Most expensive fighter jet

Posted under Money Articles, Science

Most expensive fighter jet

$146 million USD

F-22 “Raptor” – the fifth generation multipurpose fighter developed by Lockheed Martin, Boeing and General Dynamics to replace the F-15 Eagle .

F-22 today is the only fifth-generation armed fighter and the most expensive fighter in the world.

As the main basis of aircraft design was taken the principle of high survivability due to the principle «First look – first kill». For this widely used technology to reduce the visibility («Stealth»). An important characteristic of 5th generation fighter design, that reduces the visibility of the aircraft, is the placement of standard weapons in the inner compartments. F-22 has external fixtures also, but its using affects the low-level-visibility and, in fact, is a compromise step to increase the fighter versatility.

F-22 is equipped with two turbojet bypass engines with Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 afterburners.

As of May 2010 there were 139 USAF armed F-22.

The cost of the aircraft
Read the rest of this entry »