Last F-22

seabee1526 · **Joined:** Fri Sep 26, 2008 6:18 pm **Posts:** 459

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/12/13/last-f-22-raptor-rolls-off-assembly-line/

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Tue Dec 13, 2011 2:38 pm

The end already!

Flagon · **Joined:** Fri Jan 08, 2010 8:32 am **Posts:** 74

Going to be next warbird (sorry,i couldn't resist it).

P51Mstg · **Joined:** Tue Jan 25, 2005 11:36 am **Posts:** 1202

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lockheedma ... 407235831/

Photos here.... John Slemp from Atlanta went to the event.... Interesting that LM wouldn't let the press shoot pictures... Oh well at there are some on line...

Mark H

Chappie · **Joined:** Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:40 am **Posts:** 987

How many of these jets were built? Less than 200? Just about as rare as an L-88 Corvette. That's a long, long way from 15,000 B-24s or the 4,500+ and counting F-16s.

Chappie

P51Mstg · **Joined:** Tue Jan 25, 2005 11:36 am **Posts:** 1202

I think the number on the last one was 195. I'd seen 187 total as a number quoted before, so I'd assume the 195 include prototypes, etc.... However unlike L-88s, you don't have to worry about if its real or not.....

Mark H

seaknight15 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 13, 2011 9:04 pm

P51Mstg wrote:

I think the number on the last one was 195. I'd seen 187 total as a number quoted before, so I'd assume the 195 include prototypes, etc.... However unlike L-88s, you don't have to worry about if its real or not.....

Mark H

My 76 L-48 you don't have to worry about anything cause it cant get out of it's own way.

P51Mstg · **Joined:** Tue Jan 25, 2005 11:36 am **Posts:** 1202

I've got a 2004 C-5 Auto.... I can say this, the L-48 was about the lowest performance Corvette of all time.... That year it seems like Car & Driver started their fastest cars test.... The Corvette was barely first and a Dodge Aspen with a 360 and a Chevy 454 Stepside Pickup were right on its tail. It was really an embarrassing time for the country and Chevrolet.... Thank the good Lord for a lack of zinc coated metal and lots of road salt to get rid of these things... At least the Corvette looked nice...

The C-5 (and I need a C-6)... Faster than all the classic muscle cars, top end 175MPH (and you can actually go that fast), handles like its on rails, rides nice, easy to get in and out of (no big door sills), lots of leg and foot room with the rear transmission, 100,000 between tuneups, 7500 mile oil changes, near 30 MPG at 65 MPH, and you can hear the radio... I really love it.

Mark H

L2Driver · **Posted:** Wed Dec 14, 2011 7:03 am

They should base the F-22s alongside the Bone (B-1) so we can keep all our very expensive, always broken/grounded, novelty planes in one place. Label them as "too expensive to use".

Pretty sad how far the USAF has fallen with regards to numbers of aircraft.
F-117 -- ~59 copies
F-22 -- ~185 copies
B-2 -- ~20 copies
B-1B -- ~100 copies

Compared with ~700 A-10s, ~1200 F-15s, ~750 B-52s, ~4500 F-16s, ~1500 F-18s, ~2300 C-130s, etc.

The B-52 is projected to still be in service until 2040 -- meaning it will likely outlast every one of the above with the possible exception of the C-130.

mike furline · **Joined:** Wed May 05, 2004 3:45 pm **Posts:** 2634

And going along with the vette theme, a 70 & 91.

Chappie · **Joined:** Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:40 am **Posts:** 987

L2Driver wrote:

They should base the F-22s alongside the Bone (B-1) so we can keep all our very expensive, always broken/grounded, novelty planes in one place. Label them as "too expensive to use".

Pretty sad how far the USAF has fallen with regards to numbers of aircraft.
F-117 -- ~59 copies
F-22 -- ~185 copies
B-2 -- ~20 copies
B-1B -- ~100 copies

Compared with ~700 A-10s, ~1200 F-15s, ~750 B-52s, ~4500 F-16s, ~1500 F-18s, ~2300 C-130s, etc.

The B-52 is projected to still be in service until 2040 -- meaning it will likely outlast every one of the above with the possible exception of the C-130.

Another point about all the above aircraft is that they are deployable. Has the Raptor made a combat deployment yet? Althoough they did go to Okinawa no?

furline- great looking Vettes. We have a red '79 L48, that my wife has owned since 1983. Original motor long gone though and because of that and it has a BowTie Overdrives 700R4 installed, it will get out of its own way and chirp the tires on the 1-2 upshift.

I need to get on photobucket so I can post pictures. Is it a pain to do that?

Chappie

K5DH · **Posted:** Wed Dec 14, 2011 9:15 am

Okay, okay... since we're showing our Corvette pictures, here's a shot of Cindy's '71 convertible with VIN-matching LS-5 454 and TH400. It has every option except A/C and the turbine wheel covers. Sadly, it's a color-change car. Original color was Brands Hatch Green (which was similar to the Mustang in the photo), but the previous owner painted it Porsche Guards Red. We can't justify the cost of stripping it and repainting, so the purists will have to live with it. The interior had been changed from Dark Saddle to Black, but I've changed most of it back to the correct color.

And now, back to the real topic. The F-22 is certainly not without its faults. But, can you name any aircraft that was so technologically advanced for its time which didn't have some issues? It's definitely an awesome fighting machine with capabilities that would have been straight out of a science fiction novel back when I was a kid. I got to see a full-on Raptor air show demo last year. Damnedest thing I've ever seen! Its maneuverability and power just blew me away. I don't know if we'll ever really need the Raptor's dogfighting capabilities in a big-time air-to-air combat situation, but if that time comes, I suspect it'll take down any and all challengers, especially in the hands of the best-trained pilots in the world (my highly-biased, unapologetic, Red, White, 'n Blue opinion!).

mike furline · **Joined:** Wed May 05, 2004 3:45 pm **Posts:** 2634

Chappie wrote:

I need to get on photobucket so I can post pictures. Is it a pain to do that?

Chappie

It's free and simple....www.photobucket.com

L2Driver · **Posted:** Wed Dec 14, 2011 12:28 pm

k5dh wrote:

And now, back to the real topic. The F-22 is certainly not without its faults. But, can you name any aircraft that was so technologically advanced for its time which didn't have some issues? It's definitely an awesome fighting machine with capabilities that would have been straight out of a science fiction novel back when I was a kid. I got to see a full-on Raptor air show demo last year. Damnedest thing I've ever seen! Its maneuverability and power just blew me away. I don't know if we'll ever really need the Raptor's dogfighting capabilities in a big-time air-to-air combat situation, but if that time comes, I suspect it'll take down any and all challengers, especially in the hands of the best-trained pilots in the world (my highly-biased, unapologetic, Red, White, 'n Blue opinion!).

The B-70 comes to mind. Stellar aircraft but it was an airframe in search of a mission. Same with the then AH-56 Cheyenne. The B-1? Another very expensive airplane in search of a mission. V-22? Extremely cool but worth the $$?
We're broke so the cost of keeping the logistical tail alive for so few airplanes is debatable, regardless of the capabilities. What good is our super, uber-fighter if it stays home because we're too afraid it might somehow be lost/compromised?

Mike · **Joined:** Tue May 04, 2004 8:54 am **Posts:** 3331

k5dh wrote:

......especially in the hands of the best-trained pilots in the world (my highly-biased, unapologetic, Red, White, 'n Blue opinion!).

And exactly how are they the "best-trained pilots in the world" when they've spent most of the past year grounded? :roll:

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