Rare Appearance of Two F-22 Raptors Stealth Fighters at EAA AirVenture on July 27

July 26, 2006 - Two F-22 Raptors stealth fighters will make a rare flight performance at 2:40 p.m. on Thursday, July 27 during the afternoon air show at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2006. The 54th annual EAA fly-in convention, The World's Greatest Aviation Celebration, is taking place now through July 30 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.

The F-22 Raptor is the world's fifth-generation fighter according to the aircraft's manufacturers: Boeing, Pratt & Whitney and Lockheed Martin. Its integration of stealth and advanced avionics is unprecedented. The F-22 is a leap in sophistication over any aircraft in production or design anywhere in the world. The manufacturers add that, with its built-in reliability and maintainability, this fighter is able to rapidly deploy anywhere on the globe.

"The air show audience will have a unique experience as the two F-22 Raptors provide an aerial demonstration," said Tom Poberezny, EAA president and AirVenture chairman. "The F-22 Raptors make very few public flying appearances, so we are excited to have them showcase their speed and stealth capabilities at AirVenture."

The F-22 was developed to counter the increasing sophistication of air forces and integrated air defense systems in use around the world. This fighter's mission is to provide air dominance and a precision ground attack capability for U.S. forces for the next 40 years. The jet can reach maximum speeds of Mach 2 and a maximum range of 2,000 miles. More information about the aircraft is available at www.f22-raptor.com.