How is the F-22 visible to radar in peacetime?

[quid21]

I remember the F-117 used to have boxes bolted on the sides when it needed to be visible during peacetime, but what does the F-22 employ to do this? I've not seen anything in the photos that looks out of place......?

[EGDR]

There's a small cylindrical radar reflector just aft of the weapons bays.

[quid21]

Ah that explains it! Thanks for the info, will look more closely at the photos!

[beefsteak]

The pilot winds the window down, trails a great big banner saying "Here I am girlies, catch me if you can!"

[apgphoto]

Or they just use their transponders! Yes they do have them no they wont appear on tracking sites.

[AndrewBarclay]

http://www.migflug.com/jetflights/p-i-r ... aptor.html Some questions may be answered here by USAF Pilots on recent Red Flags about the capability of F22 and Eurofighter Typhoon.

[thorny1a]

I never normally post my pics as they can't compete with the great photographers on this site..... however for the purpose of the question of this thread, one of mine will suffice!

[vulcan71]

"one fighter which is capable of using the F-22’s weakness is the German Eurofighter Typhoon. This is what i am going to debate in this article".

I haddent realised we were operating German aircraft !

[gyvespa]

It may surprise you to find that it's called the Eurofighter cos it's designed and built all over Europe :-)

Each country builds it's own, Germany should build 143 according to Wikidoodaa (we should make 150).
But, they should all be the same.

In fact if you follow the trail, even bits that you thought were made in a certain country, were in fact supplied by sub contractors in a completely different place.
I speak from experience.

Europe had to be good for something !
Think Tornado, Jaguar, Concorde, etc.

[powerslave]

Thanks for that thorny

Ian

[Stroudy]

I never normally post my pics as they can't compete with the great photographers on this site..... however for the purpose of the question of this thread, one of mine will suffice!

You should post more of your photos by the looks of it. Anything with background as well as subject gets my vote over cropped to the hilt shots with nothing but sky in them!

[Dazza37]

There is a common misconception about 'stealth' aircraft in that they are 'invisible' to radar, they are not. What they are in fact is 'low observable', meaning, unsurprisingly, that they are a lot (a big lot!) less visible to radar, they don't fly around the skies anonymously until the pilot deploys the Pringles can...

-Dazza

[quid21]

There is a common misconception about 'stealth' aircraft in that they are 'invisible' to radar, they are not. What they are in fact is 'low observable', meaning, unsurprisingly, that they are a lot (a big lot!) less visible to radar, they don't fly around the skies anonymously until the pilot deploys the Pringles can...

-Dazza

Indeed, and with those big afterburners, which also apparently create a radar signature, it must be a case of tactics plus low observability.

[Tinker Toy]

There is a fantastic book called: "Stealth Fighter" by Col William B. O'connor which he describes the importance of mission planning and jamming support to fully utilise Stealth. That and many humorous stories from the squadron bar!

[TonyO]

The radar reflector is called a Luneburg Lens. The RAF also use them on 100 Sqn Hawks in order to make radar returns from them larger.

[Vulcanone]

And the Target Facilities Flight Lightning F.1As carried that as well

Tim

[ChrisSk]

F117s weren't invisible. Type 42s tracked them in the Gulf.

[quid21]

I know the F-117 was visible, I guess I should've written 'more visible'. If they were totally visible they wouldn't have needed the bolt on boxes!

[Doughnut]

Last week one of the F-22 landed with the weapons bay doors open. Surely that would be a huge increase in radar cross section giving an enemy vital seconds warning ?
Secondly the weapons bay held a Sidewinder type heat seeking missile, how quickly can this type of missile detect and lock on to a target, or is it somehow slaved to a sensor within the F-22. Further more the port side missile will only view a target from that side it will not have a 180* field of view as per a missile hung from an external launch rail. Guess these issues have been worked out but with the F-35 having similar internal weapons bays the problems will be the same.

[Sparts99]

Last week one of the F-22 landed with the weapons bay doors open. Surely that would be a huge increase in radar cross section giving an enemy vital seconds warning ?
Secondly the weapons bay held a Sidewinder type heat seeking missile, how quickly can this type of missile detect and lock on to a target, or is it somehow slaved to a sensor within the F-22. Further more the port side missile will only view a target from that side it will not have a 180* field of view as per a missile hung from an external launch rail. Guess these issues have been worked out but with the F-35 having similar internal weapons bays the problems will be the same.

I think the aircraft's own IR seekers will preprogramme the missile immediately before launch as to where the target is, after the launch the missile will head that way until it aquires the target for itself. I believe Tornado F3s had that ability in it's last software version for AMRAAMs ?