Incredible Footage F-22 Raptor Shows: Full Afterburner Takeoff, and Cobra Maneuver

The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation, single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft developed for the United States Air Force (USAF). The result of the USAF’s Advanced Tactical Fighter program, the aircraft was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but also has ground attack, electronic warfare, and signal intelligence capabilities.

An afterburner (or a reheat) is a component present on some jet engines, mostly those used on military supersonic aircraft. Its purpose is to provide an increase in thrust, usually for supersonic flight, takeoff and for combat situations. Afterburning is achieved by injecting additional fuel into the jet pipe downstream of (i.e. after) the turbine. Afterburning significantly increases thrust at the cost of very high fuel consumption and decreased fuel efficiency, limiting its practical use to short bursts.

In aerobatics, Pugachev’s Cobra (Cobra Maneuver) is a dramatic and demanding maneuver in which an airplane flying at a moderate speed suddenly raises the nose momentarily to the vertical position and slightly beyond, before dropping it back to normal flight. It uses potent engine thrust to maintain approximately constant altitude through the entire move. Some have speculated that the maneuver may have use in close range combat, although it has never been used. It is an impressive trick to demonstrate an aircraft’s pitch control authority, high angle of attack (AOA) stability and engine-versus-inlet compatibility, as well as the pilot’s skill. The maneuver is named after the Soviet test pilot Viktor Pugachev, who performed it in 1989 at the Le Bourget Paris air show.