Lockheed Martin FB-22

Last updated
FB-22
FB-22-4 launching JASSM.jpg
Lockheed Martin art of the FB-22 design as of 2005
Role Stealth bomber
Manufacturer Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Boeing Defense, Space & Security
StatusDesign proposal, canceled
Developed from Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor

The Lockheed Martin/Boeing FB-22 was a proposed stealth bomber aircraft marketed to the United States Air Force. Its design was derived from the F-22 Raptor. Lockheed Martin proposed its unsolicited design as a "regional bomber" to complement the aging U.S. strategic bomber fleet. Lockheed Martin appeared to suspend work on the concept following the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review, which called for a new and much larger strategic Next-Generation Bomber by 2018.

Contents

Design and development

In 2001, Lockheed Martin began studies on the feasibility of the FB-22 as the company sought to leverage the design and capabilities of the F-22 Raptor. Experience gleaned from Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan demonstrated the value of a bomber that could remain in theatre in the absence of surface-to-air missiles. The F-22, while designed as an air superiority fighter, embodied some degree of air-to-ground attack ability. [1]

One primary objective of the internal studies was to exploit the F-22's air-to-ground capability while keeping costs to a minimum. To this end, the company devised several concepts that saw significant structural redesigns with respect to the fuselage and wings, while retaining much of the F-22's avionics. With an early design, Lockheed Martin lengthened and widened the fuselage to increase the internal weapons load; it was later found that doing so would have incurred a cost penalty of 25–30% in weight, materials and development. Instead, the company left the fuselage intact as it enlarged the wing to a more delta shape. [2] [3] The wing, which was around three times that of the F-22, enabled the storage of a much larger amount of weapons and fuel. Various figures give the payload of the FB-22 to be 30 to 35 Small Diameter Bombs; this is compared to the F-22's payload of eight of such 250-pound (110 kg) weapons. Unlike the F-22, the FB-22 was designed to be able to carry bombs up to 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) in size. With stealth, the aircraft's maximum combat load was to have been 15,000 pounds (6,800 kg); without stealth, 30,000 pounds (13,600 kg). [1] [2]

Range was almost tripled from 600 miles (970 km) to more than 1,600 miles (2,600 km), which could have been extended by external fuel tanks. This placed the aircraft in the category of a regional bomber, comparable to that of the F-111, as it was intended to replace the F-15E Strike Eagle and take over some of the missions of the B-1 and B-2. [1] [4] According to Air Force Magazine, the combination of range and payload of the FB-22 would have given the concept a comparable effectiveness to that of the B-2 armed with 2,000-pound (910 kg) bombs. [5] The design could also have been adapted to use a more powerful engine, such as the F-35 Lightning II's Pratt & Whitney F135, or the General Electric/Rolls-Royce F136. [6] While an early FB-22 concept featured no tailplanes, the design incorporated twin tailplanes and likely would have fixed engine nozzles as opposed to the thrust vectoring nozzles on the F-22. [7] The FB-22 was to have a maximum speed of Mach 1.92. [3] Because the aircraft was to emphasize air-to-ground capability while maintaining stealth characteristics, the FB-22 would have lacked dogfighting capability. [5]

One aspect that arose during the early stages of the design process was the consideration that Boeing would be responsible for the final assembly of the aircraft. At the time, Lockheed Martin was making the mid-fuselage at its plant in Fort Worth, Texas, while assembling the F-22 in Marietta, Georgia. However, since Boeing was responsible for the manufacturing of parts of the fuselage and more crucially, the wings—as well as integrating the avionics—it was considered prudent to give final assembly to Boeing. [4]

Other than the wings, the aircraft would have retained much of the design of the F-22. This included 80% of the avionics, software, and flight controls. This commonality would have also significantly reduced the costs of software integration. [1]

In February 2003, during a session with the House Committee on Armed Services, Air Force Secretary James Roche said that he envisioned a force of 150 FB-22s would equip the service. [8] In 2004, Lockheed Martin officially presented the FB-22 to the Air Force to meet its requirement for a potential strategic bomber as an interim solution to become operational by 2018. [9] [10] Because of the work already done on the F-22, the cost of developing the FB-22 was estimated to be as low as 25% of developing a new bomber, [2] with development expected to be US$5–7 billion (2002 dollars), including the airframe cost of US$1 billion (2003 dollars). [4] [11] It was later revealed that six different versions of the bomber were submitted, as targets, payload and range had yet to be defined. [2] In addition, as a stealth bomber, the FB-22 was designed to carry weapons externally while maintaining stealth with the assistance of detachable and faceted pods dubbed "wing weapons bay"; previously, an aircraft could only remain stealthy if it carried its weapons internally. [2] However, the FB-22 in its planned form appears to have been canceled in the wake of the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review and subsequent developments as the Department of Defense favored a strategic bomber with much greater range. [12] [13] [14]

Specifications (FB-22-4, proposed)

Data from Aerofax, [7] Air Force Association [2]

Performance

Armament

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

Citations

Notes

  1. ↑ The modified F119 engines would not be optimized for supercruise. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northrop B-2 Spirit</span> American strategic stealth bomber

The Northrop B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber, is an American heavy strategic bomber, featuring low-observable stealth technology designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses. A subsonic flying wing with a crew of two, the plane was designed by Northrop as the prime contractor, with Boeing, Hughes, and Vought as principle subcontractors, and was produced from 1987 to 2000. The bomber can drop conventional and thermonuclear weapons, such as up to eighty 500-pound class (230 kg) Mk 82 JDAM GPS-guided bombs, or sixteen 2,400-pound (1,100 kg) B83 nuclear bombs. The B-2 is the only acknowledged in-service aircraft that can carry large air-to-surface standoff weapons in a stealth configuration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockwell B-1 Lancer</span> American strategic bomber by Rockwell, later Boeing

The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber used by the United States Air Force. It has been nicknamed the "Bone". It is one of the Air Force's three strategic bombers, along with the B-2 Spirit and the B-52 Stratofortress, as of 2024. Its 75,000-pound payload is the heaviest of any U.S. bomber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk</span> American stealth ground-attack aircraft

The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk is a retired American single-seat, subsonic twin-engine stealth attack aircraft developed by Lockheed's secretive Skunk Works division and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF). It was the first operational aircraft to be designed with stealth technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor</span> American stealth air superiority fighter

The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is an American twin-engine all-weather stealth fighter aircraft developed and produced for the United States Air Force (USAF). As a product of the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program the aircraft was designed as an air superiority fighter, but also incorporates ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence capabilities. The prime contractor, Lockheed Martin, built most of the F-22's airframe and weapons systems and conducted final assembly, while program partner Boeing provided the wings, aft fuselage, avionics integration, and training systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark</span> Family of strike aircraft

The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark is a retired supersonic, medium-range, multirole combat aircraft. Production models of the F-111 had roles that included attack, strategic bombing, reconnaissance and electronic warfare. Aardvark comes from a South African animal that has a long nose and hugs the terrain. It is an Afrikaans word that translates literally as "earth pig" — hence the aircraft's "Pig" nickname during its Australian service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paveway</span> Laser-guided aerial bomb family

Paveway is a series of laser-guided bombs (LGBs).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stealth aircraft</span> Aircraft which use stealth technology to avoid detection

Stealth aircraft are designed to avoid detection using a variety of technologies that reduce reflection/emission of radar, infrared, visible light, radio frequency (RF) spectrum, and audio, all collectively known as stealth technology. The F-117 Nighthawk was the first operational aircraft explicitly designed around stealth technology. Other examples of stealth aircraft include the B-2 Spirit, the B-21 Raider, the F-22 Raptor, the F-35 Lightning II, the Chengdu J-20, and the Sukhoi Su-57.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle</span> American all-weather multirole fighter aircraft

The McDonnell DouglasF-15E Strike Eagle is an American all-weather multirole strike fighter derived from the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. The F-15E was designed in the 1980s for long-range, high-speed interdiction without relying on escort or electronic-warfare aircraft. United States Air Force (USAF) F-15E Strike Eagles can be generally distinguished from other US Eagle variants by darker aircraft camouflage, conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) mounted along the engine intake ramps and a tandem-seat cockpit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northrop YF-23</span> Prototype fighter aircraft for the US Air Force Advanced Tactical Fighter program

The Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23 is an American single-seat, twin-engine, supersonic stealth fighter aircraft technology demonstrator designed for the United States Air Force (USAF). The design team was a finalist in the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) demonstration/validation competition, battling the YF-22 team for the full-scale development contract. Two YF-23 prototypes were built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed Martin X-44 MANTA</span> Conceptual aircraft design by Lockheed Martin

The Lockheed Martin X-44 MANTA was an American conceptual aircraft design by Lockheed Martin that has been studied by NASA and the U.S. Air Force. It was intended to test the feasibility of full yaw, pitch and roll authority without tailplanes. Attitude control relies purely on 3D thrust vectoring. The aircraft design was derived from the F-22 Raptor and featured a stretched delta wing without tail surfaces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II</span> Proposed carrier-based strike aircraft

The General Dynamics/McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II was a proposed American attack aircraft from General Dynamics and McDonnell Douglas. It was to be an all-weather, carrier-based stealth bomber replacement for the Grumman A-6 Intruder in the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Its Avenger II name was taken from the Grumman TBF Avenger of World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Advanced Tactical Fighter</span> USAF demonstration and validation program

The Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) was a program undertaken by the United States Air Force to develop a next-generation air superiority fighter to counter emerging worldwide threats, including Soviet Sukhoi Su-27 and Mikoyan MiG-29 fighters under development in the 1980s, Beriev A-50 airborne warning and control system (AWACS), and increasingly sophisticated surface-to-air missile systems. Lockheed and Northrop were selected in 1986 to respectively develop the YF-22 and the YF-23 technology demonstrator aircraft for the program's demonstration and validation (Dem/Val) phase. These aircraft were evaluated in 1991 and the Lockheed design was selected for full-scale development, or engineering and manufacturing development (EMD), and later developed into the F-22 Raptor for production and operational service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing X-32</span> Multirole combat aircraft prototype by Boeing

The Boeing X-32 is a concept demonstrator aircraft that was designed for the Joint Strike Fighter competition. It lost to the Lockheed Martin X-35 demonstrator, which was further developed into the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed YF-22</span> Prototype fighter aircraft for the US Air Force Advanced Tactical Fighter program

The Lockheed/Boeing/General Dynamics YF-22 is an American single-seat, twin-engine fighter aircraft technology demonstrator designed for the United States Air Force (USAF). The design was a finalist in the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) competition, and two prototypes were built for the demonstration/validation phase of the competition. The YF-22 team won the contest against the YF-23 team for full-scale development, and the design was developed into the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. The YF-22 has a similar aerodynamic layout and configuration as the F-22, but with notable differences in the overall shaping such as the position and design of the cockpit, tail fins and wings, and in internal structural layout.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed P-7</span> 1980s cancelled US patrol aircraft project

The Lockheed P-7 was a four turboprop-engined patrol aircraft ordered by the U.S. Navy as a replacement for the P-3 Orion. The external configuration of the aircraft was to be very similar to that of the P-3. Development had not progressed very much before the program was cancelled in July 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GBU-57A/B MOP</span> American GPS-guided "bunker buster" bomb

The GBU-57A/BMassive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) is a precision-guided, 30,000-pound (14,000 kg) "bunker buster" bomb used by the United States Air Force. It is substantially larger than the deepest-penetrating bunker busters previously available, the 5,000-pound (2,300 kg) GBU-28 and GBU-37.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing B-52 Stratofortress</span> US Air Force strategic bomber (1955–present)

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) since the 1950s, and NASA for over 40 years. The bomber can carry up to 70,000 pounds (32,000 kg) of weapons and has a typical combat range of around 8,800 miles (14,200 km) without aerial refueling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger</span> Unmanned combat aircraft demonstrator built by General Atomics

The General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger is a developmental unmanned combat aerial vehicle built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for the U.S. military.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb</span> American precision-guided glide bomb

The GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) is a 250-pound (110 kg) precision-guided glide bomb that is intended to provide aircraft with the ability to carry a higher number of more accurate bombs. Most US Air Force aircraft will be able to carry a pack of four SDBs in place of a single 2,000-pound (910 kg) bomb. It first entered service in 2006. The Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) was later developed to enable the SDB to be launched from a variety of ground launchers and configurations.

The Lockheed Martin Sea Ghost was a proposal to fulfill the United States Navy's requirement for an Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike aircraft.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Wolfe, Frank (26 April 2002). "Roche: FB-22 Concept Leverages Avionics, Radar Work On F-22". Defense Daily. Vol. 20, no. 214. Archived from the original on 4 January 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Tirpak, John A. (January 2005). "The Raptor as Bomber" (PDF). Air Force Magazine (magazine). 88 (1): 28–33. ISSN   0730-6784. OCLC   5169825 . Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  3. 1 2 Trimble, Stephen (4–10 January 2005). "Lockheed refines FB-22 concept". Flight International . 167 (4966): 12.
  4. 1 2 3 Whittle, Richard (30 July 2002). "Air Force Considers F-22 Bomber; Lockheed Would Be Prime Contractor". Knight Ridder Tribune Business News. Archived from the original on 26 February 2017.
  5. 1 2 Tirpak, John A. (October 2002). "Long Arm of the Air Force" (PDF). Air Force Magazine. 85 (10): 28–34. ISSN   0730-6784. OCLC   5169825 . Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  6. ↑ Sweetman, Bill (12 June 2002). "Smarter Bomber". Popular Science. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
  7. 1 2 Miller 2005, pp. 76–77.
  8. ↑ Cortes, Lorenzo (28 February 2003). "Air Force Leaders Address Potential For 150 FB-22s". Defense Daily. Archived from the original on 5 May 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  9. ↑ Doyle, Andrew; La Franchi, Peter; Morrison, Murdo; Sobie, Brendan (2–8 March 2004). "FB-22 proposed to US Air Force". Flight International . 165 (4923): 21.
  10. ↑ Hebert, Adam J (November 2004). "Long-Range Strike in a Hurry" (PDF). Air Force (magazine). 87 (11): 26–31. ISSN   0730-6784. OCLC   5169825 . Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  11. ↑ Cortes, Lorenzo (10 March 2003). "Air Force Issues Clarification On FB-22, FY '11 Delivery Date Possible". Defense Daily. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  12. ↑ "Quadrennial Defense Review Report" (PDF). U.S. Department of Defense, 6 February 2006. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
  13. ↑ Hebert, Adam J (October 2006). "The 2018 Bomber and Its Friends" (PDF). Air Force Magazine. 89 (10): 24–29.
  14. ↑ "Return of the Bomber, The Future of Long-Range Strike" (PDF). Air Force Association, February 2007. p. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2011.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.