They have a demo cockpit of both airplanes that is not a full simulator but that has a wraparound visual and all the good stuff on the panel. And you can really fly them and simulate combat missions. I'll tell you up front that I bagged a bunch of MiGs and some tanks.
From a distance, there seems to be a lot of similarities between the two airplanes, but in the end they have entirely different personalities. They are both quite stealthy, which is a great advantage in a combat situation, both from the standpoint of other airplanes and surface-to-air missiles. The Pratt & Whitney engines, of which the F-22 has two and the F-35 has one, are from the same family. The systems and capabilities of the airplanes are similar, and because the F-35 is following the F-22 in development and deployment it will have the benefit of lessons learned while bringing the first and larger airplane on line.
The number one design criteria for the F-22 is performance. Number one for the F-35 is affordability. Maintainability is high on the list for both airplanes, and both promise significant savings over airplanes currently in the inventory. Both airplanes will carry enough munitions internally to make a lot of mischief. External stuff can also be carried, but this compromises the stealth properties of both airplanes. Both airplanes will carry more fuel and have greater range than the airplanes they will replace.
The F-22 is a long-range, high-altitude air superiority fighter with what they are calling supercruise ability. It'll do Mach 1.5 at 40,000 feet without the afterburner lit. The engines have 35,000 pounds of thrust and have thrust vectoring, which augments maneuverability. The thrust vectoring is automatic?the pilot just uses the control stick to make the airplane maneuver as desired. It'll do a lot, too, including angles of attack up to 60 degrees.
