| When looking at designing a fighter, many | | | | enemy placed on the tail. Fortunately, the |
| things have to be arranged, specially when | | | | high cruise speed that the F22 Stealth |
| looking at the balance between war power and | | | | Fighter is able to reach without use of the |
| stealth. What makes an aircraft a real | | | | afterburners (main reason that creates a |
| revolution is to find that exact balance | | | | smoke trail) makes it able to fly at high |
| where the both things are complementing each | | | | speed with no signal of its presence. |
| other and this is exactly the case of the F22 | | | | |
| Stealth Fighter. | | | | Together with this problem it comes also the |
| | | | effect of Air Moisture trails. When an |
| Being the Raptor a powerful and lethal flying | | | | aircraft flies at high speed across the air, |
| machine, it has been created with the purpose | | | | it disturbs it with the wings, causing the |
| of being the most stealthy fighter ever made. | | | | moisture to form trails. Some horizontal |
| And the question is: What sort of things need | | | | stabilizers have been located in the aft of |
| to be developed in order to create a stealth | | | | the aircraft and help in the reduction of the |
| plane? | | | | probability to form those trails. |
| | | | |
| In this article I will focus only in how the | | | | A way that was very much used some years ago |
| F22 Stealth Fighter deals with the visual and | | | | to avoid showing your presence in enemy |
| noise detection. Let's define stealth as a | | | | radars has nowadays become a bit obsolete. |
| condition. This condition involves the | | | | This strategy was dangerous, and it consisted |
| different possibilities in which an aircraft | | | | in flying very low following the shape of the |
| can be detected. | | | | terrain in a way that the enemy radar |
| | | | couldn't detect the plane as they confused it |
| One of the points, is that stealth has to | | | | with terrain features such as trees or |
| make the aircraft difficult to detect with | | | | buildings. Actually, radar developments have |
| the naked eyes. When flying at low and mid | | | | overcome this defect, so it is no longer a |
| altitudes, a stealth designed plane that can | | | | valid option, even if sometimes it is still |
| be seen from the ground (something as | | | | used. In any case, this technique used with |
| painting the lower part in red or any similar | | | | the F22 Stealth Fighter would not be |
| barbarism) will of course end up with the | | | | recommended. |
| dream. In order to achieve visual stealth, | | | | |
| the F22 Stealth Fighter has been painted in a | | | | On the other hand, some ground-to-ground |
| light gray color that makes it very easy to | | | | missiles are programmed to follow the shape |
| confuse it with the color of the sky. To | | | | of the terrain until they reach the target in |
| protect it to be seen also from fighters that | | | | a way that they are able to follow valleys |
| could be flying above, a combination of | | | | and hide between mountains, and when the |
| grays, greens and browns is used, also | | | | enemy is alerted they are already over their |
| depending on the kind of terrain where the | | | | heads. |
| plane has to operate. | | | | |
| | | | Going from here, the next stealth condition |
| In relation with the visual detection, there | | | | that has to be accomplished is that the plane |
| are two problems that also need to be solved. | | | | can't make noise. That sounds like |
| One of them is the Smoke Contrails. Powerful | | | | incredible. Two of the most powerful engines |
| engines like the ones that this plane uses | | | | that have been ever placed in a plane that |
| are supposed to produce quantities of smoke | | | | can reach Mach 1.5 without afterburner... And |
| that will follow the route of the plane in | | | | you ask to make them noiseless? Yes. A great |
| the air. This does not only compromise the | | | | effort has been placed in order to make the |
| position of the plane, but it also gives | | | | engines run smoothly while efficiently. Great |
| indirect information on direction and even | | | | exhaust engineer the one that worked with the |
| speed, and reduces the difficulty to follow | | | | F22 Stealth Fighter, I must admit! |
| break maneuvers to escape from a potential | | | | |