Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor

Is it me or are these EO apertures very large compared to all other fighter IRSTs I’ve seen? Looks easily 50% wider than AN/ASG-34 IRST21, and the F-22 has two of them.
 
Forest Green said:
I'm guessing the two might be for triangulation, since IRST gives a very accurate bearing but is poor on range information.
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I think since these are likely low resolution (single pixel, or a few dozen at most) type IRST, aka the only type that works for medium to long wave IR, because of diffraction limits, it might make sense to put on two of them, to scan the sky twice as fast, or have one track while the other scans.
 
Elysium said:
I think since these are likely low resolution (single pixel, or a few dozen at most) type IRST, aka the only type that works for medium to long wave IR, because of diffraction limits, it might make sense to put on two of them, to scan the sky twice as fast, or have one track while the other scans.
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They apparently use a new type of sensor. There are two of them to increase field of view and to allow ranging. A pod could not be mounted on the centerline so they made lemonade. The pod wants it all but can’t have it, cut off one head two grow to replace it.

Surprised no one has commented on the asymmetric instrumentation on the recent photos.
 
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raptor82 said:
View: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dde0u9lEvZs/?stkn=b210amd6NmMxaGV4
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Unlike previous images, these pods look like there is some type of window on the front of the pods. Unless it's light reflection?

It also looks like they are painting the pods the same as the main body color of the F-22 - Aggressor Gray. I recently built a model of an F-22 with IRST pods and the new LDTP fuel tanks and was not sure what to paint them. The non stealth tanks are Gunship Gray. which I alway thought of as odd. I wonder if the pods and the new tanks will be Aggressor Gray?
 
Sferrin said:
Yes. In opposite directions. Or did you mean they were different in other regards?
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Inner facet on both pods is larger than the outer facet. The line where the two meet is not on the centerline of the pod, which I think was throwing me off.
 

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