Raptor (Generals)

The Raptor is the USA's primary all-purpose attack aircraft during the GLA Conflict. A relatively light and fast aircraft, the Raptor is armed with four missiles that could be used against either ground or air targets.
==Background==
Both the US Air Force and the Navy use the Raptor, although the Navy aircraft was generally modified to be lighter (with only two missiles) for use on aircraft carriers.
The inherent vulnerability of the Raptor to anti-aircraft eventually inspired the development of the King Raptor. Air Force General Granger helped to develop a new generation of Raptors dubbed 'King Raptors', that included a number of notable improvements in design.
Navy Raptors aboard the USS Reagan assisted greatly in the removal of GLA forces from coastal areas; however, many of the aircraft were subsequently lost when the Reagan was sunk by the GLA. 
==Game unit==
Raptors are very effective multirole fighters. They can engage both air and ground targets, and can be upgraded with countermeasures to increase survivability. They are efficient anti-vehicle platforms, excelling at destroying light enemy vehicles. Two Raptors can destroy most tanks. With their versatility, it was common practice in matches to place at least two Raptors on patrol over the base to assist base defenses against ground and air threats. Compared to other aircraft, they generally rank above the MiG but below the King Raptor. 
Raptors are nonetheless highly vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire, especially from gunfire platforms such as the Quad cannon. As they were quite expensive to construct and equally fragile, they require a bit of micromanagement and commanders had to take great care to prevent unnecessary losses. 
===Upgrades===
==Changelog==
* Generals sneak peek patch 1.02: now slightly more effective against Stinger sites
* Zero Hour patch 1.03: laser missile upgrade fixed
==Quotes==
==Trivia==
* The Raptor's icon is not the real F-22 Raptor, rather, it is the craft's ATF prototype, the YF-22 Lightning II. This may be because the actual F-22 Raptor went into USAF service in December 2005, two years after the game's release. Before this the YF-22 was competing the YF-23 Black Widow for America's fifth generation fighter, this possibly explains why earlier concept art looks more like the YF-23 and as the YF-22 was winning the lead in competition, they changed the unit to be more like the real-life Raptor. The box art for the original Command and Conquer: Generals features the YF-22, but Zero Hour's box art has a Raptor that looks more like the modern F-22A.
* Unlike the F-22A in reality, the Raptor can only carry missiles.
* In reality, the F-22 Raptor has stealth capabilities, which are not only matched with but more advanced than the Stealth Fighter in-game, the F-117 Nighthawk. The modern Raptor also has supercruise capability, which is the ability to go supersonic without resorting to afterburners. This would have matched or even superseded the Aurora Bomber.
* Early concept art depicted the Raptor as being being far more boxier in appearance; the Raptor itself beared a strong resemblance to the cancelled YF-23 Black Widow. The older version also used a darker, golden skin. Its model can still be viewed by browsing through General's art archive. It carried six missiles (as opposed to four in the final game) that were carried on hardpoints underneath both wings, not internally as in the final game.
* The Raptor was to benefit from the Extra Fuel upgrade, which allowed it to linger in the air for longer before it was cut due to redundancy and its low missile capacity.
* If the Laser Missiles upgrade completes, all Raptors will have their missing missiles refilled.
==Gallery==
File:Generals_Raptor.jpg|Two Raptors flying above Mogadishu to destroy a GLA armored camp at the dockyards
File:Avraptor_alt.jpg|The early 'Raptor Attack Craft'
File:CNCG_Old_Raptor.png|Another render with neutral house colors
File:americanraptorconcept.jpg|Concept Art
File:GensZHRaptor.png|Another render with a blue cockpit
File:Raptor_Texture_1.png|Texture 1
File:Raptor_Texture_2.png|Ditto
File:Raptor_Texture_3.png|Ditto
==See also==
* MiG
Category:Generals 1 aircraft