July 9 2010 Postage Stamps issued by Hawai'i Post

Two stamps and a minisheet were issued on July 9th 2010 depicting the F-22 Raptor aircraft.

The $6 stamp (above left) prepays the Overnight rate. It shows the a F-22 Raptor in flight over the coastline.

The $9 stamp (above right) prepays the Same Day rate. It shows a drawing of an F-22 Raptor from three different angles.

On Friday July 9th 2010 at a ceremony at Hickam Airfield two F-22 Raptors were dedicated. They will be part of the Hawaii Air National Guard. A total of twenty F-22’s will eventually be deployed in Hawai’i. They will replace the F-15 Eagles that the 199th Fighter Squadron has flown since 1987. The F-22’s will be flown by a combination of about 27 Hawaii Air National Guard and 9 active-duty U.S. Air Force pilots in what is known as an associate unit. Three F-22 squadrons are being based in the Pacific, the other two are based at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska. The stealthy F-22 fighter aircraft can operate at a super-cruise speed of Mach 1.5+ without using an afterburner, using less fuel and increasing the chances of pilot survivability, while covering three times the range of an F-15.

Technical details of the stamps:
Colors: Multicolored
Size: Individual Stamp - 50mm x 38mm. Minisheet - 76mm x 70mm.
Stamp sheet size: 30 (6 across, 5 down)
Perforation: Perf 12. Minisheet - imperf.
Stamps design: Enelani.
Layout & Pre-press: Enelani.
Printer: Hawai'i Security Printers, Honolulu, Hawai'i.
Printing Method: 4-color (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) printing process.
Sheet margin markings: HAWAI'I POST (top middle), "Traffic Light" showing 4 colors used in printing (lower left side), © 2010 Hawai'i Post (lower right side) & Hawai'i Security Printers, Honolulu, Hawai'i. (bottom middle)
Paper: GPA coated white stock with water-activated gum on the back.