The F-22 Raptor

This fighter is the most recent of the 5th gen fighters.  The aircraft was designed by Lockheed Martin.  Lockheed Martin  The fighter is built to be an air to air combat fighter.  While the most resent F-35 is made for sneak- attacks on buildings. Though each was designed for different purposes; each was designed to replace a certain line of craft.  The F-22 was designed to replace the F-35, the F-18, the F-14, and the Vought LTV A-7 Corsair 2. This plane was designed to carry concealed missiles and weaponry. This created the sense that the plane is not armed. This is not true because at any given moment the craft can open the compartments and position the missiles. The computer can the scan the sky for any planes and determined if they are friend or foe.  If the plane is an enemy, then the computer locks it on and tracks it. If the pilot so chooses, he can press the release button and ignite the missile. The missile then tracks the enemy aircraft through laser guidance or infrared light.  The plane goes BOOM.    The F-22 is  powered by twin Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan engines with two dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles. Pratt & Whitney The engines has small flaps connected to them at the end.  This allows the pilot to direct the flow of the engine.  That enables the craft to turn at steeper angles.  That capability is useful when you are in combat.  Pratt & Whitney  The 0-gravity suits that the military uses were to weak for the F-22.  So they had to design a new type and line of 0-gravity suits.  The engines that the F-22 housed were so powerful that they could make the aircraft hover vertically.  Because of its speed, the pilot's breathing system could not handle it.  They later had to redesign everything that they had done on the helmet.  Later there were no problems.

An Air force F-22 dropping a JAM pod while training. Two F-22 in slant formation. A F-22 entering the sound barrier. The fighter has super cruise speeds over Mach 1.5 without using afterburners.  This increases the survival ratio of the pilot.  Also it decreases the amount of fuel burned up during flight. That will save the US a lot of money, and perhaps more time in the air. I appreciate your viewing of this blog, and I look forward to your comments. The F-22 arment is made to meet anemy fighters in the air.  The fighter's arment includes AIM-120(seen in the picture to the right).  Raytheon AIM-120 missiles are straight line missiles that can hit enemy fighters

F-35

The F-35 is one of the most advanced Joint Strike Fighters available.  It is very Precise in its target acquiring system.  To radar scanners the F-35 is invisible.  That way it can sneak up on its prey to destroy it.  This plane has concealed missiles and bombs.  The cockpit is very sparse in controls.  It has touch screens that show the different instruments. This aircraft is so fast that it is rated to be faster that the F-22.  It has some drawbacks though.  It only has one engine. If that engine catches on fire, then your plane is going down in flames.  Despite its speed it can also hover.  The designers designed it so it would be low cost and very agile. The F-35, thanks to its designers, the plane can take off from a helicopter pad if it wants to.  The plane was designed to be a low-level bomber.  That’s one of the reasons that they made it stealth.  The internal weapon bays can hold 5,000 Lb. bombs.  Though preferably, the plane is equipped -with Pave-way Laser Bombs.  These Bombs can direct themselves to the designated target that the pilot could trace. The aircraft was designed to replace the F-16 which is very out dated. The F-16 is still widely used.  The F-35 was partially made for air refueling. The plane was designed for multiple target acquiring.  The F-35 was also equipped with the longest radar that the States could afford.  The fighter's top speed is 1,299 miles per hour.  Pratt & Whitney Provided the newest engine for the 5th gen fighter. It was called the 100th F135. Pratt & Whitney Lockheed Corporation Skunk Works were the designers of the newest 5th gen fighter. Lockheed Corporation Skunk Works

  The air craft was designed to travel at high altitude, then drop out of the sky and get close to the ground. It then shoots to half throttle towards its target and locks on. It arms a bomb and accelerates to almost Mach. The pilot switches the cockpit HUD to PAVE or CCIP and drops the bomb.  It can not do the same thing with a missile.  If the pilot so chooses to fire a missile; he can not accelerate to that high of a speed.  He must also fire the missile from a higher altitude.  Notice that the cockpit has two joysticks.  That is because one is for piloting the plane, and one is for targeting and dropping bombs and missiles.  The helmet that they are designing for the F-35 is very unique and special.  It has censers that detect body heat and movement.  They can also take pictures and video.  The helmet has built in binoculars that can zoom up to 40x.  Plus the helmet has night and day cameras.  Night cameras use filters and heat censers to focus more light into the lens so that the pilot can see.  Then helmet is also equipped with a built in gas mask.  

Radio controlled planes

    Radio controlled airplanes also called  R/C airplanes are fun to build and fly.  There are many types of R/C airplanes with many different configurations.  For the beginner, you might try buying a kit and learn to build it first.  Then you can learn to fly it, if your kit has all the equipment needed.  Your kit should include the airplane, a 4 channel controller transmitter and receiver, motor with prop, batteries, servos, and a charger.  I have added some pictures below to show a kit and equipment that is needed.

I also have included some pictures that show the different types of R/C airplanes.

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 Once you buy your kit, the fun begins.  It will take many hours of time to build the airplane.  Some kits require you to glue every part,  some just snap together.  Other kits use light wood called balsa wood.  These kits that use balse wood have you cut out all the parts and then glue them together.  Afterwards you must cover the wood airplane in a material that will shrink when you use a hair dryer over the material.  This allows the wind to go over and around the airplane  and most important to fly. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    I like to build the airplane from foam board.  That way I can build any design I think will fly.  If you choose to build your own design you must have all the equipment that I talked about earlier.  A 4 channel transmitter and reciever allows you to use one channel for each thing you need to do to fly the plane.  You need one channel for the motor speed, you need another channel for flaps which makes the plane go up or down.  Another channel is needed for rudder which helps the airplane to go left or right and the last channel is needed for the landing gear to raise and lower the landing gear.  You can buy a 5,6, or 8 channel transmitter and receiver but it will cost much more.  The more channels you have lets you do more with the airplane. 

 

 

When you choose the motor and prop it will depend on the size, wing span, design and weight of the airplane.  You might get some help for this because after you build the airplane it might be too heavy for some motors and props.  If you get a bigger motor you will need a bigger battery which can make the airplane heavier.  I have a small scale to check the weight before I figure out which motor to use. For beginers, I recomend a 140Kv motor. This will work with most planes. If you want to have a  fast and agile plane; then you will have to have a extreamly light plane. For starts, use a 5,000Kv motor with a gear box. You can burn out a motor with that much power. Use a small prop!

 

 

When you begin to fly the airplane you will most likely crash the plane.  This I have found out is what everyone does when they learn to fly these planes.  This is another reason I build my own with foam board.  I can repair the plane or build another and get back to flying.

  You can learn alot from building these airplanes.

I hope you enjoy building and flying your R/C airplane!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cessna 152

             The Cessna 152 is a light and compact aircraft for beginners.  It's main purpose is to teach beginning pilots to learn to fly an airplane.  This aircraft is a small two seater design that is capable of almost flying itself.  The high wing design helps the students to see the runway and ground features without any interference.  These pictures shows a 152 on the ground and one taking off.

The picture below shows the inside of the Cessna 152.  As you can see, there are no modern electronics or glass screens.  This allows students to learn how the gauges work without the help of modern equipment such as GPS.  The modern cockpit is called a glass cockpit which is equiped with GPS and the newest navigational equipment.  Each gauge serves a different purpose.

Cessna 152 cockpit

 






 Most Cessnas have stationary landing gear.If you have retracteble landing gear, then the cost to buy the plane would skyrocket. It would make it alot easier if they have stationary landing gear instead of moveable ones. To make them non-air resistent, they made streamline airfoiles.  The cost of a new Cessna 152 would start around $125,000 and up. The navigational equipment could add $100,000 more.  Retractable landing gear would add another $100,000 to the cost.

If you decide to learn to fly, it would take many hours to earn your private pilots license.  Most instructos will tell you it will take approximately 40 hours at a minimum to get your license.  However, most graduates end up taking between 50 and 60 hours.  Each hour could cost you $150.00 plus the cost of the instructor.  They start you out by flying two to three hours per week.  Each time you fly, they give you ground school for and hour , then you fly for an hour.  Once you receive your private license you can go for additional licenses.  These licenses are called instrument license, cross country license, multiengine license, instructor license, and many more.  These license can cost $10,000 to $20,000 for each license because it depends on the number of hours you need for the license.

I hope this blog helps you understand some of the requirements for the aircraft and the cost to get your private pilot's license.  Thank you for reading my blog.  I will post more information soon.