"Scott Ferrin" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 30 Nov 2003 17:44:46 +0200, "Yama"
wrote:
I am sceptical.

Maybe you missed that last line. Paul Metz is the chief test pilot, I
think he'd know.

I'd also think that he is not allowed to distribute still unreleased flight
performance data.

oesn't F-22 have fixed intakes? Speeds over mach 2.0 are
pretty much impossible to attain with fixed intakes.

Despite what much of the media would have you believe fixed inlets
mean zippo.

No, they mean very much. It is certainly POSSIBLE to make a mach2+ plane
with fixed intake, but this will do very bad things to inlet performance in
other speeds (which are considerably more important). All your cited
examples are such cases.

esides, such speeds
require some special materials in radome

The YF-12 of the sixties had a radome that was good for at least Mach
3.2


canopy etc.

The F-15 was originally going to be designed to reach Mach 2.7 but
when they decided to go with the acrilyc canopy they had to back it
off to 2.5. I find it difficult to believe that haven't figure out
how to make one a tad better at high speeds in the past 30 years.

See above. It comes down to what is possible and what is sensible. If
solving problems of Mach2+ flight regarding *serviceable combat aircraft*
was so trivial as you make it sound, each and every modern fighter plane
would go Mach3 or more. Engine thrust has not been a limiting factor in
fighter top speed in like 40 years. In addition to that, F-22 also has
considerable stealth requirements. Radar-absorbing paints for example may
not be very tolerant to high speeds.

What I've seen for F-22 speeds as in combat configuration are mach
1.4-1.5
with supercruise,

It's hit 1.7 that they've released.

In what load configuration?