The second Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 air-superiority fighter is expected to join the US Air Force test programme at Edwards AFB, California, as early as the end of August following a successful first flight from Marietta, Georgia, on 29 June.
Designated aircraft 4002, the second F-22 flew 11 days ahead of schedule for an initial sortie lasting for 1h 6min. The F-22, flown by programme chief test pilot Paul Metz, reached an altitude of 20,000ft (6,100m) and speeds of up to 250kt (460km/h) during the flight, which included various flying quality tests such as bank-to-bank rolls, handling at various engine settings and landing gear retraction and extension.
Pending further trouble-free shakedown flights, the aircraft will be taken to Edwards in "late August or early September", says the US Air Force. Boeing adds that "-since it flew ahead of schedule, there is a chance it will also enter the test programme earlier". The first aircraft, 4001, has amassed more than 10h of flight time on 11 sorties and "-is performing absolutely fabulously", adds the USAF.
In what the F-22 team is portraying as a significant improvement, Boeing has delivered the aft fuselage section for the third F-22 to Marietta 21 days ahead of schedule and around 15% under budget in terms of man hours. "It shows we're climbing the learning curve, and we're doing it faster than even we thought we would," says the manufacturer, which has revised the production schedule to try to bring the programme back to its original schedule. The third airframe is a non-flying example and will undergo static tests to 150% of its load limit.
Source: Flight International
