F-22 Raptor Chronology - 1997
January 1997
The first F119 engine is fit checked into the 4001.
January 21, 1997
Left vertical stabilator is installed in 4001.
February 1997
Building B-22, engine noise attenuation facility (Hush House), is completed.
February 6, 1997
Right vertical stabilator is installed in 4001
February 17, 1997
F119 engine endurance testing is completed.
March 6, 1997
4001, nearly complete, is towed from final assembly
area in B-1 Building to newly constructed Hush House.
March 31, 1997
F119-PW-100 engine is granted Initial Flight Release.
April 9, 1997
Aircraft 4001 is publicly unveiled in rollout ceremonies at Marietta. During the
ceremony, the fighter is christened with its official nickname -- Raptor.
August 7, 1997
Weight Off Wheels (WOW) test completed.
August 16, 1997
Low speed taxi tests conducted.
August 25, 1997
Low speed (up to 60 knots) taxi tests accomplished.
September 3, 1997
Successful engine run completed.
September 4, 1997
Additional engine run to gather additional data points.
September 5, 1997
High speed taxi tests completed; after taxi, engines were inspected and found to
be damage free.
September 7, 1997
Chief Test Pilot Paul Metz made the first flight of an EMD F-22 from Marietta, Ga.
September 14, 1997
Second flight of 4001, piloted by Jon Beesley, F-22 test pilot from LMTAS. Primary
objective was to gather data relative to the Environmental Control System (ECS) primary
heat exchanger inlet performance. Shortly after takeoff, power to the data acquisition
system was lost; remainder of the flight was devoted to familiarization with the
aircraft handling qualities. Total flight time was 35 minutes.
September 16, 1997
Planned third flight cancelled due to failure of a hydraulic isolation valve, which
would have precluded raising the landing gear during flight. Team and Air Force decided
to stop this phase of flight test and prepare the airplane for transporting to Edwards
for remainder of flight test.
November 7-13,1997
Gold Team led by General Al Slay reviews the F-22 Affordability Analysis - 1997/1998.
November 11, 1997
"Popular Science" magazine designated the F-22 as one of the "100
Best of What's New" for 1997. Awards are made annually to what the magazine
considers top technology development programs. YF-22 program won a similar award
in 1991.
November 13, 1997
Independent Cost Evaluation (ICE) team of corporate experts met in Marietta to provide
the program and the corporation an independent assessment of costs associated with
production.
December 4, 1997
Special team from F-22 Combined Test Force convened in Marietta develop plan and
schedule for airlift of Aircraft 4001 to Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB) and restoration
for subsequent flights at EAFB.
December 16, 1997
Affordability Analysis --1997/1998 (AA97/98) presented to Mrs. Darleen Druyun, Principal
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition and Management.
December 19, 1997
AA97/98 presented to Air Force Chief of Staff. The analysis comprised production
estimates for Lots 1 and 2, a target price curve for Lots 3-5 and the action plan
to meet Air Force funding profile. Contractor CEOs and Air Force Chief of Staff agreed
to accept a firm fixed price for Production Lots 1 and 2 for the budgeted amounts.
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