USAF F-22A Raptor Demo & P-38J Lightning Heritage Flight

The F-22 Raptor is combination of stealth, supercruise, maneuverability, and integrated avionics, coupled with improved supportability, represents an exponential leap in warfighting capabilities. The Raptor performs both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions allowing full realization of operational concepts vital to the 21st century Air Force.

The F-22, a critical component of the Global Strike Task Force, is designed to project air dominance, rapidly and at great distances and defeat threats attempting to deny access to our nation's Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps. The F-22 cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft.

History of the P-38J Lightening

Production of the fastest variant of the P-38 aircraft, the P-38J high-altitude interceptor, began in 1943. The P-38J was used as a long-range escort fighter and performed many roles and tasks, such as dive-bombing, level bombing, ground strafing (the practice of attacking ground targets from low-lying aircraft) and photoreconnaissance missions during World War II. Production of these aircraft ended in 1945 after 3,000 P-38J models had been built. The P-38 enjoyed several ”firsts” in its illustrious career. It was the first fighter with speeds over 400 mph, the first fighter with tricycle landing gear, the first airplane to employ power-boosted flight controls, the first turbo-supercharged fighter to enter squadron service, the first American plane to use butt-jointed, flush-riveted, all-metal external surfaces and the first twin-engine interceptor to enter service in the Air Corps.