Aviation Photo #1403381 Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor - USA - Air Force

The aircraft

Why is both the right and left aileron up?

It's just aerodynamic. In that point the aircraft its like a rocket, so the aileron become in a elevator and when the aircraft fly slower become again in a aileron, just like that. A wonderful aircraft. I'm from Argentina ;)

Good question... why are both ailerons up??.... cool pic though

Absolutely fantastic! One of the best!

Very nice; the clouds on the wing and the afterburner let me think: THIS is TH

Ironman eats these for breakfast.

Very nice. Water vapor, afterburner trail and great detail. I agree...one of the best.

The texture and paint they use for the aircraft make it look so soft! When describing this plan to others, i really can't put into perspective how awesome it is, so i'll just show them this photo. Great Job!

"One of the best"? Perhaps you can tells us "one that's better"? Fantastic photograph, Joe !

Very nice close-in capture that makes the a/c feel very close and very real in this high-alpha turn. Answering the query from a few years ago (!) the ailerons do double duty as elevators (so correctly they'd be called "elevons" I guess). Concorde (built in the 60s) had the same system for its trailing edge - the ailerons could act also as elevators and indeed flaps (flaperons) as the situation demanded, the deflections were just a clever compromise between all those needs. This, and its ability to alter CofG using fuel transfers, made Concorde very manoeuverable, handling the JFK noise abatement departures wih ease. Nowadays we have more powerful computer systems to make this happen, but the principles are very old.