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F-22 Combined Test Force gets Collier Trophy nod

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Eric M. Grill
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
The Air Force Chief of Staff nominated the F-22 Combined Test Force here for the National Aeronautic Association's 2005 Robert J. Collier Trophy.

The trophy is presented annually for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles. Improvements must be thoroughly demonstrated by actual use during the preceding year, NAA officials said on their Web site, www.naa.aero.

"Over the past year the F-22 CTF has done some truly significant things to bring the F-22 to initial operational capability at Langley (Air Force Base, Va.)," said Lt. Col. Ray Toth, F-22 Combined Test Force and 411th Flight Test Squadron commander.

One of the main reasons for the award nomination, Colonel Toth said, is the reaction the CTF personnel had to an incident in 2004 which caused the complete dismantling and rebuilding of two F-22 test aircraft.

During a flight test in late 2004, the primary F-22 test aircraft went through the jet wake of another aircraft causing the flight control computers to put the aircraft at unexpected G-force levels, Colonel Toth said.

"The CTF essentially took two aircraft and did depot-level maintenance [here] in the CTF," he said. "Our maintainers did amazing work to bring two airplanes up to a condition where we could continue flight test work."

The depot-level maintenance included taking off the wings, completely removing the weapons bay doors, the rudders, the vertical and horizontal tails, and together with CTF instrumentation personnel completely rewired the airplane, Colonel Toth said.

"[The CTF] had it flying again in approximately eight months, which is a Herculean effort," the colonel said.

Besides the depot-level maintenance, the CTF also cleared the aircraft to use the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-range Air-to-Air Missile; performed the first-ever supersonic Joint Direct Attack Munition delivery from an internal weapons bay and completed handling quality tests for external fuel tank modifications.

Talking about what it means to be the Air Force nomination for the Robert J. Collier Trophy, Colonel Toth said the "men and women of the F-22 Combined Test Force are finally being recognized for the truly amazing accomplishment that they have brought to the United States Air Force in the form of the F-22. They work really hard to make sure that the F-22 is the premier fighter aircraft in the world."