YF-22 History

The YF-22 Raptor, serial number 87-0701 (N22YX), emerged from the United States Air Force’s Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, initiated in the early 1980s to counter advanced Soviet fighters like the Su-27 and MiG-29. The ATF aimed to produce a next-generation air superiority fighter combining stealth, supercruise ability, and advanced avionics. In 1986, the Air Force selected Lockheed (teamed with Boeing and General Dynamics) and Northrop (with McDonnell Douglas) to develop competing prototypes: the YF-22 and YF-23, respectively. Lockheed’s Skunk Works, renowned for the SR-71 and F-117, led the YF-22’s design at its Palmdale, California facility. The YF-22 program was a high-stakes effort, with the winner securing a contract to replace the F-15 Eagle. Development faced intense pressure to balance stealth with aerodynamic performance, requiring innovations like thrust-vectoring engines and radar-absorbent materials. By 1990, two YF-22 prototypes were built, with 87-0701 (PAV-2) powered by Pratt & Whitney YF119 engines, making its first flight on October 30, 1990, piloted by Thomas Morgenfeld.

The YF-22’s development was marked by rapid prototyping and rigorous testing at Edwards Air Force Base, where PAV-2 demonstrated supercruise (sustained supersonic flight without afterburners), high angle-of-attack maneuvers, and internal weapons bay functionality. Unlike the sleeker, stealthier YF-23, the YF-22 emphasized maneuverability, thanks to its 2D thrust-vectoring nozzles, which allowed precise control during dogfights. Lockheed’s team refined the airframe through computational fluid dynamics and wind tunnel testing, though the YF-22’s design differed from the production F-22 with features like a more forward cockpit and larger vertical stabilizers. The ATF competition culminated in April 1991, when the Air Force selected the YF-22 over the YF-23 for its superior agility and growth potential. This victory led to the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase, where Lockheed, Boeing, and Pratt & Whitney (now part of RTX Corporation) evolved the YF-22 into the F-22 Raptor, incorporating a redesigned radome, adjusted wing sweep, and enhanced avionics. PAV-2’s test data was critical in shaping these refinements, though the prototype itself was retired and stored at Rome Laboratory, New York, after the competition.

Lockheed Martin, formed after Lockheed’s 1995 merger with Martin Marietta, became the primary contractor for the F-22 Raptor, with Boeing handling wing and aft fuselage production and Pratt & Whitney supplying the F119-PW-100 engines. The F-22 program faced challenges, including cost overruns and debates over its relevance post-Cold War, but it delivered the world’s first operational fifth-generation fighter in 2005. The YF-22’s legacy, embodied by 87-0701, lies in its role as a proof-of-concept for technologies that defined modern air combat: stealth, sensor fusion, and unmatched maneuverability. Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works solidified its reputation for pushing aerospace boundaries, building on the YF-22’s success to influence later projects like the F-35. For aviation enthusiasts and historians, N22YX represents a pivotal moment when engineering ambition met strategic necessity, giving rise to a fighter that remains unmatched in air superiority.