YF-22 No. 2 Flies More
21 January 1992: PAV-2 sorties surpass the total sorties flown in PAV-1 during dem/val with forty-four flights completed during the two flight test phases. During this second phase of flight testing, the YF-22 is KC-10 tanker qualified.
First Cut - Boeing
8 December 1993: Albert Ferara, a milling machine operator at Boeing Defense and Space Group in Kent, Washington, begins fabricating the first part of the first flyable F-22. The part, which is made of titanium, is one of eight forward boom keelson panels that will comprise one section of the aft fuselage.
First Part - Lockheed
6 October 1994: Charles Wilkey, a milling machine operator at Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Company in Marietta, Georgia, begins fabricating the first part Lockheed is building for the first flyable F-22. The aluminum part is an engine inlet duct frame segment.
Photo by John Rossino
First Composite Part - Lockheed Fort Worth
December 1994: Lockheed Fort Worth Company in Fort Worth, Texas, begins fabricating the first graphite composite parts for the first mid fuselage of the first flyable F-22. Also, Pratt & Whitney’s F119 test engine FX622 completes high-cycle fatigue testing at West Palm Beach, Florida.
Assembly Begins - Marietta
2 November 1995: Assembly of the first flyable F-22 begins at Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems in Marietta as workers load parts for the nose landing gear wheel well into an assembly fixture.
Photo by John Rossino
Forward Fuselage Mate—Marietta
Spring 1996. The front half of the forward fuselage for the first F-22 is lowered into the mate tool in Marietta, Georgia.
Photo by John Rossino
F-22 First Mate - Marietta
6 September 1996: The mid fuselage for the first flyable F-22 (first called Ship 1, then later called 4001 to denote its company construction number) arrives in Marietta after a three-day truck trip from Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems in Fort Worth. Forward-to-mid fuselage mate operations then begin. The fuselage comes complete with a Texas state flag draped over it.
Photo by John Rossino
F-22 First Aft Fuselage Delivery
16 October 1996: The aft fuselage for the first flyable F-22 arrives in Marietta and mate operations begin. The aft fuselage, which had a Washington state flag draped over it, is flown from Seattle on board a C-5 Galaxy.
Photo by John Rossino
First F-22 Rolls Out Of Factory
6 March 1997: The first F-22, now nearly complete, is towed from the final assembly area in the B-1 building at Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems in Marietta to the newly constructed B-22 engine noise attenuation facility (called a hush house) where it will undergo fueling operations and engine runs.
Photo by John Rossino
F-22 Official Debut
9 April 1997: Dubbed The Spirit of America, the first F-22 is publicly unveiled in ceremonies at Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems in Marietta. During the ceremony, the fighter is given its official nickname—Raptor. Click on the image to see it full frame.
Photo by John Rossino
YF-22 Makes Nellis Appearance
25–26 April 1997: The YF-22 prototype that had been used as an engineering tool in Marietta is displayed at the Air Force’s Golden Air Tattoo at Nellis AFB, Nevada. The aircraft is shown in the colors and marking of the Air Force’s Fighter Weapons School. It is later delivered to the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
F-22 Flying Test Bed Arrives
June 1997: The Flying Test Bed, the converted 757 airliner that will be used to support F-22 avionics development, arrives in Seattle. The aircraft, which had been modified in Wichita, Kansas, sports an F-22 integrated into its forebody.
