Watch the F-22 Raptor perform a backflip maneuver that looks like something from a video game

The F-22 Raptor is an extremely fast and agile aircraft.

A video recently surfaced of an F-22 Raptor performing a wild backflip maneuver, and it honestly looks like it belongs to a video game.

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Military aircraft are designed to defy physics in all kinds of ways.

For example, the F-35 can land vertically, just like a helicopter, even though it is a jet.

In contrast, the F-22 can perform high-altitude backflips like it’s nothing – almost like playing GTA in real life.

But then again, that’s what these planes were designed for.

Of course, not every military jet is designed the same, as different types of fighter jets prioritize different things.

For example, the B-2 Stealth Bomber is not necessarily the fastest aircraft in the world, but it is still an icon for its stealth capabilities.

Meanwhile, the F-22 Raptor made a name for itself by being very good at a wide range of things.

It is the first operational aircraft to combine super cruise, super maneuverability and stealth.

Translation: it is the first super-maneuverable and stealthy supersonic military aircraft to complete missions.

In aerospace jargon, an aircraft is considered “super-maneuverable” if it can perform tactical maneuvers, which visually could probably be described as aerobatic maneuvers.

The F-22 Raptor, built by Lockheed Martin in collaboration with Boeing, is relatively new.

It was ‘only’ unveiled in 1996, which makes it recent if you compare it, for example, with the B-52, which has been in service for 70 (!) years.

The F-22 Raptor runs on a pair of Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines, producing a total of more than 70,000 pounds of thrust.

It is also quite fast, as it can reach a speed of Mach 2 (2,414 km/h).

And it’s also outrageously expensive.

According to the Governmental Accountability Office, as reported by nationalinterest.org and Reuters, the F-22 program cost a total of $67 billion as of December 2023.

That figure includes the cost per aircraft, which averages about $350 million, but also everything else, including training, maintenance, and so on.

At its peak, about two decades ago, the F-22 program averaged as much as $5 billion per year.

Lockheed Martin built a total of 195 aircraft, including 8 test jets, but the last was built in 2011.

This means that the costs per year, although still impressive, show a downward trend.

Experienced content creator with a strong focus on cars and watches. Alessandro wrote the first ever post on the Supercar Blondie website and it covers cars, watches, yachts, real estate and crypto. Former DriveTribe writer, fixed gear bike owner, obsessed with ducks for some reason.