Boeing to make USAF F-22 replacements

[Maxmars]

Boeing will build the US Air Force’s next air superiority fighter

Today, it emerged that Boeing has won its bid to supply the United States Air Force with its next jet fighter. As with the last fighter aircraft design procurement in recent times, the Department of Defense was faced with a choice between awarding Boeing or Lockheed the contract for the Next Generation Air Dominance program, which will replace the Lockheed F-22 Raptor sometime in the 2030s.

Very little is known about the NGAD, which the Air Force actually refers to as a "family of systems," as its goal of owning the skies requires more than just a fancy airplane. The program has been underway for a decade, and a prototype designed by the Air Force first flew in 2020, breaking records in the process (although what records and by how much was not disclosed).

Last summer, the Pentagon paused the program as it reevaluated whether the NGAD would still meet its needs and whether it could afford to pay for the plane, as well as a new bomber, a new early warning aircraft, a new trainer, and a new ICBM, all at the same time. But in late December, it concluded that, yes, a crewed replacement for the F-22 was in the national interest.

So goodbye F-22!



She served like so many before her...

The brush to the pilot's art!

There are no images of what's to come that I have access to.... anyone... anyone?

[Zaphod58]

Boeing will build the US Air Force’s next air superiority fighter

Today, it emerged that Boeing has won its bid to supply the United States Air Force with its next jet fighter. As with the last fighter aircraft design procurement in recent times, the Department of Defense was faced with a choice between awarding Boeing or Lockheed the contract for the Next Generation Air Dominance program, which will replace the Lockheed F-22 Raptor sometime in the 2030s.

Very little is known about the NGAD, which the Air Force actually refers to as a "family of systems," as its goal of owning the skies requires more than just a fancy airplane. The program has been underway for a decade, and a prototype designed by the Air Force first flew in 2020, breaking records in the process (although what records and by how much was not disclosed).

Last summer, the Pentagon paused the program as it reevaluated whether the NGAD would still meet its needs and whether it could afford to pay for the plane, as well as a new bomber, a new early warning aircraft, a new trainer, and a new ICBM, all at the same time. But in late December, it concluded that, yes, a crewed replacement for the F-22 was in the national interest.

So goodbye F-22!

[Image: https://theaviationist.com/wp-content/up...06x461.jpg]

She served like so many before her...

The brush to the pilot's art!

There are no images of what's to come that I have access to.... anyone... anyone?

There are no complete images released. What we’ve seen so far look like a combination of the X-36, and the YF-118G Bird of Prey.

[pianopraze]

F47 flying secretly for 5 years according to Trump, I presume that was test flights:Link

[pianopraze]

No clue if this is verified, so take this one with heavy scepticism:

[Zaphod58]

F47 flying secretly for 5 years according to Trump, I presume that was test flights:Link

[Image: https://denyignorance.com/uploader/images/F47.png]

The demonstrator has been flying for five years. A demonstrator can be anything from another airframe with systems loaded, to something that looks like a smaller version of the production aircraft with all the systems on board.

[Zaphod58]

No clue if this is verified, so take this one with heavy scepticism:
[Image: https://denyignorance.com/uploader/images/Xf47.png]

There’s no way to know until they roll it out.

[EXETER]

The demonstrator has been flying for five years. A demonstrator can be anything from another airframe with systems loaded, to something that looks like a smaller version of the production aircraft with all the systems on board.

That's true, but in this case super-cruise is such an integral part of the mission concept for this bird that I have to think they would have demonstrated that part of the technology.  That would require an airframe designed for low drag at about Mach 3 while maintaining all the low observables and the jet engine that would power it. I can't believe they would commit to a program of this magnitude without having demonstrated the basic aerodynamic performance. I agree that could be a somewhat smaller version of the production aircraft.

[Maxmars]

This (predictably) just surfaced - thank you algorithms

[Avicula]

“That would require an airframe designed for low drag at about Mach 3 while maintaining all the low observables and the jet engine that would power it.”

Why would they be required to demonstrate aerodynamics near Mach three for an airplane that very likely isn’t intended to move that quickly? Supercruise just means that the airplane can go faster than 1 mach without AB.

[Zaphod58]

“That would require an airframe designed for low drag at about Mach 3 while maintaining all the low observables and the jet engine that would power it.”

Why would they be required to demonstrate aerodynamics near Mach three for an airplane that very likely isn’t intended to move that quickly? Supercruise just means that the airplane can go faster than 1 mach without AB.

Because they want a dash speed as high as possible. Super cruise is great, but if you can get in or out at a significantly higher speed that’s even better.