Is this F22 Raptor unpainted?

Question

http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Air/Lockheed-Martin-F-22A/1346370/L/&tbl=photo_info&photo_nr=15&prev_id=1346632&next_id=NEXTID

Is this a livery or is it unpainted?

Answer 1

It looks like it has a coat of paint but not a final layer other wise it would be a two tone gray

Answer 2

Well it looks really cool no matter what.

Answer 3

The photo has definitely been retouched if no other reason to portray 'airliner.net' marks.  Many Aircraft, Military, Commercial and Civilian have operated unpainted or partially painted.  In the late 40's, 50's and early 60's most USAF planes were polished rather than painted.  The Navy's operation in close proximity to salt spray and sea air  made painting more practical.

Japan Airlines is going to shed it's paint for the benifit of fuel conservation. http://www.google.com.sg/search?hl=en&q=...



The only sure answer to your question would be to ask airiners.net

Answer 4

I submit it's photoshopped.  Air superiority grey is the official color for all USAF fighters.  Tail codes aren't added until after the aircraft is fully painted and ready for delivery.

If the paint was stripped (in other words it's in depot) no way would it be flown, as the paint itself has RAM properties.

Answer 5

yes OMG the Air Force is big time into corrosion control   if they did not paint it it would not last very long.

Answer 6

it's painted. They apply the tail numbers and such after painting.

Answer 7

It's painted, just not completely. The various coatings planes get for purposes such as anti-corrosion and radar absorbtion are pretty complex and involve a few steps. I'm not sure how far along this one is, but it's been given something. It doesn't have its final service livery which would be the two-tone gray, but  it has certainly been coated with various primers which explains the brown coloring. If it were unpainted, there would be bare metal exposed in places. I'm not sure about the green, though. The green patches are likely radar absorbent material placed over panel joints but could be a specialized primer of some sort. The tail numbers are always placed on a flying vehicle, whether it's painted or not. The final painting will be one of the last things done to this plane before it's sent off to its home at Elmendorf AFB in Alaska. Here's a picture of an unpainted F-22A. The yellow areas are composite panels with bare metal exposed elsewhere on the jet.

http://www.defensetech.org/images/shed-f...

Answer 8

It is unpainted.  It has basic livery from assembly.  The final paint, trim, and livery will be completed at Elmendorf.  I'm not sure what the highlight areas are, they look like photo retouching.  Below are some photos of the first AK F-22 assembly and rollout "in the brown".