The F-22 Raptor combines composite materials, radar-absorbing geometry and thrust vectoring to deliver stealth and extreme manoeuvrability. Technical analysis.
Summary
The F-22 Raptor is one of the most advanced fighter aircraft ever built. Its structure incorporates a unique combination of stealthy geometric shapes, radar-absorbing composite materials and aerodynamic technologies that optimise manoeuvrability without compromising stealth. Its fuselage, composed of more than 40% titanium and 25% composites, minimises radar signature and improves mechanical strength. The integrated wing-fuselage design reduces drag and amplifies lift. Thrust vectoring nozzles enable manoeuvres that are impossible for a conventional aircraft. Every element, from the air intakes to the weapon bays, is designed to scatter or absorb electromagnetic waves, ensuring that the F-22 is partially invisible to radar while maintaining superior performance at speeds above Mach 2.
An integrated design focused on radar stealth
The F-22’s stealth is primarily based on its structural design. The aircraft is not an assembly of discrete parts: it is designed as a coherent whole. Its architecture is based on a continuous surface principle, where joints and edges are aligned to reflect radar waves away from their source. Each panel of the airframe is machined to tolerances of around a tenth of a millimetre in order to eliminate any geometric discontinuities.
The main shapes — wing leading edges, stabilisers, air intakes — follow multiple angles of 15 to 25 degrees, known as edge alignment. These angles create a dispersion of the radar signal rather than a direct reflection back to the transmitter. The elongated nose of the F-22, which houses the AN/APG-77 radar, is profiled to avoid frontal echoes. The canopy, made of polycarbonate coated with a thin layer of indium oxide and gold, masks radar emissions from the cockpit and reduces the infrared signature by partially reflecting the sun’s heat.
The trapezoidal air intakes play a crucial role. Their S-shaped geometry prevents any direct visibility of the turbine blades from the outside, the main weakness of conventional aircraft. Inside, radar-absorbing material (RAM) lines the ducts. This combination reduces the radar cross-section (RCS) to less than 0.0001 m², or the size of a metal ball, according to open estimates.
The role of materials in signature reduction
The F-22 combines metallic and composite materials in proportions never before seen in a fighter aircraft. Approximately 39% titanium, 24% polymer matrix composites, 16% aluminium and the rest in steels and various other materials. This choice optimises mass, rigidity and electromagnetic stealth.
Titanium offers exceptional resistance to high temperatures, particularly around the propulsion areas where temperatures exceed 400°C. Its electrical conductivity, which is better controlled than that of aluminium, helps to stabilise the electromagnetic behaviour of the airframe. Composites (mainly carbon fibre and cyanate ester resin) absorb some of the radar waves and limit corrosion. They also reduce the total mass, estimated at 19,700 kg empty for a total thrust of 156 kN (2 × F119-PW-100).
The outer skin incorporates several RAM layers, some thermoplastic, others thermosetting, applied in the form of conductive paint. These layers absorb up to 80% of the radar energy incident on the most sensitive frequencies (X and Ku bands). These materials, which are expensive and delicate to maintain, explain the high maintenance cost of the F-22 — each hour of flight requires several hours of surface inspection.
An aerodynamic airframe designed for manoeuvrability
The structure of the F-22 is not only designed for stealth: it also determines its manoeuvrability. The design is that of an integrated wing-fuselage, inspired by the delta wing, but with independent moving surfaces. This configuration, called a blended wing body, allows for a harmonious distribution of aerodynamic loads and increased lift. The lift-to-drag ratio (L/D) reaches values of 9 to 10 in supersonic flight, a record for a stealth fighter.
The quadruple-redundant electric flight controls continuously adjust the angle of attack, control surfaces and trailing edge surfaces to maintain stability. The F-22 remains controllable even at angles of attack greater than 60 degrees, where most aircraft stall. The two vertical fins, inclined at 29°, contribute to lateral stability and reduce radar reflection.
The design also incorporates a high degree of weight distribution optimisation. The internal fuel tanks, housed in the fuselage, hold more than 8,200 litres, providing a range of over 850 kilometres in air-to-air configuration without refuelling. The absence of external fuel tanks — which would increase the radar signature — is offset by superior aerodynamic efficiency and a climb rate of 315 m/s.
Vector thrust: the key to extreme manoeuvrability
One of the distinctive features of the F-22 Raptor is its two-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles, mounted on each Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 engine. These nozzles, which can be rotated ±20° on the pitch axis, change the direction of the exhaust flow, giving the aircraft unprecedented manoeuvrability.
During tight turns or close combat, the system allows the nose to be quickly reoriented without altering speed. Coupled with a thrust-to-weight ratio greater than 1.08, the F-22 can perform post-stall manoeuvres, such as the Cobra or J-turn. This extreme mobility allows the pilot to maintain kinematic advantage, even at subsonic speeds, and to reposition the AN/APG-77 main radar more quickly towards a target.
The F119 provides approximately 156 kN of thrust in afterburner mode, with an architecture that reduces infrared drag thanks to a cooler and more homogeneous flow. This reduction in IR signature complements the overall stealth design: the gases are mixed with cold air before exit, lowering the temperature by several tens of degrees.
Internal weapon bays and hatches: stealth in motion
The F-22’s structure incorporates three internal weapon bays. Two side bays each house an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile, while the main bay under the fuselage can hold up to six AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles or two 450 kg laser-guided bombs. These hatches open and close in less than a second to minimise radar exposure.
The mechanism, which is entirely hydraulic, is designed to withstand supersonic stresses without compromising stability. The internal surfaces of the hatches are also covered with radar-absorbing materials. This system maintains a minimal radar signature even in firing configuration, unlike conventional multi-role fighters that carry external loads.
Each maintenance or fuel flap follows the same principle: flush fasteners, chamfered edges, and angular alignment to avoid any direct radar return. The slightest surface deviation is measured and corrected at each inspection.
The balance between stealth and aerodynamic performance
The main challenge in designing the F-22 was to balance electromagnetic stealth and aerodynamic performance. A highly stealthy aircraft is often penalised by shapes that are unfavourable to lift. Lockheed Martin engineers solved this paradox by using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) flow models with a level of accuracy that was unprecedented at the time.
The modified delta wing, combined with a lifting fuselage, creates a prolonged laminar flow that reduces drag by 20% compared to a conventional wing. The movable leading edges adjust the angle of attack according to the flight regime, maintaining lift while controlling the radar signature. Active stability control, via flight computers, compensates for the slight natural instability of the airframe, typical of modern fighters.
Thus, despite its stealth capabilities, the F-22 remains one of the few aircraft capable of supersonic cruise without afterburners (supercruise) at Mach 1.8 over more than 150 kilometres, an energy feat directly linked to the aerodynamic finesse of its structure.
Architecture that is still ahead of its time
Twenty years after entering service, the structural design of the F-22 remains a benchmark for all stealth fighter programmes. Advances in additive manufacturing and new thermoplastic composites aim to replicate its performance at a lower cost, but few aircraft still match its balance of stealth, lift and vector control.
The aircraft embodies the fusion of materials science, flight physics and radar technology. Every surface, every angle, every joint contributes to a single goal: to be seen as late as possible and to manoeuvre as quickly as possible. In a context where passive detection and multistatic radars are advancing, the F-22 Raptor reminds us that stealth is not just a coat of paint, but structural engineering thought out down to the smallest detail.
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