McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle The Ultimate MiG-Killer

Air Power Australia ^ | September 1984 | Dr. Carlo Kopp

[myknowledge]

With 100+ kills and no losses (for the A-D air superiority variants), the McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F-15 Eagle rightfully deserves her crown as the Ultimate MiG Killer of all time, with kills scored by U.S., Israeli and Saudi Eagle pilots.

Here are a plethora of Eagle images. Enjoy!

[Frantzie]

Still the baddest bad boy there is.

[myknowledge]

Indeed. It's the best machine ever made in St. Louis, MO.

[El Gran Salseron]

Cool post! :-)

I’m going to add it to my favorites.

[DaveArk]

I first started flying the F-15 in Jan ‘78. With nearly 2000 hours, I loved that plane. At times, I couldn't believe they paid me to fly it. Of course, it was just a weapon to take out the enemy. But it is very good at what it does.

What the article doesn't talk about is the training/employment philosophy that went with the aircraft. You were expected to never lose an engagement to another aircraft.

It has since been replaced by the F-22. Not enough of them though.

[sukhoi-30mki]

South Korean pilots are likely to top that table by the end of the decade.

[myknowledge]

How lucky were you to be able to fly what was then the world's most advanced jet fighter of the late '70s.

What fighter squadron and wing did you fly with and where were you based?

[DaveArk]

71FS, Langley, VA:555FS, Luke, AZ:1FS, Tyndall, FL:57FS, Keflavik, Iceland:71FS, Soesterberg, Netherlands. Numerous deployments all over the world.

[vwbug]

Interesting, I was an Avionics Tech. at LAFB in 1ST CRS 77-80. I wonder if I maintained any of the Aircraft you flew.

[VOA]

bump

[VOA]

“
just like its nominal predecessor, the F-111
“

Somewhere in my book collection, I have a small book on failed aircraft.

I remember that after all the work on the F-111, one military officer
said (in so many words) “All the thrust in Christendom couldn’t
turn the F-111 into a fighter!”.

True or not, it was an interesting comment.

[Yo-Yo]

I remember that after all the work on the F-111, one military officer said (in so many words) “All the thrust in Christendom couldn’t turn the F-111 into a fighter!”.

True or not, it was an interesting comment.

True. Manual wing sweep, poor visibility due to the side-by-side seating and no rearward view, very basic air-to-air radar with no doppler look-down capability and could only track one target at a time, and a gun that replaced one of the internal bomb bay doors.

It was a low level penetrator for the Air Force, and was going to be a standoff AIM-54 launch platform for the Navy.

Regardless of weight issues, the Navy was never going to accept the F-111B as a fleet defense aircraft, nor should they.

[Oztrich Boy]

McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle The Ultimate MiG-Killer

If only everybody now wasn't flying Sukhoi's

[DaveArk]

I was at Langley Jun ‘78-May ‘82, Tail# 75033. Dusty Rhodes was my Crew Chief for a while. A buddy of mine from High School was the chief of the engine test cell.

[myknowledge]

71st FS 'Ironmen'

555th FS 'Triple Nickel'

1st FS 'Fightin' Furies'

57th FIS 'Black Knights'

[myknowledge]

Surely, the Eagle has never come up against the Flanker in actual combat.

[M Kehoe]

Good post.

Somebody once told me that if you don't control the high ground, you don't control sh@t. We better start controlling near earth orbit, or we're toast.

5.56mm

[DaveArk]

The 71st was the Flying Fist then. The 1st was the Griffens when we reactivated it in 1984. The WWII good looking babe was too much for the higher ups then. Thanks for the pictures. Memories.

[SunkenCiv]

...designed without role compromise and created for its pilot above all. The F-15 Eagle has since matured and it is without doubt the world's foremost air superiority fighter, having destroyed scores of opponents, from Foxbats to F-4s, in aerial combat without ever sustaining losses.

Thanks myknowledge, but if Zero lurks here, he'll take the hint and have all of them scrapped, or shipped to Russia.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks for the ping.