Welcome to my fighter page. Here
you can read about my favourite fighters. Before you can start
reading and looking I want you to know that I am a boy with the age
of 16, and therefor I'm not sure if I can tell you how to become a
fighter pilot or answer any questions of that kind. Though if you
happen to know something about these matters, please feel free to
tell me at gudal@online.no.
My
mainpage
Pictures
from my class'es trip to Liseberg, Sweeden
3. Mc Donnel Douglas F-15 Eagle
4. Lockheed F-16 Fighting Falcon
5. Mc Donnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet
Click at the pictures to see the gallery for that type of aircraft.
The F-22A is the result of a collaboration between Lockheed, General Dynamics, and Boing to design and build a stealthy combined air-superiority and ground-attack fighter. The F-22 A makes extensive use of ultra-modern materials and 3D computer modelling for its blended surfaces. The aerodynamics have been optimised for a stealthy, agile shape compromise. The fact that F-22 is a stealth fighter means that it is almost invisible to enemy radars, and it is very hard for enemy heat seeking missiles (IR missiles) to lock on to it. For the F-22 to stay stealthy it carries its weapon in three internal weapon bays. The F-22 also features the ability to cruise supersonically without afterburner. The F-22 uses thrust vectoring for dramatically improved agility, fly-by-wire technology, and the very latest in cockpit design. It should also be mentioned that the F-22, or the "Raptor", features STOL capabilities (short take-off and landing capabilities).
This is the best fighter aircraft in the world today. But it is by far the most expensive too.
The F-14 is the U.S primarily used by the U.S navy to defend aircraft carriers and intercept enemy aircraft. This is why the aircraft is to some refered to as "The fleet defender". The Tomcat was born out of the failed navy F-111B project. It was the first aircraft to use the swing wing design at sea. Even after tventy years of service with the US navy the F-14 remains an extremely powerful fighter. It uses a Hughes AWG9 radar which is capable of tracking twentyfour targets simultaneously and engaging six targets at once, with the long range AIM 54 Phoenix air-to-air missile. The AIM 54 has a range of about 150 Miles and it costs over 1 million dollars.
The F-15 was created as a panic reaction to rumours concerning the capabilities of the Mig-25 Foxbat ,after billions of dollars in development costs, the defection of a russian pilot complete with "Foxbat" aircraft releaved that the fears were unjustified. The F-15 also embodies many of the lessons learned in Vietnam concerning the need for agility and it was first designed to excel in the air supiriority role as a manouvreable dogfight aircraft. It was later adaptet to become an extremely capable attack fighter, especially in the twin seat F-15E version, which also is an extremely good all-weather fighter bomber. This was proven in "operation dessert storm", where the Eagle specialised in flying bad-weather and nightbombing missions deeply into Iraqi teritory.
The United States Airforce chose the F-16 as the winner of the 1972 lightweight fighter competition between the Lockheed YF-16 and the Northtrop YF-17. Since entering service with the U.S air force the F-16 has been bought by 17 airforces around the world amongst other: Norway. Though originally intended to be a simple and affordable fighter using the latest fly-by-wire flight system, and side mounted control stick, the F-16 is still used as the yardstick by which other fighters measure their close combat manouverability. The under fuselage air intake set a design continued in the EF2000.
The FA-18 arose out of the US navys concern about the escalating costs of the F-14, and the need to replace the A6 intruder. The "Hornet" has been developed into a truly all capable fighter, incorporating the by-now standard fly by wire controls and very advanced digital cockpit instruments. The aerodynamic design allows this aircraft to fly at high angles of attack while manouvering fully loaded. The FA-18 is able to carry a huge range of weapons including nuclear stand off missiles, and is able to attack a ground target, or fly an interception mission with equal capability, and fly it`s own fighter sweep on the way home.
The F-117 A was a result of the highly secret "Have blue" programme to develop aircraft that are virtually undetectable to radar and infra-red. For several years the US government tried to keep the existence of the F-117 A an absolute secret. Pilots had to train at night at a secret base far away from civilization, and thay had to tell their families that they were flying old F-4s. However, after the crashes of two aircraft, and the need to train pilots during daylight, plus the growing rumours about the aircrafts existence, the US air force reluctantly released retouched photographs of the F-117 A. The first F-117A flew on June 18, 1981 and the first F-117A unit, the 4450th Tactical Group, achieved initial operating capability in October 1983. The 4450th was renamed the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing in October 1989. The F-117A was first used in combat during Operation JUST CAUSE on December 19, 1989 when two F-117As from the 37th TFW attacked military targets in Panama. The F-117A was again called into action during Operation DESERT SHIELD/STORM in 1990-91 when the 415th and the 416th squadrons of the 37th TFW moved to a base in Saudi Arabia. During Operation DESERT STORM the F-117As flew 1,271 sorties, achieving an 80 percent mission success rate while suffering no lossed or battle damage. A total of 59 F-117As were built between 1981 and 1990. The F-117A was awarded the 1989 Collier Trophy, one of the most prized aeronautical awards in the world.
The solution ro radar stealth had been locked away in a century old set of equations by a Scottish physicist, James Clerk Maxvell. 3D computing had not developed sufficiently in the late 70s to predict all the possible radar reflections from an aircraft in flight. However, by the use of "faceting" (flat skin panels) the number of calculations could be kept to a minimum,hence the F-117 A is made entirely of flat panels. The sharp delta shape also reduces radar reflections. The unusual jet pipe design helps to cool the exhaust so as to prevent infra-red detection, and missile lock-on.
The A-10 Thunderbolt, or Warthog, is the first and only aircraft designed for close-air support of ground troopers. Although other aircraft, like the F-16, is also capable of performing such missions, they can not do it with the same efficiancy and quality as the A-10. The reason for this is that the A-10 has a much lower stalling, and is much more manouvrable at lower altitudes and speeds than the F-16. The A-10 is a very survivable aircraft that can take a lot of "pounding", the pilot is protected from ground -fire by a "bath thub" of thick aluminium plates, and so are most of the avionics system and flight control systems. In practice this means that the Warthog can stand direct hits from 23 mm armour-piercing high explosive projectiles, that would tear any other fighter to pieces. Because the warthog is such an invaluable aircraft to ground troops and a highly accurate weapons delivery platform, the US government has planned to keep the plane in service to the year 2030.
The eurofigther programme began in 1983 with a desire to create an aircraft that could be used world wide for defence well into the 21st century. The project is a collaboration between the countries: UK, Germany, Spain, and Italy. The Eurofighter is a multirole combat aircraft expected to win against any aircraft in the world exept for the U.S.A.F F-22 , but it should however be noted that this aircraft is twice the cost of the EF2000. Like the Grippen and Rafale the Eurofighter uses canards and a broad delta wing to get the best combination of agility, lift, and speed.
The Harrier is the V/STOL (Vertical short take-off and landing) aircraft which uses vectored-trust turbofans seemingly to defy the laws of gravity. The vectored thrust nozzles can be used to hover, tighten turns, to suddenly stop the aircraft in mid manoeuvre, and of course to land and take-off vertically. But although the Harrier can take-off and land vertically, it seldom does, especially not under normal circumstances. The main reason for this is that taking-off and landing vertically burns a lot more fuel than normal landings and take-offs. The second reason is that vertical take-offs and landing often require the use of a special take-off pad on the ground, to keep the runway from taking damage by the intense jet-blast of the engines. On aircraft carriers, though, the harrier sometimes takes off vertically, but the most common methods on carriers, is using som sort of "ramp" at the end of the deck.
Flying the Harrier is an extremely difficult task. Only the best pilots are selected to commence the Harrier training-program, and not all of them come through it. As mentioned above, the Harrier is an extremely difficult machine to fly, but it is also a very "unforgiving" aircraft. If the pilot makes the slightest mistake whilst taking-off or landing, pushes the wrong flaps for instance, the Harrier will drop to the ground like a brick, with no chance of recovery. Some pilots describe flying the Harrier as balancing on the edge of a knife, and if you fall of that edge you are dead. This does not sound unreasonable when it is known that the Harrier is the most difficullt-to-fly aircraft in the world.
The amazing agility of the Harrier was proven in the Falklands war, when 28 Harriers fought against a staggering number of over 400 Argentinian Mirages. Because of the Harriers supreme agility, and the fact that almost all the Argentinian aircrafts were taken-out on the ground, victoriously proved the Harrier`s enormous capabilities as a fighter-jet . Since it`s first hovering flight in 1966 it has been developed in three main versions: A strike aircraft for the R.A.F , GR Mks 1-7 which are the RN strike fighter , and the AV-8A and B 2 for the U.S marine corps and the spanish navy .
Revealed on 22 November 1988, the B-2 Spirit low observable (stealth) strategic bomber is the result of a programme begun in 1978. The first of six prototypes made its maiden flight on 17 July 1989. One operational USAF unit, the 509th BW, operates the Spirit, the first example for operational use having been delivered in 1993. The B-2 is a blended flying wing with straight leading edges and a 'sawtooth' trailing edge. A centrebody smoothly contoured into the upper wing surfaces contains the two man crew compartment and two weapons bays, while the all-important contouring extends to the engine bays. The exhaust for the engines are deliberately positioned well forward of the wing's trailing edge, this to help reduce the heat signature.
This page will be updated, soon; with new planes and more pictures. Look forward to it. If you have any comments, good Airplane Internet adresses, please feel free to E-mail me at gudal@online.no.
You are number visiting my
Fighter page sinse 17 oct. 1999.