F-15 Eagle Thread

[Scratch]

I actually don't remember if I already brought this up before or if I only intended to. But in that context of CFTs, fuel and more ordenance, I wonder why Boeing never came up with their idea of stealthy weapon pods for the F-15 like they did with their F/A-18 E/F Block III concept.
It would allow the F-15 to retain the CFTs, keeping their range without external drop tanks, and using that space to carry AAMs and PGMs.
Certainly a bit less stealthy then the SE conformal weapon bays, but I would think still a usefull modification.

 

[Air Force Brat]

But in this case we are talking about missiles.

I would load the outer pylon with AMRAAMs if they can handle it, and expend them in a big furball before getting in close with the Sidewinders and the Mic-mic.

And yet the F-15Es have them as a matter of course and have performed extraordinarily well...in both the A2A and A2G roles.

The conformal tanks are a good thing, and they detract very little from the performance.

Four missiles set that far out on each wing would...so you make them the longer range variety and you use that station for such weapons expect a huge fur all involving heavy BVR engagements to start.

All good thoughts gentlemen, and I def like the underwing conformal tanks better than the overwing jobs on the F-18 concept, I believe FBW is in the proposal anyway, and yes it would offer some control benefits in most flight regimes? I'm just not sure what we are gonna face in the future, so that is the $1,000 dollar question?

 

[Brumby]

The purpose of the F-15C 2040 program (increasing missile load) is to augment a numerical gap with the F-22 until the introduction of 6G fighters. It is expected that air to air trends will continue to expand in BVR engagements due to improving sensors and increasing standoff ranges of AAM's. The USAF emphasis is still "first look, first shot, first kill". The role of the F-15C in future large air to air engagements is meant to be primarily as missile trucks. I am not saying that the F-15C will be inferior in post merge maneuvering engagements but it will be a failure of systems should such engagements become necessary.

 

[FORBIN]

Gentlemen you don't think view with F-15C 2040 is or close a fan art only a project, seems much 24 AAM especialy 4 on the more external hard points in theory maybe possible but in practice ?

Right now pics with F-15SA armed with "only" 2 AAM on the more external hard point.

View attachment 18648

View attachment 18649

 

[b787]

YIKES! That should be called an airborne heavy missile cruiser

PS: I think back 1997, I saw a "Wings" documentary that showed F-15 ACTIVE nozzles on a test bed as well as in the air. The nozzles were moving in all sorts of direction. Smooth 360' movement. It was very impressive. Almost 20 years later, I am yet locate this footage. I've never seen it after 1997. Has anyone seen such footage? There were similar footage of the F-16 MATV in 1997, but that I managed to locate around 2007.

it is from a Discovery channel documentary

 

[b787]

YIKES! That should be called an airborne heavy missile cruiser

PS: I think back 1997, I saw a "Wings" documentary that showed F-15 ACTIVE nozzles on a test bed as well as in the air. The nozzles were moving in all sorts of direction. Smooth 360' movement. It was very impressive. Almost 20 years later, I am yet locate this footage. I've never seen it after 1997. Has anyone seen such footage? There were similar footage of the F-16 MATV in 1997, but that I managed to locate around 2007.

 

[Brumby]

Article taken from January 2016 edition of Combat Aircraft featuring the F-35.
The comments about trends in air to air would just be applicable between the pairing of F-22/F-15 as with F-35/F-15 with the 5th gen platform being the sensor and the F-15 as the shooter.

 

[Jeff Head]

Gentlemen you don't think view with F-15C 2040 is or close a fan art only a project, seems much 24 AAM especialy 4 on the more external hard points in theory maybe possible but in practice ?

Agreed.

When I posted that pic, it was definitely a what if, and I said as much.

 

[Hyperwarp]

it is from a Discovery channel documentary...

...

You are correct b787. It was a discovery or an affiliated show. The F-16 VISTA/MATV footage below was from the same series:

But sadly the F-15 ACTIVE I am unable to locate it. I watched show as 18 years old and made lasting impression watching F-15 ACTIVE nozzles move. Beautiful smooth asymmetric 360' movement. Rough illustration below:

 

[Hyperwarp]

Is that Air Force Brat in the cockpit?