was a 2002 Channel 4 documentary about the personal lives of Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H. Corbett. It aired on 20 August 2002.

text: The programme reveals how Brambell and Corbett were highly dissimilar to their on-screen characters. Corbett felt he had a promising career as a serious actor, but was trapped by his role as Harold and forced to keep returning to the series after typecasting limited his choice of work. Brambell, meanwhile, was a homosexual, something that in the 1960s was still frowned upon and, until the Sexual Offences Act 1967, illegal and was thus driven underground. The documentary went on to describe an ill-fated final tour of Australia, during which the already strained relationship between Corbett and Brambell finally broke down for good.[24]

text: Steptoe and Son in Murder at Oil Drum Lane[edit]

text: In October 2005, Ray Galton and John Antrobus premiered their play, Steptoe and Son in Murder at Oil Drum Lane, at the Theatre Royal, York. It then went on tour across the country. It was set in the present day and related the events leading to Harold killing his father and their eventual meeting 30 years later, Albert then appearing as a ghost. By the end, it is clearly established that this is very much a conclusion to the Steptoe saga.

text: It was not the first time this idea had been considered. When Wilfrid Brambell left the UK after the third series to pursue an eventually unsuccessful Broadway musical career, Galton and Simpson toyed with the concept of 'killing off' Albert in order to continue the show without having to await Brambell's return. The character would have been replaced with Harold's illegitimate son, Arthur (a part thought to be intended for actor David Hemmings). This idea was detested by Corbett, who thought it ridiculous, although the 2008 drama The Curse of Steptoe depicts Corbett as being delighted with the concept, since assuming the role of father would allow Harold's character some development and growth, which he felt was long overdue.[25]

text: The Curse of Steptoe[edit]

text: The Curse of Steptoe is a television play which was first broadcast on 19 March 2008 on BBC Four as part of a season of dramas about television personalities. It stars Jason Isaacs as Harry H. Corbett and Phil Davis as Wilfrid Brambell. The drama is based upon the actors' on-and-off-screen relationship during the making of the BBC sitcom Steptoe and Son, and is based on interviews with colleagues, friends and family of the actors, and the Steptoe writers, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.[26]

text: The screenplay was written by Brian Fillis, also responsible for the similarly themed 2006 drama Fear of Fanny, which is about television personality Fanny Cradock off-screen. The 66-minute film is directed by Michael Samuels and produced by Ben Bickerton.

text: Both When Steptoe Met Son and The Curse of Steptoe were considered inaccurate by writers Galton and Simpson[27][28][29] and Corbett's family.[30][31]

text: Steptoe and Son[edit]

text: In March 2011 the Engine Shed Theatre Company performed three episodes of the iconic series live on stage at the Capitol Theatre, Horsham. Jack Lane played Albert Steptoe and Michael Simmonds played Harold. The three episodes performed by the company were: Men Of Letters, Robbery With Violence and Seance in a Wet Rag and Bone Yard. Engine Shed went on to adapt and perform the two Christmas Specials later that year.

text: Many of the original TV episodes of Steptoe and Son have now been officially adapted to the stage by the original writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, with David Pibworth and are available for production on www.classiccomedyscripts.co.uk

text: Steptoe and Son by Kneehigh[edit]

text: Performed in 2012 and 2013 by Kneehigh Theatre, Steptoe and Son was adapted from four of the show's original scripts. The production was designed to highlight the Beckettian nature of Albert and Harold's situation, focusing on themes of over-reliance and being trapped within social class. The production toured the UK and received positive reviews from the Financial Times and three stars from The Guardian's Lynn Gardner.[32]

text: DVD releases[edit]

text:
The first series with all six episodes was released in 2004 followed by the second series in 2005 and the third, fourth and fifth in 2006. Series 6, 7 and 8 were released in 2007 alongside the Christmas specials.
The two Steptoe films were released in 2006.
The complete boxed set containing all eight series and two Christmas specials was released in October 2007. In October 2011 the boxset was re released with new packaging.

text: In Australia, Season 1 was released in 2004, Season 2 and Season 3 in 2006, Season 4 and Season 5 in 2007, Season 6 and Season 7 in 2008 and Season 8 in 2009.

text:
DVD Title

Disc No.

Year

Ep. No.

DVD release

Notes

Region 2

Region 4

Complete Series 1

1

1962

6

13 September 2004

10 November 2004

Includes the pilot

Complete Series 2

1

1963

7

8 August 2005

2 March 2006

—

Complete Series 3

1

1964

7

13 February 2006

6 July 2006

—

Complete Series 4

2

1965

7

15 May 2006

7 March 2007

—

Complete Series 5

2

1970

7

24 July 2006

1 August 2007

—

Complete Series 6

2

1970

8

8 January 2007

5 March 2008

—

Complete Series 7

2

1972

7

26 March 2007

7 August 2008

—

Complete Series 8

1

1974

6

14 May 2007

3 March 2009

—

The Christmas Specials

1

1973–74

2

29 October 2007

6 November 2008

Includes the 1973 and 1974 specials

Complete Series 1–8

13

1962–74

57

29 October 2007

1 October 2009

Includes the pilot and the 1973 and 1974 specials


document_title: Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor

question_text: what is the top speed of the f22

question_tokens: what is the top speed of the f22

root

text: Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor

text: Development[edit]

text: Origins[edit]

text: In 1981, the U.S. Air Force developed a requirement for an Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) as a new air superiority fighter to replace the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon. Code named "Senior Sky", this program was influenced by the emerging worldwide threats, including development and proliferation of Soviet Su-27 "Flanker"- and MiG-29 "Fulcrum"-class fighter aircraft.[11] It would take advantage of the new technologies in fighter design on the horizon, including composite materials, lightweight alloys, advanced flight control systems, more powerful propulsion systems, and stealth technology. The request for proposals (RFP) was issued in July 1986 and two contractor teams, Lockheed/Boeing/General Dynamics and Northrop/McDonnell Douglas, were selected on 31 October 1986 to undertake a 50-month demonstration phase, culminating in the flight test of two technology demonstrator prototypes, the YF-22 and the YF-23.[12][13] The program was managed by the Advanced Tactical Fighter Systems Program Office (ATF SPO) located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

tag: p

text: Each design team produced two prototype air vehicles, one for each of the two engine options. The Lockheed-led team employed thrust vectoring nozzles on YF-22 for enhanced maneuverability in dogfights. The ATF's increasing weight and cost drove out certain requirements during development. Side-looking radars were deleted, and the dedicated infra-red search and track (IRST) system was downgraded from multi-color to single color and then deleted as well. However, space and cooling provisions were retained to allow for future addition of these components. The ejection seat requirement was downgraded from a fresh design to the existing McDonnell Douglas ACES II.[14]

text: After the flight test demonstration and validation of the prototypes, on 23 April 1991, Secretary of the USAF Donald Rice announced the YF-22 as the winner of the ATF competition.[15] The YF-23 design was considered stealthier and faster, while the YF-22 was more maneuverable.[16] The aviation press speculated that the YF-22 was also more adaptable to the U.S. Navy's Navalized Advanced Tactical Fighter (NATF), but by 1992, the Navy had abandoned NATF.[17]

text: Production and procurement[edit]

text: Prime contractor Lockheed Martin Aeronautics manufactured the majority of the airframe and performed final assembly at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia; program partner Boeing Defense, Space & Security provided additional airframe components as well as avionics integration and training systems.[18] F-22 production was split up over many subcontractors across 46 states to increase Congressional support,[19][20] though this production split may have contributed to increased costs and delays.[21] Many capabilities were deferred to post-service upgrades, reducing the initial cost but increasing total program cost.[22] Production supported over 1,000 subcontractors and suppliers and up to 95,000 jobs.[23]

text: The F-22 had several design changes from the YF-22. The swept-back angle of the leading edge was decreased from 48° to 42°, while the vertical stabilizers were shifted rearward and decreased in area by 20%.[24] To improve pilot visibility, the canopy was moved forward 7 inches (18 cm), and the engine intakes moved rearward 14 inches (36 cm). The shapes of the wing and stabilator trailing edges were refined to improve aerodynamics, strength, and stealth characteristics.[25][26] Increasing weight during development caused slight reductions in range and aerodynamic performance.[27]

text: The first F-22, an engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) aircraft named Raptor 4001, was unveiled at Marietta, Georgia, on 9 April 1997, and first flew on 7 September 1997.[28] In 2006, the Raptor's development team, composed of over 1,000 contractors and the USAF, won the Collier Trophy, American aviation's most prestigious award.[29] The F-22 was in production for 15 years, at a rate of roughly two per month during peak production.[30]

text: The USAF originally envisioned ordering 750 ATFs at a cost of $26.2 billion, with production beginning in 1994. The 1990 Major Aircraft Review led by Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney reduced this to 648 aircraft beginning in 1996. By 1997, funding instability had further cut the total to 339, which was again reduced to 277 F-22s by 2003.[31] In 2004, the Department of Defense (DoD) further reduced this to 183 operational aircraft, despite the USAF's preference for 381.[32][33] In 2006, a multi-year procurement plan was implemented to save $15 billion but raise each aircraft's cost. That year the program's total cost was projected to be $62 billion for 183 F-22s distributed to seven combat squadrons.[34] In 2007, Lockheed Martin received a $7.3 billion contract to increase the order to 183 production F-22s and extend manufacturing through 2011.[35]

text: In April 2006, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) assessed the F-22's cost to be $361 million per aircraft, with $28 billion invested in development and testing; the Unit Procurement Cost was estimated at $178 million in 2006, based on a production run of 181 aircraft.[36] It was estimated by the end of production, $34 billion will have been spent on procurement, resulting in a total program cost of $62 billion, around $339 million per aircraft. The incremental cost for an additional F-22 was estimated at about $138 million in 2009.[34][37] The GAO stated the estimated cost was $412 million per aircraft in 2012.[38]

text: Ban on exports[edit]

text: The F-22 cannot be exported under American federal law to protect its stealth technology and other high-tech features.[39][40] Customers for U.S. fighters are acquiring earlier designs such as the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon or the newer F-35 Lightning II, which contains technology from the F-22 but was designed to be cheaper, more flexible, and available for export.[41] In September 2006, Congress upheld the ban on foreign F-22 sales.[42] Despite the ban, the 2010 defense authorization bill included provisions requiring the DoD to prepare a report on the costs and feasibility for an F-22 export variant, and another report on the effect of F-22 export sales on U.S. aerospace industry.[43][44]

text: Some Australian politicians and defense commentators proposed that Australia should attempt to purchase F-22s instead of the planned F-35s,[45][46] citing the F-22's known capabilities and F-35's delays and developmental uncertainties.[47] However, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) determined that the F-22 was unable to perform the F-35's strike and close air support roles.[48] The Japanese government also showed interest in the F-22 for its Replacement-Fighter program. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) would reportedly require fewer fighters for its mission if it obtained the F-22, thus reducing engineering and staffing costs. However, in 2009 it was reported that acquiring the F-22 would require increases to the defense budget beyond the historical 1 percent of GDP.[49][50] With the end of F-22 production, Japan chose the F-35 in December 2011.[51] Israel also expressed interest, but eventually chose the F-35 because of the F-22's price and unavailability.[52][53]

text: Production termination[edit]

text: Throughout the 2000s, the need for F-22s was debated due to rising costs and the lack of relevant adversaries. In 2006, Comptroller General of the United States David Walker found that "the DoD has not demonstrated the need" for more investment in the F-22,[54] and further opposition to the program was expressed by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon R. England, Senator John McCain, and Chairman of U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services Senator John Warner.[55][56] The F-22 program lost influential supporters in 2008 after the forced resignations of Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force General T. Michael Moseley.[57] Nevertheless, in 2008, Congress passed a defense spending bill funding the F-22's continued production and the Pentagon released $50 million of the $140 million for four additional aircraft, raising the total orders for production aircraft to 187 and leaving the program in the hands of the next administration.[58][59]

text: In November 2008, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stated that the Raptor was not relevant in post-Cold War conflicts such as in Iraq and Afghanistan,[60] and in April 2009, under the new Obama Administration, he called for ending F-22 production in fiscal year (FY) 2011, leaving the USAF with 187 production aircraft.[61] In July, General James Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated to the Senate Committee on Armed Services his reasons for supporting termination of F-22 production. They included shifting resources to the multirole F-35 to allow proliferation of fifth-generation fighters for three service branches and preserving the F/A-18 production line to maintain the military's electronic warfare (EW) capabilities in the Boeing EA-18G Growler.[62] Issues with the F-22's reliability and availability also raised concerns.[41][63] After President Obama threatened to veto further production, the Senate voted in July 2009 in favor of ending production and the House subsequently agreed to abide by the 187 production aircraft cap.[64][65] Gates stated that the decision was taken in light of the F-35's capabilities,[66] and in 2010, he set the F-22 requirement to 187 aircraft by lowering the number of major regional conflict preparations from two to one.[67]

text: In 2010, USAF initiated a study to determine the costs of retaining F-22 tooling for a future Service Life Extension Program (SLEP).[68] A RAND Corporation paper from this study estimated that restarting production and building an additional 75 F-22s would cost $17 billion, resulting in $227 million per aircraft, or $54 million higher than the flyaway cost.[69] Lockheed Martin stated that restarting the production line itself would cost about $200 million.[70] Production tooling will be documented in illustrated electronic manuals stored at the Sierra Army Depot.[71] Retained tooling will produce additional components; due to the limited production run there are no reserve aircraft, leading to considerable care during maintenance.[72] Later attempts to retrieve this tooling found that the containers were empty.[73]

text:
The Pentagon cannot continue with business as usual when it comes to the F-22 or any other program in excess of our needs.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, speaking on the cancellation.[74]

tag: div

text: Russian and Chinese fighter developments have fueled concern, and in 2009, General John Corley, head of Air Combat Command, stated that a fleet of 187 F-22s would be inadequate, but Secretary Gates dismissed this concern.[57] In 2011, Gates explained that Chinese fifth-generation fighter developments had been accounted for when the number of F-22s was set, and that the U.S. would have a considerable advantage in stealth aircraft in 2025, even with F-35 delays.[75] In December 2011, the 195th and final F-22 was completed out of 8 test ("EMD" – Engineering, Manufacturing and Development) and 187 operational aircraft produced; the aircraft was delivered to the USAF on 2 May 2012.[76]

text: In April 2016, the HASC Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee proposed legislation that would direct the Air Force "to conduct a comprehensive assessment and study of the costs associated with resuming production of F-22 aircraft." Defense Secretary Robert Gates had production halted at 187 F-22s (at a cost of $67 billion) to direct funds for ongoing irregular warfare operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since then, lawmakers and the Pentagon noted that air warfare systems of Russia and China were catching up to U.S. air superiority capabilities.[77] Previous estimates of restarting production placed figures at around $2 billion, including $300–500 million in non-recurring start-up costs, with an estimated unit cost of $233 million for a production run of 75 aircraft over five years. Lockheed has proposed upgrading the 36 early training-model Block 20 Raptors into combat-coded Block 30/35 versions as a way to increase numbers available for deployment.[78][79] On 9 June 2017, the Air Force submitted their report to Congress stating they had no plans to restart the F-22 production line due to economic and operational issues; it estimated it would cost approximately $50 billion to procure 194 additional F-22s, at a cost of $206–$216 million per aircraft, including approximately $9.9 billion for non-recurring start-up costs and $40.4 billion for aircraft procurement costs.[80]

text: Upgrades[edit]

text: The first combat-capable Block 3.0 aircraft first flew in 2001.[81] Increment 2, the first F-22 upgrade program, was implemented in 2005 and enables the aircraft to employ Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM). Increment 3.1 provides improved ground-attack capability through synthetic aperture radar mapping and radio emitter direction finding, electronic attack and the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB); testing began in 2009 and the first upgraded aircraft was delivered in 2012.[82][83] Increment 3.2 is a two-part upgrade process; 3.2A focuses on electronic warfare, communications and identification, while 3.2B will allow the F-22 to fully exploit the AIM-9X and AIM-120D missiles.[84][85] The subsequent Increment 3.3 may include the adoption of an open avionics platform and air traffic control updates.[76][86] Upgrades due in 2015 will allow the F-22 to employ the AIM-9X and have full Link 16 reception and transmission capability.[87] The F-22 fleet is planned to have 36 Block 20 training and 149 Block 30/35 combat aircraft by 2016. The Increment 3.2B upgrade planned for 2018 will include a new stores management system to show the correct symbols for the AIM-9X Sidewinder and AIM-120D AMRAAM with improved control of them.[88] In 2017, the USAF is defining requirements for next-generation sensors for the F-22, which involves designing new hardware and antennas. Subsequent upgrades are also focusing on an open avionics platform to enable faster future upgrades.[89]

text: To enable two-way communication with other platforms, the F-22 can use the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) as a gateway. The originally planned MADL integration was cut due to the lack of system maturity.[90] In 2014 Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman were competing to connect the F-22 with other platforms while maintaining stealth.[91] Other upgrades being developed include infra-red search and track functionality for the AN/AAR-56 Missile Launch Detector (MLD) and integration of a helmet-mounted cuing system (HMCS) to enable off-boresight missile launches by 2020.[92][93] Until the F-22 gains a helmet mounted system it will use the AIM-9X's helmetless high off-boresight (HHOBS) capabilities.[94] In March 2010, the USAF accelerated software portions of 3.2 to be completed in FY 2013.[95][96]

text: In January 2011, the USAF opened the Raptor enhancement, development and integration (REDI) contract to bidders, with a $16 billion budget.[97] In November 2011, Lockheed Martin's upgrade contract ceiling was raised to $7.4 billion.[98] Nearly $2 billion was allocated for structural repairs and to achieve fleet availability rate of 70.6% by 2015.[99] However, only 63% was achieved.[100] Some F-35 technology, such as more durable stealth coatings, have been applied to the F-22.[101][102][103] By 2012, the update schedule had slipped seven years due to instability in requirements and funding.[104] In 2014 the USAF moved to cut upgrade funding.[105]

text: In 2012, the F-22 was upgraded with a backup oxygen system, software upgrades and oxygen sensors to address the frequent oxygen deprivation issues and normalize operations.[106] In 2013, the faulty flight vest valves were replaced and altitude restrictions lifted; distance restrictions will be lifted once a backup oxygen system is installed.[107] In April 2014, the USAF stated in Congressional testimony that installation of automatic backup oxygen systems on the F-22 fleet would be completed within twelve months.[108]

text: The F-22 was designed for a lifespan of 30 years and 8,000 flight hours, with a $100 million "structures retrofit program".[109] Investigations are being made for upgrades to extend their useful lives further.[110] In the long term, the F-22 is expected to be superseded by a sixth-generation jet fighter to be fielded in the 2030s.[111]

text: Design[edit]

text: Overview[edit]

text: The F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter that is considered fourth generation in stealth aircraft technology by the USAF.[112] It is the first operational aircraft to combine supercruise, supermaneuverability, stealth, and sensor fusion in a single weapons platform.[113] The Raptor has clipped delta wings with a reverse sweep on the rear, four empennage surfaces, and a retractable tricycle landing gear. Flight control surfaces include leading-edge flaps, flaperons, ailerons, rudders on the canted vertical stabilizers, and all-moving horizontal tails; these surfaces also serve as speed brakes.[114]

text: The aircraft's dual Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 afterburning turbofan engines are closely spaced and incorporate 2D pitch-axis thrust vectoring nozzles with a range of ±20 degrees; each engine has maximum thrust in the 35,000 lbf (156 kN) class.[7] The F-22's thrust-to-weight ratio in typical combat configuration is nearly at unity in maximum military power and 1.25 in full afterburner.[115] Maximum speed without external stores is estimated to be Mach 1.82 during supercruise and greater than Mach 2 with afterburners.[116][N 2]

text: The F-22 is among only a few aircraft that can supercruise, or sustain supersonic flight without using fuel-inefficient afterburners; it can intercept targets which subsonic aircraft would lack the speed to pursue and an afterburner-dependent aircraft would lack the fuel to reach.[7][118] The Raptor's high operating altitude is also a significant tactical advantage over prior fighters.[119] The use of internal weapons bays permits the aircraft to maintain comparatively higher performance over most other combat-configured fighters due to a lack of aerodynamic drag from external stores. The F-22's structure contains a significant amount of high-strength materials to withstand stress and heat of sustained supersonic flight. Respectively, titanium alloys and composites comprise 39% and 24% of the aircraft's structural weight.[120]

text: The F-22 is highly maneuverable at both supersonic and subsonic speeds. Computerized flight control system and full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) make the aircraft highly departure resistant and controllable.[121][122] The Raptor's relaxed stability and powerful thrust-vectoring engines enable the aircraft to turn tightly and perform very high alpha (angle of attack) maneuvers such as the Herbst maneuver (J-turn) and Pugachev's Cobra. The aircraft is also capable of maintaining over 60° alpha while having some roll control.[123]

text: The Raptor's aerodynamic performance, sensor fusion, and stealth work together for increased effectiveness. Altitude, speed, and advanced active and passive sensors allow the aircraft to spot targets at considerable ranges and increase weapons range; altitude and speed also complement stealth's ability to increase the aircraft's survivability against ground defenses such as surface-to-air missiles.[7][124][125]

text: Avionics[edit]

text: Key avionics include BAE Systems EI&S AN/ALR-94 radar warning receiver (RWR),[126] Lockheed Martin AN/AAR-56 infrared and ultraviolet Missile Launch Detector (MLD) and Northrop Grumman AN/APG-77 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. The MLD features six sensors to provide full spherical infrared coverage.[93] The RWR is a passive radar detector with more than 30 antennas blended into the wings and fuselage for all-round coverage. Tom Burbage, former F-22 program head at Lockheed Martin, described it as "the most technically complex piece of equipment on the aircraft." The range of the RWR (250+ nmi) exceeds the radar's, and can cue radar emissions to be confined to a narrow beam (down to 2° by 2° in azimuth and elevation) to increase stealth. Depending on the detected threat, the defensive systems can prompt the pilot to release countermeasures such as flares or chaff. According to Bill Sweetman, experts had said the ALR-94 can be used as a passive detection system capable of searching targets and providing enough information for a radar lock on.[127]

text: The AN/APG-77 radar features a low-observable, active-aperture, electronically scanned array that can track multiple targets under any weather conditions. Radar emissions can also be focused to overload enemy sensors as an electronic-attack capability.[128][129] The radar changes frequencies more than 1,000 times per second to lower interception probability and has an estimated range of 125–150 mi (201–241 km),[119] against a 11 sq ft (1 m2) target. F-22s from Lot 5 and on are equipped with the AN/APG-77v1, which provides full air-to-ground functionality (high-resolution synthetic aperture radar mapping, ground moving target indication and track (GMTI/GMTT), automatic cueing and recognition, combat identification, and many other advanced features).[130][131] The APG-77v1 with newer GaAs modules provides a range of 250 mi (400 km) or more; this is believed to be possible due to the use of more narrow beams.[119][132] Radar information is processed by two Raytheon Common Integrated Processor (CIP)s, each capable of processing up to 10.5 billion instructions per second. In a process known as sensor fusion, data from the radar, other sensors, and external systems is filtered and combined by the CIP into a common view, reducing pilot workload.[133] However, upgrading the aircraft's avionics was reportedly very challenging due to their highly integrated nature.[84]

text: The F-22's ability to operate close to the battlefield gives the aircraft threat detection and identification capability comparative with the RC-135 Rivet Joint, and the ability to function as a "mini-AWACS", though the radar is less powerful than those of dedicated platforms. The F-22 can designate targets for allies, and determine whether two friendly aircraft are targeting the same aircraft. This radar system can sometimes identify targets "many times quicker than the AWACS".[119] The IEEE 1394B bus developed for the F-22 was derived from the commercial IEEE 1394 "FireWire" bus system.[134] In 2007, the F-22's radar was tested as a wireless data transceiver, transmitting data at 548 megabits per second and receiving at gigabit speed, far faster than the Link 16 system.[135]

text: The F-22's software has some 1.7 million lines of code, the majority involving processing radar data.[136] Former Secretary of the USAF Michael Wynne blamed the use of the DoD's Ada for cost overruns and delays on many military projects, including the F-22.[137] Cyberattacks on subcontractors have reportedly raised doubts about the security of the F-22's systems and combat-effectiveness.[138] In 2009, former Navy Secretary John Lehman considered the F-22 to be safe from cyberattack, citing the age of its IBM software.[139]

text: Cockpit[edit]

text: The F-22 has a glass cockpit with all-digital flight instruments. The monochrome head-up display offers a wide field of view and serves as a primary flight instrument; information is also displayed upon six color liquid-crystal display (LCD) panels.[140] The primary flight controls are a force-sensitive side-stick controller and a pair of throttles. The USAF initially wanted to implement direct voice input (DVI) controls, but this was judged to be too technically risky and was abandoned.[141] The canopy's dimensions are approximately 140 inches long, 45 inches wide, and 27 inches tall (355 cm x 115 cm x 69 cm) and weighs 360 pounds.[142]

text: The F-22 has integrated radio functionality, the signal processing systems are virtualized rather than as a separate hardware module.[143] There have been several reports on the F-22's inability to communicate with other aircraft, and funding cuts have affected the integration of the Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL).[90] Voice communication is possible, but not data transfer.[144]

text: The integrated control panel (ICP) is a keypad system for entering communications, navigation, and autopilot data. Two 3 in × 4 in (7.6 cm × 10.2 cm) up-front displays located around the ICP are used to display integrated caution advisory/warning data, communications, navigation and identification (CNI) data and also serve as the stand-by flight instrumentation group and fuel quantity indicator.[145][146] The stand-by flight group displays an artificial horizon, for basic instrument meteorological conditions. The 8 in × 8 in (20 cm × 20 cm) primary multi-function display (PMFD) is located under the ICP, and is used for navigation and situation assessment. Three 6.25 in × 6.25 in (15.9 cm × 15.9 cm) secondary multi-function displays are located around the PMFD for tactical information and stores management.[146]

text: The ejection seat is a version of the ACES II (Advanced Concept Ejection Seat) commonly used in USAF aircraft, with a center-mounted ejection control.[147] The F-22 has a complex life support system, which includes the on-board oxygen generation system (OBOGS), protective pilot garments, and a breathing regulator/anti-g (BRAG) valve controlling flow and pressure to the pilot's mask and garments. The pilot garments were developed under the Advanced Technology Anti-G Suit (ATAGS) project and are to protect against chemical/biological hazards and cold-water immersion, counter g-forces and low pressure at high altitudes, and provide thermal relief.[148] Suspicions regarding the performance of the OBOGS and life support equipment have been raised by several mishaps, including a fatal crash.[149]

text: Armament[edit]

text: The Raptor has three internal weapons bays: a large bay on the bottom of the fuselage, and two smaller bays on the sides of the fuselage, aft of the engine intakes.[150] The main bay can accommodate six LAU-142/A launchers for beyond-visual-range missiles and each side bay has an LAU-141/A launcher for short-range missiles.[151] Four of the launchers in the main bay can be replaced with two bomb racks that can each carry one 1,000 lb (450 kg) or four 250 lb (110 kg) bombs.[7] Carrying armaments internally maintains the aircraft's stealth and minimizes additional drag. Missile launches require the bay doors to be open for less than a second, during which hydraulic arms push missiles clear of the aircraft; this is to reduce vulnerability to detection and to deploy missiles during high speed flight.[152]

text: The F-22 can also carry air-to-surface weapons such as bombs with Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance and the Small Diameter Bomb, but cannot self-designate for laser-guided weapons.[153] Internal air-to-surface ordnance is limited to 2,000 lb (910 kg).[154] An internally mounted M61A2 Vulcan 20 mm rotary cannon is embedded in the aircraft's right wing root with the muzzle covered by a retractable door to maintain stealth.[155] The radar projection of the cannon fire's path is displayed on the pilot's head-up display.[156]

text: The F-22's high cruise speed and altitude increase the effective ranges of its munitions, with the aircraft having 50% greater employment range for the AIM-120 AMRAAM than prior platforms.[122] While specifics are classified, it is expected that JDAMs employed by F-22s will have twice or more the effective range of legacy platforms.[157] In testing, an F-22 dropped a GBU-32 JDAM from 50,000 feet (15,000 m) while cruising at Mach 1.5, striking a moving target 24 miles (39 km) away.[158]

text: While the F-22 typically carries weapons internally, the wings include four hardpoints, each rated to handle 5,000 lb (2,300 kg). Each hardpoint can accommodate a pylon that can carry a detachable 600-gallon (2,270 L) external fuel tank or a launcher holding two air-to-air missiles; the two inboard hardpoints are "plumbed" for external fuel tanks. The use of external stores degrades the aircraft's stealth and kinematic performance; after releasing stores the external attachments can be jettisoned to restore those characteristics.[159] A stealthy ordnance pod and pylon was being developed to carry additional weapons in the mid-2000s.[160]

text: Stealth[edit]

text: The F-22 was designed to be highly difficult to detect and track by radar. Measures to reduce radar cross-section include airframe shaping such as alignment of edges, fixed-geometry serpentine inlets that prevent line-of-sight of the engine faces from any exterior view, use of radar-absorbent material (RAM), and attention to detail such as hinges and pilot helmets that could provide a radar return. The F-22 was also designed to have decreased radio emissions, infrared signature and acoustic signature as well as reduced visibility to the naked eye.[161] The aircraft's flat thrust-vectoring nozzle reduces infrared emissions to mitigate the threat of infrared homing ("heat seeking") surface-to-air or air-to-air missiles.[162] Additional measures to reduce the infrared signature include special paint and active cooling of leading edges to manage the heat buildup from supersonic flight.[163]

text: Compared to previous stealth designs like the F-117, the F-22 is less reliant on radar-absorbent materials, which are maintenance-intensive and susceptible to adverse weather conditions. Unlike the B-2, which requires climate-controlled hangars, the F-22 can undergo repairs on the flight line or in a normal hangar. The F-22 features a Signature Assessment System which delivers warnings when the radar signature is degraded and necessitates repair.[119] While the F-22's exact radar cross-section (RCS) is classified, in 2009 Lockheed Martin released information indicating that from certain angles the aircraft has an RCS of 0.0001 m² or −40 dBsm – equivalent to the radar reflection of a "steel marble".[164] Effectively maintaining the stealth features can decrease the F-22's mission capable rate to 62–70%.[N 3]

text: The effectiveness of the stealth characteristics is difficult to gauge. The RCS value is a restrictive measurement of the aircraft's frontal or side area from the perspective of a static radar. When an aircraft maneuvers it exposes a completely different set of angles and surface area, potentially increasing radar observability. Furthermore, the F-22's stealth contouring and radar absorbent materials are chiefly effective against high-frequency radars, usually found on other aircraft. The effects of Rayleigh scattering and resonance mean that low-frequency radars such as weather radars and early-warning radars are more likely to detect the F-22 due to its physical size. However, such radars are also conspicuous, susceptible to clutter, and have low precision.[166] Additionally, while faint or fleeting radar contacts make defenders aware that a stealth aircraft is present, reliably vectoring interception to attack the aircraft is much more challenging.[167][168] According to the USAF an F-22 surprised an Iranian F-4 Phantom II that was attempting to intercept an American UAV, despite Iran's claim of having military VHF radar coverage over the Persian Gulf.[169]

text: Operational history[edit]

text: Designation and testing[edit]

text: The YF-22 was originally given the unofficial name "Lightning II", after the World War II Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter, which persisted until the mid-1990s, when the USAF officially named the aircraft "Raptor". The name "Lightning II" was later given to the F-35. The aircraft was also briefly dubbed "SuperStar" and "Rapier".[170] In September 2002, USAF changed the Raptor's designation to F/A-22, mimicking the Navy's McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet and intended to highlight a planned ground-attack capability amid debate over the aircraft's role and relevance. The F-22 designation was reinstated in December 2005, when the aircraft entered service.[7][171]

text: Flight testing of the F-22 began in 1997 with Raptor 4001, the first EMD jet, and eight more F-22s would participate in the EMD and flight test program.[172] Raptor 4001 was retired from flight testing in 2000 and subsequently sent to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base for survivability testing, including live fire testing and battle damage repair training.[173] Other EMD F-22s have been used for testing upgrades and as maintenance trainers.[174] The first production F-22 was delivered to Nellis AFB, Nevada, in January 2003.[175]

text: In May 2006, a released report documented a problem with the F-22's forward titanium boom, caused by defective heat-treating. This made the boom on roughly the first 80 F-22s less ductile than specified and potentially shortened the part's life. Modifications and inspections were implemented to the booms to restore life expectancy.[110][176]

text: In August 2008, an unmodified F-22 of the 411th Flight Test Squadron performed the first ever air-to-air refueling of an aircraft using synthetic jet fuel as part of a wider USAF effort to qualify aircraft to use the fuel, a 50/50 mix of JP-8 and a Fischer–Tropsch process-produced, natural gas-based fuel.[177] In 2011, an F-22 flew supersonic on a 50% mixture of biofuel derived from camelina.[178]

text: Introduction into service[edit]

text: In December 2005, the USAF announced that the F-22 had achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC).[179] During Exercise Northern Edge in Alaska in June 2006, in simulated combat exercises 12 F-22s of the 94th FS downed 108 adversaries with no losses.[34] In the exercises, the Raptor-led Blue Force amassed 241 kills against two losses in air-to-air combat, with neither loss being an F-22. During Red Flag 07-1 in February 2007, 14 F-22s of the 94th FS supported Blue Force strikes and undertook close air support sorties. Against superior numbers of Red Force Aggressor F-15s and F-16s, 6–8 F-22s maintained air dominance throughout. No sorties were missed because of maintenance or other failures; a single F-22 was judged lost against the defeated opposing force.[N 4] F-22s also provided airborne electronic surveillance.[180]

text: The Raptor achieved Full Operational Capability (FOC) in December 2007, when General John Corley of Air Combat Command (ACC) officially declared the F-22s of the integrated active duty 1st Fighter Wing and Virginia Air National Guard 192d Fighter Wing fully operational.[181] This was followed by an Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI) of the integrated wing in April 2008, in which it was rated "excellent" in all categories, with a simulated kill-ratio of 221–0.[182]

text: Deployments[edit]

text: F-22 fighter units have been frequently deployed to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan.[183] In February 2007, on the aircraft's first overseas deployment to Kadena Air Base, six F-22s of 27th Fighter Squadron flying from Hickam AFB, Hawaii, experienced multiple software-related system failures while crossing the International Date Line (180th meridian of longitude). The aircraft returned to Hawaii by following tanker aircraft. Within 48 hours, the error was resolved and the journey resumed.[184][185] In early 2013, F-22s were involved in U.S.-South Korean military drills.[186]

text: In November 2007, F-22s of 90th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, performed their first NORAD interception of two Russian Tu-95MS "Bear-H" bombers.[187] Since then, F-22s have also escorted probing Tu-160 "Blackjack" bombers.[188]

text: The first pair of F-22s assigned to the 49th Fighter Wing became operational at Holloman AFB, New Mexico, in June 2008.[189] In 2014, Holloman F-22s and their support personnel were reassigned to the reactivated 95th Fighter Squadron at Tyndall AFB.[190] Defense Secretary Gates initially refused to deploy F-22s to the Middle East in 2007;[191] the type made its first deployment in the region at Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE in 2009.

text: In April 2012, F-22s have been rotating into Al Dhafra, less than 200 miles from Iran;[192][193] the Iranian defense minister referred to the deployment as a security threat.[194] In March 2013, the USAF announced that an F-22 had intercepted an Iranian F-4 Phantom II that approached within 16 miles of an MQ-1 Predator flying off the Iranian coastline.[169]

text: In June 2014, F-22s from the 199th Fighter Squadron of the Hawaii Air National Guard were deployed to Malaysia to participate in the Cope Taufan 2014 exercise conducted by the USAF Pacific Air Forces and Royal Malaysian Air Force.[195]

text: On 22 September 2014, F-22s performed the type's first combat sorties during the American-led intervention in Syria; aircraft dropped 1,000-pound GPS-guided bombs on Islamic State targets near Tishrin Dam.[196][197] By January 2015, the F-22 accounted for three percent of Air Force sorties during Operation Inherent Resolve.[198] General Mike Hostage of ACC said that the aircraft performed "flawlessly" during this deployment.[199] Between September 2014 and July 2015, F-22s flew 204 sorties over Syria, dropping 270 bombs at some 60 locations.[200] On 23 June 2015, a pair of F-22s performed the aircraft's first close air support (CAS) mission after receiving a short-notice request for airstrikes in close proximity to friendly forces.[201] These strike notwithstanding, the F-22's main role in the operation was gathering intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.[202]

text: In late 2014, the USAF was testing a rapid deployment concept involving four F-22s and one C-17 for support, first proposed in 2008 by two F-22 pilots. The goal was for the type to be able to set up and engage in combat within 24 hours.[203][204] Four F-22s were deployed to Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany in August and Lask Air Base in Poland and Amari Air Base in Estonia in September 2015 to train with NATO allies.[205]

text: On 19 August 2016, two F-22s intercepted two Syrian Su-24 strike aircraft over Hasakah, Syria, following SyAAF attacks on U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in and around the city.[206] In November 2017, F-22s operating alongside B-52s bombed opium production and storage facilities in Taliban-controlled regions of Afghanistan[207] in the Raptor's first usage in the country.[208]

text: F-22s participated in the U.S. strikes on pro-government forces in eastern Syria on 7 February 2018.[209][210][211]

text: Maintenance and training[edit]

text: F-22 aircraft were available for missions 62% of the time on average in 2004 and 70% in 2009.[63][212] The rate was at 63% in 2015.[213] Early on, the F-22 required more than 30 hours of maintenance per flight hour and a total cost per flight hour of $44,000; by 2008 it was reduced to 18.1, and 10.5 by 2009; lower than the Pentagon's requirement of 12 maintenance hours per flight hour.[214] When introduced, the F-22 had a Mean Time Between Maintenance (MTBM) of 1.7 hours, short of the required 3.0; in 2012 this rose to 3.2 hours.[63] By 2013, the cost per flight hour was $68,362, over three times as much as the F-16.[215] In 2014, the F-22 fleet required 43 maintenance man-hours per flight hour.[213]

text: Each aircraft requires a month-long packaged maintenance plan (PMP) every 300 flight hours.[212] The stealth system, including its radar absorbing metallic skin, account for almost one third of maintenance. The canopy was redesigned after the original design lasted an average of 331 hours instead of the required 800 hours.[63] F-22 depot maintenance is performed at Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill AFB, Utah.[216]

text: In January 2007, the F-22 reportedly maintained 97% sortie rate, flying 102 out of 105 tasked sorties while amassing a 144-to-zero kill ratio during "Northern Edge" air-to-air exercises in Alaska. According to Lieutenant Colonel Wade Tolliver, squadron commander of the 27th Fighter Squadron, the stealth coatings of the F-22 are more robust than those used in earlier stealth aircraft, being less sensitive to weather and wear and tear.[119] However, rain caused "shorts and failures in sophisticated electrical components" when F-22s were posted to Guam.[217]

text: To reduce operating costs and lengthen the F-22's service life, some pilot training sorties are performed using flight simulators, while the T-38 Talon is used for adversary training.[212] DoD budget cuts led to F-22 demonstration flights being halted in 2013 before resuming in 2014.[218][219] In 2012, it was reported that the F-22's maintenance demands have increased as the fleet aged, the stealth coatings being particularly demanding.[220][221]

text: Operational problems[edit]

text: Operational problems have been experienced and some have caused fleet-wide groundings. Critically, pilots have experienced a decreased mental status, including losing consciousness. There were reports of instances of pilots found to have a decreased level of alertness or memory loss after landing.[222] F-22 pilots have experienced lingering respiratory problems and a chronic cough; other symptoms include irritability, emotional lability and neurological changes.[222] A number of possible causes were investigated, including possible exposure to noxious chemical agents from the respiratory tubing, pressure suit malfunction, side effects from oxygen delivery at greater-than-atmospheric concentrations, and oxygen supply disruptions. Other problems include minor mechanical problems and navigational software failures.[223] The fleet was grounded for four months in 2011 before resuming flight, but reports of oxygen issues persisted.[224]

text: In 2005, the Raptor Aeromedical Working Group, a USAF expert panel, recommended several changes to deal with the oxygen supply issues.[225] In October 2011, Lockheed Martin was awarded a $24M contract to investigate the breathing difficulties.[226] In July 2012, the Pentagon concluded that a pressure valve on flight vests worn during high-altitude flights and a carbon air filter were likely sources of at least some hypoxia-like symptoms. Long-distance flights were resumed, but were limited to lower altitudes until corrections had been made. The carbon filters were changed to a different model to reduce lung exposure to carbon particulates.[227][228] The breathing regulator/anti-g (BRAG) valve, used to inflate the pilot's vest during high G maneuvers, was found to be defective, inflating the vest at unintended intervals and restricting the pilot's breathing.[229] The on-board oxygen generating system (OBOGS) also unexpectedly reduced oxygen levels during high-G maneuvers.[230] In late 2012, Lockheed Martin was awarded contracts to install a supplemental automatic oxygen backup system, in addition to the primary and manual backup.[231] Changes recommended by the Raptor Aeromedical Working Group in 2005 received further consideration in 2012;[232] the USAF reportedly considered installing EEG brain wave monitors on the pilot's helmets for inflight monitoring.[233][234]

text: New backup oxygen generators and filters have been installed on the aircraft. The coughing symptoms have been attributed to acceleration atelectasis ("collapse or closure of a lung resulting in reduced or absent gas exchange"), which may be exacerbated by the F-22's high performance. The presence of toxins and particles in some ground crew was deemed to be unrelated.[235] On 4 April 2013, the distance and altitude flight restrictions were lifted after the F-22 Combined Test Force and 412th Aerospace Medicine Squadron determined that breathing restrictions on the pilot were responsible as opposed to an issue with the oxygen provided.[236][237][238]

text: Variants[edit]

text:
YF-22A – pre-production technology demonstrator for ATF demonstration/validation phase; two were built.
F-22A – single-seat production version, was designated F/A-22A in early 2000s.
F-22B – planned two-seat variant, canceled in 1996 to save development costs.[239]
Naval F-22 variant – a planned carrier-borne variant of the F-22 with variable-sweep wings for the U.S. Navy's Navy Advanced Tactical Fighter (NATF) program to replace the F-14 Tomcat. Program was canceled in 1993.[239] Former Secretary of the Air Force Donald Rice called the possibility of the naval variant the deciding factor for his choice of the YF-22 over the YF-23.[240]

text: Derivatives[edit]

text: The FB-22 was a proposed medium-range bomber for the USAF.[241] The FB-22 was projected to carry up to 30 Small Diameter Bombs to about twice the range of the F-22A, while maintaining the F-22's stealth and supersonic speed.[242] However, the FB-22 in its planned form appears to have been canceled with the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review and subsequent developments, in lieu of a larger subsonic bomber with a much greater range.[243][244]

text: The X-44 MANTA, or multi-axis, no-tail aircraft, was a planned experimental aircraft based on the F-22 with enhanced thrust vectoring controls and no aerodynamic surface backup.[245] The aircraft was to be solely controlled by thrust vectoring, without featuring any rudders, ailerons, or elevators. Funding for this program was halted in 2000.[246]

text: Operators[edit]

text: United States Air Force

text: Air Combat Command

text: 1st Fighter Wing – Langley Air Force Base, Virginia

text: 53d Wing – Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida

text: 57th Wing – Nellis AFB, Nevada

text: 325th Fighter Wing – Tyndall AFB, Florida

text: Air Force Materiel Command

text: 412th Test Wing – Edwards Air Force Base, California

text: Pacific Air Forces

text: 3d Wing – Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska

text: 15th Wing – Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii

text: Air National Guard

text: 192d Fighter Wing (Associate) – Langley AFB, Virginia

text: 154th Wing – Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii[254]

text: 325th Fighter Wing Associate Unit (also known as Florida Air National Guard Headquarters Detachment 1) – Tyndall AFB, Florida

text: Air Force Reserve Command

text: 44th Fighter Group (Associate) – Tyndall AFB, Florida

text: 477th Fighter Group (Associate) – Elmendorf AFB, Alaska

text: Accidents[edit]

text: In April 1992, the second YF-22 crashed while landing at Edwards AFB. The test pilot, Tom Morgenfeld, escaped without injury. The cause of the crash was found to be a flight control software error that failed to prevent a pilot-induced oscillation.[256]

text: The first F-22 crash occurred during takeoff at Nellis AFB on 20 December 2004, in which the pilot ejected safely before impact.[257] The investigation revealed that a brief interruption in power during an engine shutdown prior to flight caused a flight-control system malfunction;[172][258] consequently the aircraft design was corrected to avoid the problem. Following a brief grounding, F-22 operations resumed after a review.[259]

text: On 25 March 2009, an EMD (Engineering, Manufacturing and Development) F-22 crashed 35 miles (56 km) northeast of Edwards AFB during a test flight, resulting in the death of Lockheed Martin test pilot David P. Cooley. An Air Force Materiel Command investigation found that Cooley momentarily lost consciousness during a high-G maneuver, then ejected when he found himself too low to recover. Cooley was killed during ejection by blunt-force trauma from windblast due to the aircraft's speed. The investigation found no design issues.[260][261]

text: On 16 November 2010, an F-22 from Elmendorf Air Force Base crashed, killing the pilot, Captain Jeffrey Haney. F-22s were restricted to flying below 25,000 feet, then grounded during the investigation.[262] The crash was attributed to a bleed air system malfunction after an engine overheat condition was detected, shutting down the Environmental Control System (ECS) and OBOGS. The accident review board ruled Haney was to blame, as he did not react properly and did not engage the emergency oxygen system.[263] Haney's widow sued Lockheed Martin, claiming equipment defects. She later reached a settlement[264][265] A design flaw with the oxygen system was described in a 2000 document.[266] After the ruling, the engagement handle of the emergency oxygen system was redesigned; the system should engage automatically if OBOGS shuts down due to engine failure.[267] On 11 February 2013, the DoD's Inspector General released a report stating that the USAF had erred in blaming Haney, and that facts did not sufficiently support conclusions; the USAF stated that it stood by the ruling.[268]

text: During a training mission, an F-22 crashed to the east of Tyndall AFB, on 15 November 2012. The pilot ejected safely and no injuries were reported on the ground.[269] The investigation determined that a "chafed" electrical wire ignited the fluid in a hydraulic line, causing a fire that damaged the flight controls.[270]

text: Aircraft on display[edit]

text: EMD F-22A 91-4003 is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.[271]

text: Specifications (F-22A)[edit]

text: Data from USAF,[7] F-22 Raptor Team web site,[272] manufacturers' data,[273][274] Aviation Week,[119] and Journal of Electronic Defense,[127]

text: General characteristics

text:
Crew: 1
Length: 62 ft 1 in (18.92 m)
Wingspan: 44 ft 6 in (13.56 m)
Height: 16 ft 8 in (5.08 m)
Wing area: 840 ft² (78.04 m²)
Airfoil: NACA 64A?05.92 root, NACA 64A?04.29 tip
Empty weight: 43,340 lb (19,700 kg)
Loaded weight: 64,840 lb[275] (29,410 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 83,500 lb (38,000 kg)
Fuel capacity: 18,000 lb (8,200 kg) internally, or 26,000 lb (12,000 kg) with two external fuel tanks
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofans with thrust vectoring in pitch-axis

Dry thrust: 26,000 lb[275] (116 kN) each
Thrust with afterburner: >35,000 lb (>156 kN[N 5][276]) each

text: Performance

text:
Maximum speed:

At altitude: Mach 2.25 (1,500 mph, 2,410 km/h) [estimated][116]
Supercruise: Mach 1.82 (1,220 mph, 1,960 km/h)[116]

Range: >1,600 nmi (1,840 mi, 2,960 km) with 2 external fuel tanks
Combat radius: 460 nmi (with 100 nmi in supercruise) clean[277][N 6] (529 mi, 852 km)
Ferry range: 1,740 nmi (2,000 mi, 3,220 km)
Service ceiling: >65,000 ft (20,000 m)
Wing loading: 77.2 lb/ft² (377 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 1.08
Maximum design g-load: +9.0/−3.0 g[116]

text: Armament

text:
Guns: 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M61A2 Vulcan 6-barrel rotary cannon in right wing root, 480 rounds
Air-to-air mission loadout:

6× AIM-120 AMRAAM
2× AIM-9 Sidewinder

Air-to-ground mission loadout:

2× 1,000 lb (450 kg) JDAM or 8× 250 lb (110 kg) GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs
2× AIM-120 AMRAAM
2× AIM-9 Sidewinder

Hardpoints: 4× under-wing pylon stations can be fitted to carry 600 U.S. gallon (2,270 L) drop tanks or weapons, each with a capacity of 5,000 lb (2,270 kg).[278]

text: Avionics

text:
AN/APG-77 radar or AN/APG-77v1: 125–150 miles (201–241 km) against 1 m2 (11 sq ft) targets (estimated range) for AN/APG-77[119] and 400 km or more against 1 m2 (11 sq ft) targets (estimated range) for AN/APG-77v1 with GaAs modules, while using more narrow beams[132][279]
AN/AAR-56 Missile Launch Detector (MLD)[93]
AN/ALR-94 radar warning receiver (RWR): 250 nmi (463 km) or more detection range[127]
MJU-39/40 flares for protection against IR missiles[280]

text: Notable appearances in media[edit]


document_title: Stocks

question_text: what is the thing called that you put your head and arms in

text: Stocks

text: Form and application[edit]

text: The stocks, pillory, and pranger each consist of large wooden boards with hinges; however, the stocks are distinguished by restraining one's feet.

text: The stocks consist of placing boards around the ankles and wrists, whereas in the pillory the boards are fixed to a pole and placed around the arms and neck, forcing the punished to stand.

text: Some consider the stocks an example of torture and cruel and unusual punishment.[citation needed] Victims may be insulted, kicked, tickled, spat on, or subjected to other inhumane acts. In the Bible, the treatment of Paul and Silas, disciples of Jesus, was detailed in the Acts of the Apostles: "Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks."[1] The Old Testament's book of Job also describes the stocks, referring to God:

text: The stocks were employed by civil and military authorities from medieval to early modern times including Colonial America. Public punishment in the stocks was a common occurrence from around 1500 until at least 1748.[3] The stocks were especially popular among the early American Puritans, who frequently employed the stocks for punishing the "lower class".[4]

text: In the American colonies, the stocks were also used, not only for punishment, but as a means of restraining individuals awaiting trial.[5]

text: The offender would be exposed to whatever treatment those who passed by could imagine. This could include tickling of the feet. As noted by the New York Times in an article dated November 13, 1887, "Gone, too, are the parish stocks, in which offenders against public morality formerly sat imprisoned, with their legs held fast beneath a heavy wooden yoke, while sundry small but fiendish boys improved the occasion by deliberately pulling off their shoes and tickling the soles of their defenseless feet."[6]

text: England's Statute of Labourers 1351 prescribed the use of the stocks for "unruly artisans" and required that every town and village erect a set of stocks. Sources indicate that the stocks were used in England for over 500 years and have never been formally abolished.[7]

text: Finger pillories often went by the name of "finger stocks". Public stocks were typically positioned in the most public place available, as public humiliation was a critical aspect of such punishment. Typically, a person condemned to the stocks was subjected to a variety of abuses, ranging from having refuse thrown at them, tickling to paddling, whipping of the unprotected feet (bastinado).

text: Their last recorded use in the United Kingdom was in 1872 at either Adpar, Newcastle Emlyn, west Wales[8] or Newbury, Berkshire, England (11 June).[9]

text: In Toronto, Ontario, Canada, court records from 1811 required the building of a set of stocks for punishment.[10] The Spanish conquistadores introduced stocks as a popular form of punishment and humiliation against those who impeded the consolidation of their settlements in the new world. They were still used in the 19th century in Latin America to punish indigenous miners in many countries for rebelling against their bosses.

text: Modern usage[edit]

text: United States[edit]

text: American courts normally punish offenders by sentencing them to incarceration in jail or prison or to probation, which may include community service.

text: In United States v. Gementera, (2004) the defendant was convicted of mail theft and sentenced, among other measures, to stand in front of a post office for eight hours wearing a sandwich board that read: "I stole mail. This is my punishment."[11] The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld this sentence, finding that the district court did not impose it solely for the purpose of humiliation, but also to serve the criminal-justice goals of deterrence and rehabilitation.[11] The Ninth Circuit further found that the alternative sentence did not violate the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment because it was "within the limits of civilized standards" and was not coupled with a lengthy prison sentence.[11]

text: In 1989 the Arkansas town of Dermott passed a curfew law punishable by up to thirty days in jail for the offender and up to two days in the stocks for the offender's parents.[12] The city almost immediately removed the stockade punishment because, among other things, the city did not have a stockade and had allocated no funds to build one.[13]

text: United Kingdom[edit]

text: The British town of Thame made international headlines in 2016 when it took up a proposal to build stocks in the town. Introduced by Councillor David Bretherton, the stocks would be used for hire and for charitable events. As noted by Bretherton, "Perhaps for charity we could do something like that, get people in the stocks and have others donate money for the time they last while having their feet tickled.” [14] Bretherton noted that the stocks were still legal in England. It is not believed that the stocks would be used for actual punishment purposes. Currently, further study of the topic is ongoing.[15]

text: Colombia[edit]

text: In Colombia in 2012, married thirty-four-year-old Alfreda Blanco Basilio and her eighteen-year-old lover Luis Martinez were placed in stocks by the Sampues tribe in Colombia due to Basilio's adultery. Basilio spent 72 hours barefoot in the stocks for her offense.[16]

text: Examples[edit]

text: An excellent example of stocks can be seen in Dromore, County Down, in Northern Ireland. They are occasionally preserved in churches though as wooden devices they are naturally subject to rotting and decay.