Does the F/A-22 use a static electricity sytem like the B-2?

Anyone have any idea if the Raptor makes use of this system? It is used on the B-2 and is said to improve lift/range and maybe it's stealth as well. Just wondering if theres been any clues about this either way?

This will not answer your question, yet, it will give you some insight into static electricity on aircraft surfaces. This information was obtained 20+ years ago during an interview with a Vought Aircraft Engineer. I was discussing composite technology( carbon-carbon composites) with the engineer. Carbon-carbon tech is used on the nose and leading edge assembly on the space shuttle. That technology was developed at Vought. Further discussions involved replacement of metal structural elements on the A-6 with graphite/epoxy laminates. He showed me some prototypes. The problem was that graphite/epoxy laminates have a low radar cross-section. However, during flight they built up a hell of an electrostatic charge kind of like a capacitor. The problem was so bad that a violent electrostatic discharge could result on landing possible igniting fuel residue on the aircraft carrier. Therefore, the engineers wove in aluminum fibers into the composite such that the material became conductive and would dissipate this so called serious charge build up. There was no discussion about the possible drag reduction due to static charge build on the surfaces. Maybe there was no information on such a technique at the time. I would like to hear more about it!

Supposedly how it works is the leading edge of the aircraft is charged to VERY high voltage and the trailing edge is charged to the opposite polarity.

This has the dual effect of creating almost an extra flap so to speak, as well as significantly improving the Radar - and perhaps even visual - stealth aspects of the aircraft.

The idea was aplied to improve lift/range, but had the added benefit of making an already stealthy air craft even more stealthy.


there is some good info on the technology in this thread:

B-2 research project

At the risk of offending the aluminum foil-hat crowd, I will make a brief response.

The reason for isolating the internals of the B-2 in a faraday cage is to shield the electronics from EMP and lightning.

B-2's fly just fine in the rain. The B-2 uses standard standard aerodynamic principles of lift and drag to take off and remain airborne.

Any electrostatic charge on the exterior of the aircraft is to neutralize the EM footprint to shield from passive detectors.

There is no such thing as electrostatic propulsion/anti-gravity drives. Please don't direct me to a website that says there is.

Element 115:
Name: ununpentium
Atomic Number: 115
Atomic Weight: 288
Group in periodic table: 15
Group name: Pnictogen
Period in periodic table: 7
Block in periodic table: p-block

Standard State: solid at 298 K
Color: unknown, but probably metallic and silvery white or grey in appearance.

Experiments resulting in the formation of element 115 were reported in February 2004 following experiments carried out between 14 July - 10 August 2003 involving scientists at Dubna (Joint Institute for Nuclear Research at the U400 cyclotron with the Dubna gas-filled recoil separator, DGFRS) in Russia in a collaboration also involving scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA. Only four nuclei were identified and the claim has not yet been ratified, but the results are now published in a reputable peer-reviewed journal.

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Originally posted by engineer
At the risk of offending the aluminum foil-hat crowd, I will make a brief response...

SOOOOO true.

Originally posted by engineer
At the risk of offending the aluminum foil-hat crowd, I will make a brief response.

The reason for isolating the internals of the B-2 in a faraday cage is to shield the electronics from EMP and lightning.

B-2's fly just fine in the rain. The B-2 uses standard standard aerodynamic principles of lift and drag to take off and remain airborne.

Any electrostatic charge on the exterior of the aircraft is to neutralize the EM footprint to shield from passive detectors.

-30-

here here