The Last Gunslinger(F-15C)

Air & Space Magazine ^ | July 01, 2010 | Michael Behar

[mad_as_he$$]

I have the original poster from McD when they were trying to sell the F-15. The motto is:

“Built to fight where others fear to fly.”

[jnsun]

By the 1980s, McDonnell Douglas engineers had gained enough space in the forward fuselage to add a second seat for the F-15E model, a potent air-to-ground strike fighter.

Night after night after night we watched, heard, and felt those Strike Eagles depart. You got the unforgettable sense that somebody was watching out for you.

Extraordinarily well written article. Thanks.

[PreciousLiberty]

Nice article, but fundamentally wrong:

“And they warn that mothballing F-15s while not pursuing a fifth generation air superiority jet—one designed principally for dogfighting—is a mistake, a risk to America’s national security.”

The F-22 was designed entirely as an air-supremacy fighter. The multi-role function was added later due to the (stupid) perception that air-to-air fights were a thing of the past.

The rest of the article continues in the same vein. A large part of the angst the F-15C pilots are feeling is simply nostalgia for their way of doing things. The stealth, sensor fusion and superior capability of the F-22 are more than a cut above the F-15.

What is true is that the F-22 production lines were halted too soon. That’s the reason for the “$227 million” cost per plane, which includes sunk engineering costs. If more had been produced, the cost per plane would fall. The F-22 is a far superior fighter to the F-35. I hope the lines will be restarted eventually, if nothing else there would be lots of money made in export sales.

Meanwhile, the F-35 program is stumbling along, while our enemies prep their fifth-generation air superiority aircraft.

[SZonian]

"The F-22 is a far superior fighter to the F-35."

True, but 2 things;

1) the F35 is not meant to compete with or equal the F22,

2) they're meant to complement each other with their respective roles and missions. Each aircraft shares capabilities and has unique capabilities of their own.

[GBA]

The multi-role function was added later due to the (stupid) perception that air-to-air fights were a thing of the past.

I would add that they did that to justify the cost and to make it easier to sell to congress and the public, neither of which as a whole know or care anything about airplanes, the military, history or combat.

Nor do they understand or care about what the F-22 must and can do, how long it will likely be in service and the evolving working environment it must be successful in, not to mention all the R&D and American jobs they get buying those expensive airplanes.

I'd say it's a bargain compared to most of what congress spends our money on. But they see it as an unnecessary expense and here we are.

Assuming obama doesn't suspend elections and/or trigger a second civil war, the next president and congress will restart F-22 production and its evolution will be similar to the F-15's.

Sooner or later, we'll need the number the air force originally asked for. Thanks to obama, I'm going with 'sooner'.