Stealth Fighter (F-117)
The F-117 is a production fighter aircraft designed under the “Stealth” low-observability technology program. It is intended to provide the lowest possible Radar Cross Section (RCS) as well as Infrared (IR), noise, and visual signatures, thus enhancing its survivability and ability to penetrate enemy air defenses. The aircraft is subsonic and has a relatively high radius of action. Its mission is to attack high-value targets in raids that depend on low-altitude flight and stealth characteristics for its defense.
The F-117 is an angular aircraft that resembles a flat arrowhead with a narrow V-tail (or “butterfly” tail). Its shape is intended to focus incoming radar beams into a few narrow beams, greatly reducing a radar’s ability to detect the reflections. As a result, the F-117′s shape is subdivided into triangular and trapezoidal facets. The low-aspect-ratio wing is swept at approximately 67°-68° and has a sawtooth trailing edge. A low beak continues the wing’s continuous and severe leading-edge sweep from wingtip to nose.
The five-piece cockpit glazing is fronted by a narrow glazed triangle below which is the opening for the electro-optical navigation/targeting system. A downward-looking IR head is located on the right-hand side of the nosewheel bay. The nose window is trimmed with serrated appliques to align its edges with other major components, as are other ex-
F-l 17 Stealth Fighter
U.S. GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
crescences, including the landing-gear doors. Behind the cockpit’s peak, the top line slopes continuously to the tail. Viewed from above, the flat top of the fuselage and the intake openings parallel the wing’s leading-edge angle; the exhausts parallel the opposite outer trailing edge.
The wing’s trailing edge returns to the fuselage at a lesser angle, creating high-aspect-ratio outer sections; each wing has inboard and outboard elevens. The tail surfaces have short fixed stubs with all-moving “ruddervators” pivoting for pitch and yaw control. All tail airfoils are prismatic in cross section, again to focus radar returns into a few narrow beams. The original metal-alloy tails are being replaced by graphite thermoplastic surfaces developed after an F-117 lost a tail during flight tests.
The overall configuration requires continuous, active control by a Lear-Siegler digital on-board computer in a flight control system derived from that used in the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
Much of the fuselage structure (95%) is reported to be aluminum, although some elements may be made of a Dow Chemical pre-preg (fibers and resin combined) boron fiber/polymer material called Fibaloy. The surface is said to be sheathed with tiles made of a Radar-Absorbing Material (RAM), and the leading edges and nose section are heat-absorbing and nonreflective. Component door mountings were designed to reduce the change in RCS due to lateral motion. Cockpit transparencies have a special coating to distort and diffuse incoming radar pulses and outgoing avionics emissions, and the sensor turret window has a copper-wire screen that reduces its signature.
Engine intake placement is on the upper wing surface aft of the cockpit. The bulky, faceted intakes have a radar-blanking composite mesh covering the openings; the mesh size makes the inlet appear solid to most search radars. The
engines are nonafterburning derivatives of the General Electric F404 series engines that are modified to raise the bypass ratio, which contributes to reducing the IR signature and stretching the range. A dorsal refueling receptacle extends the F-117′s range.
The exhausts are narrow slots along the inboard trailing edge and use small vanes to diffuse the exhaust and cool-air blending to reduce exhaust temperature. The bottom lip of the exhaust is extended aft so that no part of the exhaust can be seen from below; the lip is covered with thermal tiles. The tailpipes are nickel-alloy 718 honeycomb sandwich to withstand acoustic, heat, and pressure stress. The engine exhaust ends are circular.
Modifications to the exhaust system are aimed at reducing maintenance costs due to heat stress and include new airflow paths, improved thermal “bricks,” better seals, and better heat shields. Although this area glows in certain conditions, neither Lockheed nor the Air Force believes this compromises the aircraft’s stealth characteristics.
The tricycle landing gear retracts forward. Modifications in this area include the fitting of carbon/carbon brakes in place of the original steel brakes. An arresting hook is located between the engines, and the aircraft streams a brake parachute from the tail upon landing.
The single-seat cockpit is heavily framed and bordered by serrated appliques along some of the edges; it is hinged at the rear.
Avionics include the Texas Instruments Infrared Acquisition and Designation System (IRADS), which includes FLIR, a laser designator, and Downward-Looking IR (DLIR) systems. Both the FLIR and the DLIR are mounted in turrets that are controlled by joystick-mounted buttons. During a typical attack, the pilot closes on the target using the FLIR, then switches to the DLIR view in the final phase. The IRADS can be used in an air-to-air role as well as for ground attack.
The Kaiser Electronics Head-Up Display (HUD) is adapted from the F/A-18. The two Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT) Multifunction Displays (MFD) are being modified to Honeywell Digital Tactical Displays (DTD) with color CRTs that incorporate a Harris digital moving map display. Although space and cooling were reserved for a radar, none has been fitted.
The mechanical SPN/GEANS Inertial
Navigation System (INS) used in the B-52 Stratofortress is fitted. A “four-dimensional” (4D) navigational system was added that ensures extreme accuracy in time as well as position; autothrottles have been fitted to the engines to assist 4D navigation.
Armament is usually the Paveway II and Paveway III laser-guided bombs fitted with a BLU-109/B warhead. AGM-65 Maverick TV- or laser-guided air-to-ground missiles and the AGM-88 HARM antiradar missile can also be delivered as well as Sidewinder Air-to-Air Missiles (AAM). The side-by-side internal weapons bays are each 15 ft 5 in (1.75 m) long; each is fitted with a trapeze to launch weapons that are normally carried on external pylons.
DEVELOPMENT •
The F-117′s initial operational capability was in October 1983. Its first flight was in June 1981. The final F-117 was transferred to the Air Force on July 12, 1990; a total of 59 were delivered.
Prior to November 1988, the aircraft designator for the stealth fighter was believed to be F-19.
Three F-117s crashed during the aircraft’s “black years.” The first went down while under Lockheed testing. Two other fatal crashes occurred during Air Force operations; the first went down in July 1986, the second in October 1987. The F-117 reportedly has operated in Great Britain, being transported to forward bases by the C-5 Galaxy.
VARIANTS • Have Blue (prototypes),
F-117.
COMBAT EXPERIENCE •
The F-117 was first used in combat on December 20, 1989, during Operation Just Cause, the US military action that removed Panamanian leader General Noriega. In the predawn attack, two F-117s flying nonstop
from a US base dropped 2,000-lb (907kg) bombs in a field near a Panamanian Defense Force barracks to “confuse, stun, and disrupt” the troops; the mission was judged a success. It was later revealed that one of the two aircraft missed its target.
The US dispatched 19 or 20 F-117s, refueled in flight, to Saudi Arabia in the middle of August 1990 as part of its buildup in the region. Another 20-22 aircraft were dispatched in late November.
When Operation Desert Storm’s air assaults on Iraqi targets began on January 17, 1991, F-ll7s hit 31% ofthe precision targets in Baghdad. Overall, the aircraft flew approximately 1,300 sorties and dropped more than 2,000 tons of bombs, including most of the aircraft .missions against military targets in Baghdad as well as attacks against hardened aircraft shelters. Released videos suggested that the laser-guided bombs had been very accurate; the official success rate was reportedly 60%.
No F-117s were lost during the seven-week conflict; the Air Force claimed that none was even damaged. The F-117′s apparent invulnerability was attributed to its low radar, IR, and noise signatures. Reports suggested that in most instances the first indication of an F-117 attack was the explosion of the bomb on the target.
SPECIFICATIONS •
MANUFACTURER Lockheed Aeronautical Systems
CREW 1
ENGINES 2 General Electric F404-GE-F1D2 nonafterburning turbofan
maxpower 11,000 Ib (4,990 kg) static thrust each
WEIGHTS
maxpayload 5,000 Ib (2,268 kg) max takeoff 52,500 Ib (23,813 kg)
DIMENSIONS
wingspan 43 ft 7 in (13.7 m) length 65 ft 11 in (20.09m)
height 12 ft 5 in (3.78 m)
PERFORMANCE
max speed 560 kts (645 mph; 1,038 km/h)
takeoff speed at combat weight
165 kts (190 mph; 306
km/h)
landing speed
approx 150 kts (173 mph; 278 km/h) radius with 5,000-lb (2,268-kg) weapons
load
unrefueled: 600 nm (691
mi; 1,111 km) 2 refuelings: 1,800 nm
(2,073 mi; 3,334 km)
armament 2 internal stations for
2,000-lb (907-kg)
GBU-10/B Paveway II or GBU-24 Paveway III laser-guided bombs AGM-65B TV or -65E laser-guided Maverick air-to-surface missiles
AGM-88 HARM antiradar
missiles
Tomcat (F-14)
The F-14 Tomcat is the US Navy’s standard carrier-based fighter. Its missions include Combat Air Patrol (CAP), Deck-
Launched Intercept (DLI), and air superiority. It is a large, fast, heavy aircraft designed around the long-range AIM-54 Phoenix Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) and the powerful Hughes AWG-9 weapons control system, which weighs 1,300 Ib (590 kg) and occupies a volume of 25 ft3 (0.71 m3).
The Tomcat is a two-seat, twin-engine fighter with twin tails and variable-geometry wings. Its general arrangement consists of a long nacelle containing the large nose radar and crew positions extending well forward and above the widely spaced engines. The engines are parallel to a central structure that flattens toward the tail; butterfly-shaped air brakes are located between the fins on the upper and lower surfaces. Altogether, the fuselage forms more than half of the total aerodynamic lifting surface. The original-design airframe life for the F-14 was 6,000 hours but was later extended to
7,200 hours.
The wings are shoulder-mounted and programmed for automatic sweep during flight, with a manual override provided. The twin, swept fin-and-rudder vertical surfaces are mounted on the engine housings and canted outward. The wing pivot carry-through structure crosses the central structure; the carry-through is 22 ft (6.7 m) long and constructed from 33 electron-welded parts machined from titanium; the pivots are located outboard of the engines. Normal sweep range is 20° to 68° with a 75° “oversweep” position provided for shipboard hangar stowage; sweep speed is 7.5°/sec.
For roll control below 57°, the F-14 uses spoilers located along the upper wing near the trailing edge in conjunction with its all-moving, swept tailplanes, which are operated differentially; above 57° sweep, the tailplanes operate alone. For unswept, low-speed combat maneuvering, the outer two sections of trailing-edge flaps can be deployed at 10°, and the nearly full-span leading-edge slats are drooped to 8.5°. At speeds above Mach 1.0, glove vanes in the leading edge of the fixed portion of the wing extend to move the aerodynamic center forward and reduce loads on the tailplane.
The sharply raked, two-dimensional four-shock engine intakes have two variable-angle ramps, a bypass door in the intake roof, and a fixed ramp forward;
F-14 Tomcat
U.S. GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
exhaust nozzles are mechanically variable. Viewed from ahead, the top of the intakes are tilted toward the aircraft centerline; from above, the engines are canted outward slightly to reduce interference between intake airflow and the fuselage boundary layer. The engines exhaust through mechanically variable, convergent-divergent nozzles.
The F-14′s AWG-9 pulse-Doppler, mul-timode radar has a designed capability to track 24 targets at the same time while simultaneously devising and executing fire control solutions for six targets. The cockpit is fitted with a Kaiser AN/ AVG-12 Head-Up Display (HUD) colo-cated with an AN/AVA-12 vertical situation display and a horizontal situation display. A chin-mounted Northrop AN/
AXX-1 Television Camera Set (TCS) is used for visual target identification at long ranges.
Electronic Support Measures (ESM) equipment include the Litton AN/
ALR-45 radar warning and control system, the Magnavox AN/ALR-50 radar-warning receiver, Tracer AN/ALE-29/ -39 chaff/flare dispensers (fitted in the rear fuselage between the fins), and Sanders AN/ALQ-100 deception jamming pod.
The Tomcat has an internal 20-mm Vulcan Gatling-type gun fitted on the left side, and can carry Phoenix, Sparrow, and Sidewinder AAMs. Up to six Phoenix missiles can be carried on four fuselage stations between the engines and on two pylons fitted on the fixed portion of the wing; two Sidewinder AAMs can be carried on the wing pylons above the Phoenix mount.
Since the early 1980s, F-14s have had provision for the attachment of the Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS), carrying optical and infrared cameras and permitting the aircraft to perform the photo reconnaissance role without degrading its performance in other roles. The only modifications required are wiring changes and cockpit readouts.
DEVELOPMENT •
The F-14′s initial operational capability was in 1973; its first flightwas December 21,1970. 79 Tomcats were delivered to Iran before the 1979 revolution. They are normally grounded for lack of parts. The US Navy had almost 700 in service or on order in the early 1990s; deliveries were continuing.
A complete F-14D fleet was planned for 1998, with 127 new-production F-14Ds and modification of 400 F-14A and F-14A+ to D configurations.
VARIANTS •
F-14A, F-14A+ (later F-14B) Super Tomcat, F-14C, F-14D, Quickstrike, Tomcat 21 (Grumman private-venture long-range, air-to-ground variant), Attack Super Tomcat 21 (proposed attack variant).
COMBAT EXPERIENCE •
F-14 Tomcats from the carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) shot down two Libyan Su-22 Fitter aircraft in an encounter over the Gulf of Sidra in August 1981.
On October 10, 1985, four F-14s from the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV 60) forced an EgyptAir Boeing 737 to land at Sigonella AB in Sicily. The airliner was carrying four terrorists who hijacked the cruise ship Achilk and killed an American.
On January 4,1989, two F-14s from the carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) intercepted and downed two Libyan MiG-23 Flogger-E aircraft, one with a radar-guided Sparrow AAM and the other with an IR-seeking Sidewinder. The US pilots claimed to have seen two parachutes.
99 F-14s flew 3,401 sorties as Combat Air Patrol (CAP) aircraft from five carriers during the air assault on Iraqi targets that began Operation Desert Storm; another 781 sorties were devoted to TARPS reconnaissance missions. The F-14 compiled the most flight hours (14,248) of any Navy fixed-wing aircraft.
Mission-capable rate overall was 77%; of TARPS aircraft 88%.
An F-14 downed an Iraqi Mi-8 Hip helicopter in early February 1991. One F-14 was lost during the war.
SPECIFICATIONS •
MANUFACTURER Grumman
CREW 2 (pilot, radar intercept officer)
ENGINES 2 Pratt & Whitney TF30-
P-412A turbofan
max power with afterburner
20,900 Ib (9,480 kg) static
thrust each
internalfuel capacity
2,385 US gal (9,029 liters)
WEIGHTS
empty 39,762 Ib (18,036 kg)
fighter escort, 4 AIM-7 Sparrow missiles
58,904 Ib (26,718 kg)
fleet air defense with 4 AIM-54 Phoenix and 2 267-USgal (1,010-liter) drop tanks
68,649 Ib (31,139 kg) max takeoff 74,348 Ib (33,724 kg)
DIMENSIONS
wingspan 64 ft IVa in (19.54 m) (extended)
SSftgVHn (11.65m)
(swept)
length 62 ft 8 in (19.1 m)
height 16 ft (4.88 m)
wing area 565 ft2 (52.49 m2)
PERFORMANCE
max possible speed at 49,000ft (14,395 m)
l,342kts (l,544mph; 2,485 km/h) or Mach
2.34
F-14A operational limit speed
l,079kts(l,242mph;
1,998 km/h) or Mach 1.88
sea level 793 kts (913 mph; 1,469
km/h) or Mach 1.2
F-14D max cruise without afterburner 631 kts (727 mph; 1,169 km/h) or Mach 1.1
range cruise
407 kts (469 mph; 754
km/h)
accelerationfrom 245 kts (282 mph; 456 km/h), military power
F-14A: 46 sec to 400 kts (461 mph; 741 km/h) F-14D: 30 sec to 420 kts
(484 mph; 778 km/h);
46 sec to 500 kts (576 mph; 926 km/h)
acceleration from 250 kts (288 mph; 463 km/h), with afterburner
F-14A: 21 sec to 400 kts
(461 mph; 741 km/h)
F-14D: 10 sec to 350 kts (403 mph; 648 km/h); 19 sec to 450 kts (518
mph; 833 km/h); 21
sec to 500 kts (576 mph; 926 km/h)
stall speed, power off, at 52,357 Ib (23,749kg)
110 kts (127 mph; 204
km/h)
time to 60,000ft (18,288 m) at 55,000 Ib
(24,948kg)
2 min 6 sec ceiling more than 56,000 ft
(17,070 m)
combat radius
500 nm (576 mi; 927 km)
ferry range 1,735 nm (2,000 mi;
3,220 km)
armament M61A1 20-mm Vulcan multibarrel cannon with 675 rounds
plus AAM:
6 AIM-54 Phoenix + 2
AIM-9Sidewinder or 6 AIM-7 Sparrow + 2
Sidewinder or 2 Phoenix 4- 3 Sparrow
+ 2 Sidewinder or 4 Phoenix + 2 Sparrow
+ 2 Sidewinder radar F-14A: AWG-9 long-range
search/weapons
control F-14D: APG-71 digital
monopulse multimode
Eagle (F-15)
The F-15 is an air superiority and strike fighter for the US Air Force and a few foreign air forces. Along with the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the F-15 will be the principal USAF fighter aircraft into the 21st century.
The Eagle’s broad wings have a relatively low leading-edge sweep, a 1° an-hedral, and raked tips. The trailing edge is fitted with plain flaps and ailerons; the wings do not have leading-edge lift devices, spoilers, or trim tabs.
The two vertical surfaces have no cant; their rudders are inset in the lower trailing edges. All-moving tailplanes are mounted on the fuselage outboard of the engines; the outer leading edge of each tailplane extends forward in a dogtooth. Roll control at low speeds is by aileron; above Mach 1, the tailplanes are operated differentially.
The fuselage layout consists of a central structure flanked by engine bays; this large volume holds more than 2,000 US gal (7,570 liters) of fuel. Aluminum/light alloy/titanium material is used for the majority of airframe components. The sharply raked, two-dimensional, external-compression engine air intakes feed two afterburning turbofans fitted side by side between the tails. The intakes vary their inlet angle depending on speed and aircraft attitude; variable-area nozzles exhaust the afterburners. The engine thrust lines converge as they move toward the tail.
Beginning with F-15Cs that became operational in mid-1986, F-15s are powered by the F100-PW-220 engine with Hamilton Standard Digital Electronic Engine Control (DEEC) and 4,000-cycle core life. DEEC reduces acceleration time from flight idle to maximum power by 30% and eliminates restrictions on engine throttling throughout flight regime.
1,500 US gal (5,678 liters) of additional
fuel can be carried in Conformal Fuel Tanks (CUT) that flank the engine nacelles. CFTs reduce subsonic drag and add less supersonic drag than do conventional drop tanks. The F-15 also has inflight refueling.
Located on the centerline and in line with the wing root’s leading edge is a large single-piece air brake hinged on its forward edge; it is made of composite materials. The Eagle has retractable tricycle landing gear, the main gear wheels retracting into fuselage bays outboard of the intakes and the nose gear folding forward under the cockpit.
The cockpit and nose extend well forward from a point between the large intakes. The nose holds a Hughes Aircraft multimode, pulse-Doppler radar, which has a look-down, shoot-down capability; the original APG-63 was replaced in production by the APG-70 in 1984. The APG-70 is faster and has a higher resolution and a larger memory.
Other avionics include a Litton AN/ ASN-109 Inertial Navigation System
(INS), AN/AWG-20 fire control system,
and a central digital computer. The cockpit is fitted with a McDonnell Douglas Electronics Head-Up Display (HUD) and a Sperry vertical situation display. The radar and HUD symbology are controlled by Hands-On Throttle and Stick (HOTAS) switches.
The F-15′s Tactical Electronic Warning System (TEWS) includes Electronic Support Measures/Electronic Counter-measures (ESM/ECM) equipment such as the Loral AN/ALR-56C radar-warning receiver (with aerials in the fin tips, wing-tips, and under the fuselage), the Magna-vox AN/ALQ-128 threat-warning receiver, Tracer AN/ALE-45 counter-measures dispenser, and Northrop AN/ ALQ-135 jamming system.
A wide variety of armament may be carried on external weapons stations, which vary in number depending on whether the aircraft is fitted with CFT. Two Sparrow Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) points are located on the lower outer edges of each intake. Two Sidewinder
AAMs can be fitted to a weapons station under each wing. The single fuselage hardpoint and the two wing pylons can carry a total of 16,000 Ib (7,258 kg); each CFT has additional stub pylons, raising the warload capacity to 23,600 Ib (10,705 kg).
DEVELOPMENT •
The aircraft’s initial operational capability was in 1975, and its first flight was on July 27, 1972. Over 1,100 have been delivered to US Air Force squadrons. More than 280 additional aircraft have been delivered to or ordered by three other air forces.
Israeli Peace Fox F-15As began delivery in the late 1970s (25 aircraft). 15 Peace Fox 2 F-15C/D aircraft arrived in 1981, followed by 11 Peace Fox 3s. Deliveries in
1991-92 included five new-build F-15C/
Ds and 25 surplus F-15A/Bs.
The first US-built Japanese F-15s were delivered in May 1981 (Squadron initial operational capability in 1982). License production in Japan by Mitsubishi began in 1982; 171 are planned, with more than 120 delivered.
Saudi Arabia took delivery of its 60 Peace Sun F-15C/Ds from January 1982 to May 1983; two more were purchased as attrition aircraft. October 1987 order of 12 more (nine C, three D) under Peace Sun VI, with delivery ending February 1992. 24 more were transferred from US Air Force units in Europe in September
1990 in a $682-million deal.
On September 15, 1992, the Bush administration notified Congress of plans to sell 72 F-15XP aircraft to Saudi Arabia.
VARIANTS • F-15A, F-15B, F-15C, F-15D/DJ (Japanese), F-15 Multistage Improvement Program (MSIP), F-15E Dual-Role Fighter, F-15J (Japan-built), F-15F, F-15XP (Saudi Arabia), NF-15
S/MTD Agile Eagle/STOL Eagle.
COMBAT EXPERIENCE •
On June 7, 1981, the Israeli Air Force conducted an
air raid against the Iraqi Osirak nuclear reactor facility with eight F-15 Eagles flying cover for the F-16 Fighting Falcons that bombed the facility. The strike destroyed the target without the loss of any aircraft.
During the protracted Israeli campaign in the Middle East from the late 1970s, approximately 60 Syrian MiG-21,
MiG-23, and MiG-25 fighters were
downed. Another 45 of this type of aircraft were claimed during the 1982 invasion of Lebanon; the Israelis reported no losses.
In August 1990, the United States dispatched two squadrons of F-15C/Ds and a squadron of F-15Es to Saudi Arabia as part of Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm. F-15Es flew more than 2,200 sorties against targets in Iraq and Kuwait as part of the air assaults. The two F-15E squadrons flew 40-60 sorties per night with a mission-capable rate of 95.9% (8% higher than peacetime).
US and Saudi F-15Cs flew escort missions that resulted in several Iraqi fighters being downed. Two F-15Es were shot down during the seven-week war; one was the first US Air Force aircraft lost in the conflict.
SPECIFICATIONS •
MANUFACTURERS
McDonnell Douglas Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Tokyo, Japan (F-15J/DJ) CREW 1 (2 in F-15B/D/E/DJ) ENGINES 2 Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-100 or -220 afterburning turbofan max power (each engine) dry
-100: 14,670 Ib (6,654 kg)
static thrust -220: 14,370 Ib (6,518 kg)
static thrust with afterburning -100: 23,830 Ib (10,809
kg) static thrust
-220: 23,450 Ib (10,637
kg) static thrust
fuel capacity
F-15C, internal: 2,070 US
gal (7,836 liters)
F-15E, internal: 2,019 US
gal (7,637 liters)
F-15C, max internal and external capacity: 5,400
US gal (20,441 liters)
F-15E, 2 CFT and 3 610-
US gal (2,304-liter) tanks: 5,349 US gal (20,246 liters)
WEIGHTS
empty F-15C: 28,600 Ib (12,973
kg)
F-15E: 31,700 Ib (14,379
kg)
F-15C interceptor with 4
Sparrow AAMs: 44,630
Ib (20,244 kg) max takeoff F-15C with 3 610-US gal
(2,309-liter) drop tanks: 58,470 Ib (26,521 kg) F-15C with 4 Sparrow, 4
Sidewinder, and full
CFT: 59,500 Ib (26,989
kg)
F-15C with CFT and
external tanks: 68,000 Ib (30,845 kg) F-15E: 81,0001b (36,741 kg)
DIMENSIONS
wingspan 42 ft 9 % in (13.05 m)
length 63 ft 9 in (19.43 m)
height 18 ft 5A2 in (5.63 m)
wing area 608 ft2 (56.50 m2)
PERFORMANCE
max speed at altitude: 1,433 kts
(1,650 mph; 2,655 km/ h) or Mach 2.5+ sea level: 800 kts (921 mph; 1,482 km/h) or Mach 1.2
approach speed
125 kts (144 mph; 232
km/h)
time to 40,000ft (12,200 m) approx 1 min g limits +9/-S
ceiling 60,000 ft (18,300 m) max combat radius
F-15C: 1,062 nm (1,223
mi; 1,968km) F-15E: approx 1,000 nm
(1,150 mi; 1,853 km) range 2,500 nm (2,878 mi;
4,631 km) armament M61A1 20-mm Vulcan
Galling cannon with
940 rounds and 4 AIM-9 Sidewinder,
4 AIM-7 Sparrow, or 8
AIM-120 AMRAAM air-
to-air missiles and up to 16,000 Ib
(7,258kg) of nuclear
or conventional bombs,
rockets, or other
ground-attack stores radar AN/APG-63 pulse-
Doppler (original)
or AN/APG-70 pulse-
Doppler (retrofit)
Fighting Falcon (F-16)
The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a highly ma-neuverable, lightweight fighter aircraft flown in large numbers by the US Air Force and several other air forces. Originally intended primarily as a day fighter, the F-16 has proven to be an effective multipurpose, continually improving interceptor and strike aircraft.
The F-16 has a blended wing/body design in which the fuselage contributes lift, especially at high angles of attack. A prominent factor in the design is the acceptance ofrelaxed static stability, which reduces drag, by incorporating Fly-by-Wire (FEW) control through a Lear-Siegler quadruple-redundant flight control computer. As a result, the F-16 can attain 9 g in sustained turns; the maximum instantaneous turn rate at 400 kts (461 mph; 741 km/h) is 19°/sec.
The 11-spar, cropped delta wing is made primarily of aluminum alloy; its midfuselage location separates the large
F-16 Fighting Falcon
U.S. GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
engine intake and mount from the cockpit and nose. Narrow strakes extend forward from the wing root. Single-piece maneuvering flaps along the entire leading edge automatically deploy depending on the aircraft’s angle of attack and Mach number. Flaperons occupy most of the wing’s trailing edge, operating differentially for roll control and together to provide more lift at low speeds.
The single, tall fin and rudder and all-moving tailplanes also have aluminum structures, but have graphite-epoxy skin panels. Two trapezoidal ventral fins are located below and ahead of the tail-planes.
The fuselage has the cockpit well forward, ahead of the nose gear. The wide, ventral intake is not variable but is fitted with a boundary-layer splitter plate. The single engine is an afterburning turbo-fan.
Until FY1985, all F-16s were powered by the Pratt & Whitney two-shaft F100-PW-200 turbofan. Since FY1985, under the Alternate Fighter Engine, the F-16 has alternated engines with the General Electric F110-GE-100. The intakes on US F46C/DS and Netherlands Air Force F-16s have been fitted with Radar-Absorbing Material (RAM) designed to prevent radar glint on the turbine face.
The cockpit has a large bubble canopy, giving the pilot a 360° view in the upper hemisphere as well as excellent forward and downward visibility. US F-16C/Ds and Netherlands Air Force F-16s have received a gold-colored metal coating on the inside of the canopy to dissipate radar energy by reflecting it in all directions, giving the aircraft a stealth quality.
The seat back reclines 30°, the heel line is raised, and the conventional, cen-terline control stick is replaced by a side-stick controller located on the right console.
Primary avionics include a Westing-house multimode, I/J-band pulse-Doppler radar, GEC Avionics Head-Up
Display (HUD), angle-of-attack indicator, Combined Altitude Radar Altimeter (CARA), and Litton LN-39 Inertial Navigation System (INS).
F-16C/D aircraft have two Honeywell 4-in (102-mm) Multifunction Displays (MFD) located below the HUD, providing radar, navigation, and weapons system information. Pakistani aircraft carry the Thomson-CSF ATLIS laser target designation pods.
The F-16′s Electronic Support Measures (ESM) equipment consists primarily of the Litton (or General Instruments) AN/ALR46 or Litton AN/ALR-69 Radar-Warning Receivers (RWR) and Tracer ALE-40 chaff/flare dispensers. Air National Guard F-16s in Saudi Arabia flew with the Westinghouse
AN/ALQ-119(V)15 jamming pod. The Belgian aircraft’s ESM system is the Loral Rapport. Turkish aircraft are being fitted with the Loral AN/ALQ-178 Rapport III.
Standard internal armament consists of an M61 Vulcan Galling cannon in the left LERX (Leading-Edge Root Extension). In addition to the centerline hard-point and two stub pylons on the inlet, the F-16 has six wing pylons for external stores and two tip rails for Air-to-Air Missiles (AAM). The F-16A/B aircraft can fire only AIM-9 Sidewinder Infrared (IR) AAM; later models are capable of firing Beyond Visual Range (BVR) AAM such as the AIM-7 Sparrow, AIM-120 AMRAAM, and Sky Flash missiles. The F-16 has also test-fired Matra Magic 2 IRAAM.
Total weapons load on the F-16A/B is 15,300 Ib (6,940 kg); F-16C/D weapons load capacity is 21,850 Ib (9,911 kg) at 5.5 g, 13,750 Ib (6,237 kg) at 9 g. F-16s fitted with Harpoon Interface Adapter Kit (HIAK) in weapons pylon are able to launch AGM-84D Harpoon antiship missiles.
DEVELOPMENT •
The aircraft’s initial operational capability was in 1979; its first flight was on February 2, 1974. In 1974,
the YF-16 defeated the Northrop YF-17 in a US Air Force lightweight fighter competition.
Over 3,000 F-16s have been produced or ordered. Outside of the EPG production, each country purchasing F-16s is assigned a “Peace” name.
The F-16 is flown by over 15 other nations in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia.
VARIANTS •
F-16A, F-16A (ADF),
F-16B (trainer), F-16 Midlife Update
(MLU), F-16C, F-16D (two-seat), F-16N (USN threat-simulate aircraft), F-16/79, RF-16 (reconnaissance), F-16X Agile Falcon, F-16AT/Falcon 21, A-16, F-16 (F/ A-16) Close Air Support, FSX/SX-3 (Close Support fighter), F-16/AFTI,
F-16XL/F-16E, NF-16D VISTA (Variable-
Stability In-Flight Simulator Test Aircraft) .
COMBAT EXPERIENCE •
The Israeli Air Force used F-16s in the June 7, 1981, attack against the Iraqi Osirak nuclear reactor and the October 1, 1985, bombing raid against Palestine Liberation Organization forces in Tunisia. During the 1982 Peace in Galilee Offensive in Lebanon, Israeli F-16s were reported to have shot down 44 Syrian aircraft without loss to themselves.
Pakistani F-16 aircraft engaged in frequent combat with Afghan Air Force aircraft during the Afghanistan War, reportedly shooting down five MiG-21 Fishbeds and an unknown number of Su-25 Frogfoot aircraft.
In August 1990, F-16s from the 363rd
Tactical Fighter Wing, Shaw AFB, South
Carolina, were deployed to Saudi Arabia as part of Operation Desert Shield; several more active, Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard squadrons followed.
After Operation Desert Storm began on January 17, 1991, 251 F-16As and Cs flew more than 13,500 sorties against
targets in Iraq and Kuwait, 4,000 of them at night. Most of these sorties were flown against ground targets, as Iraqi Air Force resistance during the war was negligible; principal weapons were bombs and AGM-65 Maverick missiles.
F-16 reliability was high, even in the older Air National Guard F-16As; overall F-16 mission-capable rate was said to be 88%. Seven F-16s were lost during the seven-week war, five in combat and two in noncombat accidents.
In 1993, USAF F-16s conducted surveillance missions over Bosnia in support of international efforts to end the conflict in the former Yugoslavia.
SPECIFICATIONS •
MANUFACTURER General Dynamics
CREW 1
ENGINES 1 Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-100 or -220 turbofan or I General Electric F110-GE-100 turbofan
max power F100-PW-220: 23,800 Ib
(10,796 kg) static
thrust F110-GE-100: 28,900 Ib
(13,109 kg) static
thrust
internalfuel capacity
F-16C: 6,972 Ib (3,162 kg) or approx 1,073 US gal
(4,060 liters)
F-16D: 5,785 Ib (2,624 kg) or approx 890 US gal
(3,369 liters)
externalfuel capacity
6,760 Ib (3,066 kg) or
approx 1,040 US gal
(3,936 liters)
WEIGHTS
empty 18,238 Ib (8,273 kg) combat weight (50 % fuel and 2 Sidewinder AAMs)
F100-PW-220: 26,250 Ib
(11,907kg) F110-GE-100: 27,350 Ib (12,406 kg)
max takeoff 42,300 Ib (19,187 kg)
DIMENSIONS
wingspan to rails: 31 ft (9.45 m) with missiles: 32 ft 10 in
(10m)
length 49 ft 3 in (15.03 m)
height 16 ft 8 in (4.95 m)
wing area 300 ft2 (27.87 m2)
PERFORMANCE
max speed more than 1,146 kts
(1,320 mph; 2,124 km/ h) or Mach 2 ceiling 60,000 ft (18,300 m) radius F-16A, with 6 500-lb (227kg) bombs, hi-lo-hi, internal fuel: 295 nm (340 mi; 547 km) F-16C, weapons load unspecified: more than 500 nm (575 mi; 925 km)
ferry range more than 2,100 nm
(2,420 mi; 3,891 km)
armament 1 M61 20-mm multibarrel cannon with 515 rounds
and 2 450-lb (204-kg)
capacity wingtip launch rails for AAM and 6 wing, 1 belly, and 2 inlet weapons stations for AAM, bombs, air-to-ground missiles, fuel, rockets, chaff/flare dispensers, or electronics pods; of these:
2 700-lb (318-kg) capacity outer wing pylons for AAM only
2 3,500-lb (1,588-kg) middle wing pylons AAM and other stores
2 4,500-lb (2,041-kg) inboard wing pylons for other stores only
1 2,200-lb (998-kg)
capacity fuselage hardpoint for bombs, dispensers, or fuel
2 900-lb (408-kg) inlet
stub pylons for electronics pods
radar AN/APG-68 pulse-Doppler
Hornet (F/A-18)
The F/A-18 Hornet is a strike-fighter aircraft in wide use by the US Navy and Marine Corps as well as several other air forces. In US service, the F/A-18 replaced the A-7 Corsair as well as some F-4 Phantoms in carrier air wings, while in Marine squadrons, it replaced the F-4 as well as some A-4 Skyhawk aircraft. The Night Attack variant is replacing Marine Corps A-6E Intruder aircraft.
The Hornet is flown in both single- and two-seat variants. It is characterized by high maneuverability, the ability to operate in either the fighter or attack role with only a change of weapons racks, and comparatively low maintenance requirements. The emphasis on easy access to aircraft systems is considered one of the aircraft’s strongest points.
The Hornet has slightly swept wings with a relatively low aspect ratio, 20° sweep at the quarter-chord, 3° of an-hedral, and Leading-Edge Root Extensions (LERX). The LERX allow flight at or beyond 60° angles of attack. Retrofitted fences on the LERX measure 32 in (813 mm) long by 8 in (203 mm) high. These fences generate vortices that reduce loads on the tail group and confer a six-times (and perhaps as high as 27-times) increase in the tail section’s fatigue life. Leading-edge maneuvering flaps can be extended to 30° and be differentially deflected up to 3°. The trailing-edge flaps can be lowered to 45° and have 8° differential deflection.
The twin, swept fin-and-rudder surfaces are mounted forward of the swept, all-moving stabilators; the fins are canted 20° to the outside, and the stabilators have 2° of anhedral. A rectangular, front-
F/A-18 Hornet
U.S. GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
hinged speed brake is fitted between the vertical fins. Much of the wing, all of the tail surfaces, and the speed brake are composed of carbon/epoxy composites. All control surfaces are commanded by the AN/ASW-44 quadruplex fly-by-wire system.
The two low-bypass turbofan engines are fed by fixed pilot air intakes located under the wings; the exhaust nozzles extend to the rear of the stabilators. The intake ducts also house the main landing gear, each main wheel turning 90° during retraction. Finnish, Kuwaiti, Swiss, and US Navy aircraft delivered in 1992 and beyond are fitted with the F404-GE-402
Enhanced Performance Engine (EPE) variant, developing 17,600 Ib (7,983 kg) static thrust with afterburning.
Approximately 50% of the structural weight of the aircraft is aluminum, 17% is steel, 13% is titanium, 10% is carbon/ epoxy, and 10% other. The cockpit is located between the LERX and has excellent visibility; it is enclosed by a single-piece canopy that is hinged at the rear. The pilot sits in a Martin-Baker SJU-5/6 ejection seat.
Avionics in the F/A-18 include the Hughes AN/APG-65 digital, multimode air-to-air and air-to-ground radar, and Electronic Support Measures (ESM) equipment including the Magnavox AN/ ALR-50 and Litton ALR-67 radar-warning receiver (some export aircraft may be retrofitted with the Litton AN/ ALR-87 threat-warning system). Later aircraft are being fitted with the AN/ APG-73 radar with three times the memory and a threefold increase in processing speed.
Other avionics include a centrally mounted 4.7 X 4.7-in (120 X 120-mm) Kaiser Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT) and AN/AVQ-28 Head-Up Display (HUD) with 20° field of view, and two additional Kaiser multifunction CRTs. Initial production F/A-18s were fitted with the Litton AN/ASN-130 Carrier Aircraft Internal Navigation System (CAINS), which uses gyros, accelerometers, a computer, and a platform. T,he Litton AN/ ASN-139 CAINS II is a drop-in replacement for the ASN-130 and has an 11-in (280-mm) ring laser gyro, new acceler-ometers, and MIL-STD-1750-level processors.
In keeping with its dual role, the F/A-18 has a comprehensive weapons carriage capability. In addition to wingtip Sidewinder Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) stations, the aircraft can carry up to four Sparrow semiactive radar-homing AAMs on two outboard wing stations and two semirecessed fuselage hardpoints.
The M61 Vulcan gun system is mounted On a slide-in pallet in the nose. The cen-terline barrel mount in the airframe steadies the gun; vents to either side direct gases away from engine inlets. Firing rate is 4,000 or 6,000 shots per minute.
Three fuselage stations and four wing stations can carry Harpoon antiship and Maverick land-attack missiles, as well as the Walleye glide bomb, conventional bombs, up to three 330-US gal (1,250-liter) drop tanks, Loral (formerly Ford) Aeroneutronic AN/AAS-38 NITE Hawk
Laser Target Designator/Ranger (LTD/ R) pod with Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) system and Litton laser designator, Hughes AN/AAR-50 Thermal Imaging Navigation Set (TINS) pod with FLIR, or other stores.
DEVELOPMENT •
The Hornet’s initial operational capability was on January 7, 1983 and the F/A-18D in November 1989. Its first flight (F/A-18A) was on November 18,1978; the F/A-18C’s first flight was on September 18, 1987; the first flight of the F/A-18D night-attack variant was on May 6,1988.
In production, with more than 1,070 delivered by early 1992 to US and international customers. The design’s 1 millionth flight hour was registered by a US Navy pilot on April 10, 1990.
In early 1987, developmental models of the F/A-18 were assigned to the Blue Angels, the Navy-Marine Corps flight demonstration team (replacing A-4F Sky-hawks) .
At first, Iraq’s August 1990 invasion of Kuwait seemed likely to doom Kuwaiti plans to acquire 40 F/A-18s. However, the US DoD authorized a $140-million advance on the contract to McDonnell Douglas in September 1990. The first of the order rolled out on October 8, 1991, for delivery in January 1992, with the entire purchase completed in fall 1993.
In May 1992, Finland announced a
$2.5-billion deal to purchase 57 F/A-18C
and 7 F/A-18D aircraft after an evaluation that included the Dassault Mirage
2000-5, the Swedish JAS 39 Gripen, and the MiG-29 Fulcrum.
Other countries operating the Hornet include Australia, Canada, South Korea, Spain, and Switzerland. Malaysia’s mixed
buy of 8 F/A-18s and 18 MiG-29s provided an opportunity for side-by-side comparisons.
VARIANTS •
Northrop YF-17 (unsuccessful competition prototype with YF-16
Fighting Falcon ACF), YF-18, F/A-18A,
EF-18 (Spanish designation), CF-18 (Canadian designation), TF-18 (initial designation for two-seat trainer aircraft; later F/A-18B), F/A-18C/D (single and two seats), F/A-18C/D Night Attack, F/A-18E/F (single and two seats), Hornet 2000, NASA HARV (NASA’s High-
Angle-of-AttackResearchVehicle),AF-18
(Australian), CF-18 (Canadian), EF-18/ C.15/CE.15 (Spanish).
COMBAT EXPERIENCE •
US Navy Hornets patrolled the Persian Gulf and Red Sea from US carriers as part of Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm: 174 Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18s conducted both defense suppression and strike missions against Iraqi targets and proved to be among the most flexible and
effective strike aircraft available. 90 Navy Hornets flew 4,431 sorties, and 84 Marine Corps F/A-18s flew 5,047 sorties.
In one instance, a Hornet en route to an air-to-ground attack shot down a
MiG-21 Fishbed with an AIM-9 before continuing to its target. The aircraft’s full-mission-capable rate averaged better than 90%, with each aircraft amassing an average of more than 90 flight hours per month.
Several F/A-18s were hit by surface-to-air missiles, but most were able to return to base flying on a single engine. A total of three US-flown Hornets were lost during the seven-week war, one to noncom-bat causes.
Canada deployed 26 CF-18s from Lahr, Germany, to the gulf.
SPECIFICATIONS •
MANUFACTURER McDonnell Douglas/
Northrop CREW 1 (2 in F/A-18B/D) ENGINES 2 General Electric F404-
GE-400 turbofan
max power 16,000 Ib (7,257 kg) static thrust each with afterburner
internalfuel capacity
approx 1,700 US gal
(6,435 liters)
WEIGHTS
empty 23,050 Ib (10,455 kg)
max weapons load
17,000 Ib (7,711kg) takeoff fighter: 36,710 Ib (16,651 kg)
attack: 49,224 Ib (22,328
kg)
overload: 56,000 Ib
(25,401 kg)
DIMENSIONS
wingspan over AIM-9 missiles: 40 ft
5 in (12.32 m)
without missiles or tip launchers: 37 ft 6 in (11.46m)
folded for storage: 27 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
length 56 ft (17.07m)
height 15 ft 3M> in (4.66 m)
wing area 400 ft2 (37.16 m2)
PERFORMANCE
max speed Mach 1.8+ launch Wind Over Deck (WOD)
35 kts (40 mph; 65 km/ h)
recovery WOD
19 kts (22 mph; 35 km/ h)
climb rate 45,000 ft/min (13,716
m/min)
accelerationfrom Mach 0.8 to Mach 1.6 at 35,000ft (10,670m)
less than 2 minutes
ceiling 50,000 ft (15,240 m)
combat radius
F/A-18A fighter: more
than 400 nm (460 mi;
740 km) F/A-18A attack: more than 575 nm (662 mi; 1,065 km)
F/A-18Cwith41,000-lb
(454-kg) Mk 83 bombs, 2 Sidewinders, 2 330-
US gal (1,249-liter)
drop tanks, and external sensors: 290 nm (334 mi; 537 km) F/A-18C time on station at 150 nm (173 mi;
278 km) with 6 AAM, 3 330-USgal (1,249-
liter) drop tanks: 1.4 hr
ferry range more than 2,000 nm
(2,303 mi; 3,706 km) armament M61 20-mm 6-barrel gun (570 rounds) attack: 17,000 Ib (7,711 kg) of bombs, rockets, AIM-7 Sparrow, AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, AGM-65 Maverick land-attack,
AGM-84 Harpoon
antiship missiles
fighter: 2 Sidewinder + 4 Sparrow AAM radar AN/APG-65 multimode
digital
Lightning (Advanced Tactical Fighter/ATF/F-22A)
The US Air Force Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program selected a frontline fighter to succeed the F-15 Eagle through a competition between the Lockheed/Boeing/General Dynamics YF-22A and the Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23A designs, won by the YF-22A.
The Lockheed/Boeing/General Dynamics YF-22 design has near-delta double-taper wings with movable leading-edge flaps that extend from outboard of the intakes to the tips; at the inboard edge, both the flap and the fixed leading edge have a notch to reduce radar reflectivity when the flaps are deployed in combat maneuvers.
The forward-tapered trailing edges are lined with flaps and ailerons. In the prototype, leading-edge sweep is 48°, with the trailing edge sweeping forward at 17° angle.
All-moving horizontal stabilators are carried on short stubs outboard of the rectangular, thrust-vectoring engine nozzles. Their leading edges are parallel to the wing leading edges, just as their trailing edges parallel those of the main wing. From being roughly triangular in the prototype, the tailplanes are more lozenge-shaped in EMD design, but also measure about 68 ft2 (6.32 m2). Each edge still parallels another horizontal or vertical surface.
On the prototype, a single-piece teardrop canopy is perched high on the blended wing/body and has a distinct peak. Forebody shaping consists of a deep-keeled lower half and rounded upper half with a “seam” or chine running along each side of the forward fuselage from the nose aft to the top of the intake.
Viewed from above, the wing/body blending shows a large fuselage area for engines, ducting, and fuel tankage behind the narrower forebody. Seen from the side, the large vertical tails and peaked canopy reduce the prototype’s apparent size and give it a stubby look.
The developed aircraft looks leaner for several reasons: the nose is longer, the canopy is reshaped and moved forward, the intakes have been moved aft to behind the cockpit, the vertical tails are smaller, and the landing gear is relocated aft to maintain its relation with the aircraft’s center of gravity.
The intakes lead aft and toward the centerline in an S-curve to feed the engines mounted side by side between the tails. Two Pratt & Whitney F119 two-spool, low-bypass turbofans with contra-rotating high- and low-pressure turbines power the ATF.
The top surfaces of the intakes are positioned as Leading-Edge Root Extensions (LERX) for each wing; the forward upper edges have the same sweep as do the wing’s leading edges.
Behind the missile bays are the main-landing-gear bays. The single-wheel gear extends down and slightly outward and is enclosed by doors with serrated edges to reduce their radar signatures. The single-wheel nose gear retracts to the rear under the cockpit in the prototype. Moving the nose gear aft from the prototype requires the gear to retract forward. Each wing skin is a single piece of thermoplastic composites; the midbody skin is a ther-moset piece.
Reliability is also strongly stressed. Integrated combat turnaround time for the ATF should be half that of the F-15 Eagle. Fewer maintenance personnel and cargo aircraft will be required to support the ATF, much more of the equipment is intended to be field-repairable, and virtually all of the systems are at ground level. An Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) is fitted in the rear of the fuselage between the engines.
Principal requirements of the Electronic Combat (EC) suite will be to detect hostile emitters, counter them, and defeat hostile countermeasures; much of its operation will be passive. Many elements will use emitters and receivers that are also used by the navigation or radar systems.
The aircraft’s avionics have the Hughes Common Integrated Processor (GIF) with 32-bit technology, Harris databus interfaces, Sanders graphic-video interfaces, and General Electric liquid-crystal, flat-panel displays. Sanders and GE are teaming up on an Integrated Electronic
Warfare System (INEWS) linked to the
Hughes CIP. General Dynamics is leading development of the Inertial Navigation System (INS).
Armament will consist of BVR Air-to-Air Missiles (AAM) such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM as well as shorter-range dogfight AAMs and an internal gun. The dogfight missiles are housed in inlet sidewall bays. Two side-by-side belly bays have at least two weapons stations each for missiles the size of an AMRAAM.
DEVELOPMENT •
The unofficial nickname for the YF-22 is Lightning 2, after the Lockheed-built P-38 twin-e’ngine fighter ofWorld War II. Rumors were that the chosen name was Superstar. The aircraft is in Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD). Selected over the YF-23A for EMD on April 23, 1991.
YF-22 (El 20 engines) rolled out on August 29,1990; taxi tests began September 19, leading to first flight on September 29, 1990. The second YF-22 prototype (F119 engines) first flew on October 30, 1990.
First flight in the second series of tests came on October 30, 1991. This aircraft crashed April 25,1992, during a low-speed pass. Lockheed claimed that 90% of the program objectives had been met. The crash of the prototype was not immediately seen as damaging to the program, but the aircraft ultimately may never be built.
VARIANTS •
Naval ATE
SPECIFICATIONS •
MANUFACTURER Lockheed/Boeing/ General Dynamics
WEIGHTS
operational empty
34,000 Ib (15,422 kg)
combat loaded
62,000 Ib (28,123 kg) ENGINES 2 Pratt & Whitney YF119-PW-100 turbofan max power 30,000-35,000 Ib
(13,608-15,876 kg) static thrust each internalfuel capacity
25,000 Ib (11,340kg)
DIMENSIONS
wingspan prototype: 43 ft (13.11
m)
EMD: 44 ft 6 in (13.56m) length prototype: 64 ft 2 in
(19.56m)
EMD: 62 ft Vz in (18.91
m)
height prototype: 17 ft 9 in (5.41
m)
EMD: 16 ft 6 in (5.03 m)
wing area 830 ft2 (77.11 m2)
PERFORMANCE
max cruise without afterburner
approx Mach 1.5 radar Hughes AN/APG-77
Phantom (F-4)
The Phantom is one of the most versatile and widely flown fighter and attack aircraft of the jet era. It is a two-seat twin-engine, multirole fighter that is also often used as a reconnaissance aircraft. Originally developed for the US Navy, the Phantom was adopted by the Air Force as well as the Marine Corps and a number of other military forces.
The Phantom’s design was governed by the need to combine high speed and long range, requiring a large and heavy aircraft, with the ability to take off and
land on aircraft carriers. The resulting design has a tandem cockpit for the pilot and radar intercept officer, extensive internal fuel tankage, a large nose radar, and up to eight Air-to-Air Missiles (AAM), of which six can be medium-range AIM-7 Sparrows.
The configuration of the wings and tail group took unusual shape in an effort to obtain the desired low-speed handling. The wing planform is a swept delta, the leading edge having greater sweep than the trailing edges. The outer panels have 12° dihedral and 10% greater chord, creating a “sawtooth” leading edge. On naval Phantoms, the wings fold at the dihedral break for handling aboard carriers. The inboard leading edge was drooped at low speeds in the earlier variants; later versions have leading-edge slats on both inboard and outboard sections as well as drooping inboard “flaperons” on the trailing edge. The wings gain further lift at low speed through Boundary-Layer Control (BLC) that passes engine bleed air over the leading and trailing edges.
The short, sharply swept fin and rudder are mounted on a boom above and to the rear of the two variable-area nozzles. In line with the fin are the all-moving stabilators, which have a “cropped delta” planform and 23° anhedral; later variants have leading-edge slots in the tailplanes.
The two General Electric afterburning turbojets are housed side by side in the fuselage behind the cockpit. Air is fed through narrow “cheek” intakes that are headed by variable boundary-layer splitter panels. The aircraft can be refueled in flight, either through extendable probe (naval variants) or a boom receptacle located behind the cockpit.
The F-4′s fire control radar has evolved in a series of Westinghouse radars beginning with the AN/APQ-72 and AWG-10 and passing through the APQ-100, -109,and -120. Avionics have been continually updated during the aircraft’s lifetime. The GEC Avionics Standard Central Air
Data Computer (SCADC) has been fitted. Many aircraft were fitted with General Electric AN/ASG-26A Lead-
Computing Optical Sight (LCOS) and with Infrared (IR) scanners, and several hundred Northrop AN/ASX-1 Target
Identification System Electro-Optical (TISEO) passive, daytime automatic target acquisition and tracking systems have been mounted on the port leading edge of US Air Force F-4s.
The F-4 was designed specifically for carrier operation as a missile or bomb carrier and was not initially fitted with an integral gun; F-4B/C/D/J variants often carried a Mk 4 gun pod bearing a Mk 11 twin-barreled 20-mm cannon on the cen-terline weapons station. F-4Es were built with a 20-mm M61 Vulcan Gading cannon mounted in the nose below the ra-dome. When armed as an interceptor, the F-4 carries four Sparrow AAMs in semi-recessed fuselage stations; two more Sparrows or four Sidewinder AAMs can be carried on the inboard wing pylons.
A centerline hardpoint and two pylons under each wing can carry up to 16,000 Ib (7,257 kg) of bombs, land-attack missiles, rocket pods, and fuel tanks. Pylon-borne sensors include Ford Aerospace
AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack target designation pod, Westinghouse AN/ASQ-153 Pave Spike laser tracking and designator pod, Hughes AN/AXQ-14 weapons control system pod for the GBU-15 command-guided bomb, reconnaissance pods, and Electronic Countermeasures (ECM)pods.
The Phantom has been a landmark military aircraft whose design was the benchmark for every other fighter aircraft design for several decades. Its size allows it to carry large payloads over long distances, and its speed is still competitive with most operational fighters. The F-4 is ruggedly built, which increases its combat survivability and justifies rebuild programs that will carry it into the next century.
The Phantom’s liabilities are its large radar cross section, unstealthy angularity, smoky engines (in many earlier variants), utility hydraulics that failed regularly, and unwieldiness in tight-turning combat.
DEVELOPMENT •
Initial operational capability was in 1961; first flight was on May 27,1958. The original US Navy designation was AH-1; it was changed to F4H during development. The original US Air Force designation was F-110. All changed to F-4 series in 1962.
US production reached 75 aircraft per month in 1967 and ended in 1980 after 5,195 were produced. (Japanese production of 138 F-4EJs ended in 1981.) Almost 2,700 are still in service, and upgrade programs are under way in several countries.
The F-4 was still in service in the USAF, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, and USMC reserve units. The F-4 was phased out of US Navy service in late 1986 (its last carrier landing occur-
ring on October 18). The last active Marine Corps squadron converted to F/A-18 Hornets in February 1989. The Royal Air Force retired its last F-4 in September 1992. Other countries flying the F-4 are Greece, South Korea, Iran, Spain, Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Germany, and Japan.
VARIANTS •
XF4H-1/YF4H-1 (prototypes), F-4A (development aircraft), F-4B (first production variant for USN and USMC), F-4C (first variant for US Air Force), F-4D, F-4E, F-4EJKai (Japanese), F-4EJ (reconnaissance), Israeli F-4E Wild Weasel (air defense suppressor), F-4F (Germany), F-4F Improved Combat Effectiveness (ICE),F-4G (carrier modification), F-4G Wild Weasel (Electronic Warfare/EW), F-4J (USN), F-4K/FG1
(Royal Navy), F-4M/FGR2 (RAF), F-4N, F-4S, RF-4 (reconnaissance), Kornas 2000/Super Phantom (Israeli-developed upgrade), F-4VG/F-4X (proposal).
U.S. Air Force F4G Phantom II Wild Weasel
U.S. GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
COMBAT EXPERIENCE • US Navy and Air Force Phantoms saw extensive combat service in Vietnam, Navy beginning on August 5, 1964, and Air Force in June 1965.
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has used F^ts extensively in Middle East conflicts beginning in October 1969 during the “War of Attrition.” In the Yom Kippur War of October 1973, F^4s flew most of the 500 deep-strike missions mounted by the IAF. During the 1982 Peace in Galilee Offensive into Lebanon, F-4s were credited with destroying most of the Syrian air defense network in the Bekaa Valley.
During the 1980-88 Gulf War with Iraq, the performance of Iranian Air Force F-4s was impeded by difficulties in obtaining spare parts, particularly for the radar and engines. One is said to have been shot down by an Iraqi Mi-24 Hind.
US Air Force F^s stationed at Clark AB in the Philippines patrolled the airspace on December 1, 1989, during a coup attempt against the government. The F-4s were authorized to attack any rebel aircraft that launched from rebel-held Philippine airbases. No hostile action was necessary.
No F-4s were used by any country during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm; however, some RF-4C and F-4G Wild Weasel aircraft flew for the US Air Force.
SPECIFICATIONS (F-4S) •
MANUFACTURER McDonnell Douglas CREW 2 (pilot, radar intercept officer) ENGINES 2 General Electric J79-GE-10 turbojet
maxpower 17,900 Ib (8,119 kg) static thrust each
internalfuel capacity
2,000 US gal (7,570 liters)
WEIGHTS
empty 30,776 Ib (13,990 kg)
max takeoff 56,000 Ib (25,455 kg)
DIMENSIONS
wingspan 38 ft 5 in (11.71 m)
length 58 ft 3 in (17.76m)
height 16 ft 3 in (4.96 m)
wing area 530 ft2 (49.20 m2)
PERFORMANCE
max speed clean, at 36,000 ft (10,973 m): l,260kts (1,450
mph; 2,334 km/h) or Mach 2.2
sea level, with Sparrows only: 790 kts (910 mph; 1,465 km/h) or Mach 1.2
low-level penetration speed with 4,750-lb (2,155-kg) weapons load
545 kts (628 mph; 1,010
km/h)
climb rate 28,000 ft/min (8,534 m/min)
ceiling 71,000 ft (21,641 m) radius 228 nm (262 mi; 422 km)
(fighter role) 136 nm (157 mi; 252 km)
(attack role) range 1,600 nm (1,841 mi;
2,963 km) external fuel armament various options,
including: 1 20-mm cannon (Mk 11
in Mk 4 external gun
pod or internal M61
Vulcan Gading)
4 AIM-7 Sparrow + 4
AIM-9 SidewinderAAM + 6 X 500-lb (227-kg) bombs
or 4 Sparrow + 8 X 1,000-Ib (454-kg) bombs
or AGM-65 Maverick radar Westinghouse series of digital radar/fire control systems
Tiger II/Freedom Fighter (F-5)
The F-5 is a lightweight, supersonic aircraft developed as an inexpensive, easily maintained fighter capable of operating from unimproved airfields. It was originally offered as a candidate for a US light-weight fighter but found virtually all ofits market overseas. Although it is similar in appearance, the F-5E Tiger represented a significant improvement over the earlier F-5A. The T-38 Talon supersonic trainer is similar to the F-5 in most respects.
The F-5′s small, thin wing is mounted low on the fuselage well aft of the cockpit. It has a 24° leading-edge sweep, leading-edge flaps, and single-slotted trailing-edge flaps inboard of the inset ailerons. The wingtips have long missile rails. On the F-5E Tiger, the leading- and trailing-edge flaps have automatic combat-maneuver settings to increase turn rate. The F-5E also has a Leading-Edge Root Extension (LERX) with compound sweep that improves the aircraft’s handling at high angles of attack. Turn rates—both continuous and peak— increased by more than 30% over the F-5A.
The tail-group shape and position have remained constant throughout F-5 development. The double-taper fin has a two-section inset rudder; the cropped-delta, all-moving tailplanes are mounted at the bottom of the fuselage in line with the fin. Controls are assisted by two independent hydraulic systems, and the aircraft is fitted with a stability augmentation system.
The two J85 turbojet engines are buried side by side in the aft fuselage, with the afterburning nozzles extending well beyond the tail group. The air intakes are located low on either side of the fuselage. A boundary-layer splitter plate is fitted on the fuselage side of each intake, and the lip is curved aft as it moves away from the fuselage. The Tiger has uprated J85s and auxiliary inlet doors for takeoff and low-speed flight. Internal fuel tankage is confined to the fuselage. Iranian F-5s were fitted with a “buddy” refueling system in 1988 that permits one F-5 to refuel another.
The fuselage has a long pointed nose that slopes up to a low canopy; behind the canopy, a thick dorsal spine slopes down to the tail. The nose shape has varied, with some aircraft being fitted with a flattened “shark nose”; the RF-5E Tigereye reconnaissance variant has a chisel-shaped nose with an underslung pallet for cameras.
The main-landing-gear struts retract in from midwing pivots, the wheels being housed in fuselage wells. The nose gear in many F-5As and all F-5E/Fs has a two-position strut to raise the static angle of attack by SVs0, thereby increasing the wing’s lift and shortening takeoff roll. Side-by-side air brakes are mounted on the fuselage bottom, forward of the landing gear.
The single-seat cockpit of the F-5A and F-5E is enclosed by a single-piece canopy that is hinged at the rear. The two-seat F-5B trainer and F-5F trainer-interceptor have two canopy sections that are hinged to the side.
The F-5E is equipped with an Emerson
Electric AN/APQrl53 or -159 pulse-
Doppler radar. The F-5F has the Emerson Electric APQ-157. In addition to a more comprehensive communications and navigation fit, the F-5E also has the General Electric AN/ASG-29 or -31 Lead-Computing Optical Sight (LCOS), a central air data computer, and an attitude and heading reference system. Several F-5E users have the Litton LN-33 Inertial Navigation System (INS); Saudi aircraft have General Instruments AN/ ALR-46Radar-WarningReceiver (RWR), Tracor AN/ALE-40 countermeasures dispenser, and Hughes AGM-65 Maverick missiles. Swiss and South Korean aircraft are being refitted with the Dalmo Victor AN/ALR-87 threat-warning system. Several air forces have avionics upgrades under way or planned (see Variants).
Armament consists oftwo Pontiac-built M39 20-mm cannon in the upper nose. (The F-5F has one M39 cannon, the other having been removed to make room for camera pallets.) Each wingtip missile launch rail carries an AIM-9 Sidewinder
Air-to-Air Missile (AAM). All variants have one centerline hardpoint and four wing pylons for external stores, including AAM, air-to-ground missiles, bombs, gun pods, rocket pods, and external fuel tanks.
DEVELOPMENT • The F-5A achieved its initial operational capability with the US Air Force in 1964; the F-5E in 1973. First flight of Northrop N-156 was on July 30, 1959. F-5A through D variants continue to serve with many other countries. The US Navy and Air Force have flown F-5E/F aircraft for aggressor training. The US Marine Corps adversary squadron replaced its F-21A Kfir fighters with F-5E aircraft, completing the changeover in fall 1989.
A total of 879 F-5A/Bs were built by
Northrop, and 320 F-5A variants were built by Canadair in Canada and CASA in Spain. More than 1,400 F-5E/Fs were built, including license assembly by Korean Air in South Korea, F+W in Switzerland, and AIDC in Taiwan. 2,600 F-5s had been built in the US when production ended in February 1990; the last eight (for Singapore) were assembled from factory spares. More than 1,800 remain in service.
Ethiopian F-5A, -5E, and -5F aircraft had been unserviceable for several years before they were discarded in 1990. Royal Netherlands Air Force NF-5s were in service from 1969 to March 15, 1991. 60 Royal Netherlands AF NF-5s were donated to the Turkish Air Force, 12 to the Greek Air Force, and seven were sold to Venezuela.
The F-5 series is one of the most successful examples of a Western lightweight fighter design to have entered service. It is approximately the same size and weight as the MiG-21 Fishbed, but differs in having a lower maximum speed, higher weapons payload, and more tractable flying qualities at low fuel states.
The Freedom Fighter is flown by about 15 countries throughout the world; the Tiger is flown by over 20 nations.
VARIANTS •
F-5A (Freedom Fighter), F-5B (trainer), CF-5A/D (Canadair/
CF-116), NF-5A/D (Canadair-built for
the Netherlands), Norwegian F-5A/-5B Upgrade, Norwegian Tiger Upgrade Program for Avionics Weapon and Systems
(PAWS), F-5E/F (Singapore Upgrade), SF-5A/D (CASA-built), F-5E Tiger II
(second-generation), F-5F (trainer), Chegoong-Ho (Air Master/South Korean F-5F), Chung Cheng (Taiwanese F-5E), RF-5E Tigereye (reconnaissance), upgrade variants: Chile, Jordan, South Korea, Thailand, Venezuela; F-5G, T-38 Talon (trainer).
COMBAT EXPERIENCE •
Saudi Arabian F-5Es flew training missions during the 1991 Operation Desert Storm; one F-5E was lost to noncombat causes.
SPECIFICATIONS •
MANUFACTURER Northrop CREW 1 (2 in F-5B/F)
ENGINES
F-5A: 2 General Electric J85-GE-13 turbojet
F-5E: 2 General Electric J85-GE-21B turbojet
maxpower F-5A dry: 2,720 Ib (1,234 kg) static thrust each
F-5A with afterburner: 4,080 Ib (1,851kg) static thrust each
F-5E with afterburner:
5,000 Ib (2,268 kg)
static thrust each
internalfuel capacity
F-5A: 583 US gal (2,207 liters)
F-5E: 677 US gal (2,555
liters)
WEIGHTS
empty F-5A: 8,085 Ib (3,667 kg) F-5E: 9,723 Ib (4,410 kg)
max weapons load
F-5A: 6,200 Ib (2,812 kg)
F-5E: 7,000 Ib (3,175 kg)
max takeoff F-5A: 20,576 Ib (9,333 kg) F-5E: 24,722 Ib (11,214 kg)
DIMENSIONS
wingspan F-5A: 25 ft 3 in (7.7 m) F-5E: 26 ft 8 in (8.13 m)
length F-5A: 47 ft 2 in (14.38 m)
F-5E: 47 ft 4 % in (14.45
m)
Aeigfa F-5A: 13 ft 2 in (4.01 m)
F-5E: 13 ft 4 in (4.06 m)
wing area F-5A: 170 ft2 (15.79 m2) F-5E: 186 ft2 (17.3 m2) PERFORMANCE (at 13,350 lb/6,055 kg)
max speed at 36,000ft (11,000 m)
F-5A: 803 kts (925 mph;
1,489 km/h) or Mach
1.4
F-5E:935kts (1,077 mph; 1,733 km/h) or Mach 1.64
typical cruise 488 kts (585 mph; 904
km/h) or Mach 0.85
stall speed F-5A: 128 kts (147 mph; 237 km/h) F-5E: 124 kts (143 mph; 230 km/h) climb rate F-5A: 28,700 ft/min (8,748 m/min) F-5E: 34,500 ft/min
(10,516 m/min)
ceiling 51,800 ft (15,789 m)
radius F-5A, hi-lo-hi with max payload and combat reserves: 170 nm (195 mi; 314km)
F-5E, lo-lo-lo with 5,200-lb
(2,358-kg) payload and
combat reserves: 120 nm (138 mi; 222 km) F-5E at 15,000 ft (4,575 m), max fuel, 2 AAM, combat reserves: 570 nm (656 mi; 1,056 km) ferry range, tanks dropped
F-5A: 1,359 nm (1,565 mi; 2,519 km)
F-5E: l,545nm (1,778 mi; 2,861 km) armament 2 M239A2 20-mm cannon with 280 rounds each
and 2 AIM-9 Sidewinder AAM on wingtip launchers
and up to 6,200 lb/7,000 Ib (F-5A/F-5E) of
mixed ordnance on 4 underwing and 1 underfuselage stations including: 1 1,985-lb (900-kg) bomb 1 AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missile
9 500-lb (227-kg) bombs
submunitions dispensers
rocket pods
up to 3 GPU-5 30-mm
gun pods up to 3 150- or 275-US gal
(568- or 1,041-liter)
drop tanks radar, F-5E AN/APQ-153 or-159 I/J-band pulse Doppler