How this Cheap But Genius Invention Made the F-15 Most Feared in Dogfight

thank you hello everyone and welcome back to the fluctus channel for over 30 years the U.S Air Force has dominated the skies thanks in great part to the F-15 [Music] that has elevated its offensive and defensive capabilities first flown in 1972 the F-15 Eagle is touted as an all-weather extremely maneuverable tactical fighter the plane is literally built for success [Music] it has a low body weight compared to its engine strength that thrust to weight ratio allows the F-15 to accelerate quickly and turn tightly without losing air speed [Applause] it can also decelerate on a dime [Music] here you will see how an F-15 pilot uses air brakes for on real maneuverability in the sky the look of the F-15 is well known it's frequently seen on TV in movies and in commercials but since its Inception in the 1970s the plane's design has evolved the f-15a was a one-seat fighter later versions like the f-15b included a dual cockpit [Music] the modern f-15e is equipped to fly and fight in the dark of night that's in part thanks to a flight control system that has automatic terrain following for low altitude high speed penetration the U.S military says it maintains 249 f-15s [Music] many are made and repaired at this defense contractor Factory in St Louis Missouri [Music] the Air Force pilots toured this facility in August 2017. today we're actually drilling some tight tolerance holes to attach the vertical stabilizer to the fuselage you get to see the men and the women come through here who actually use the product we're building and then to help us understand more on why we do what we do here and why we do our best to build a quality product for those who are actually flying and maintaining the f-15s the 15s are true fighters in the air [Music] each jet is armed with an internal Cannon and at least four external guns foreign prowess comes at a cost and B models of the F-15 were estimated to cost around 28 million dollars [Music] B models about 30 million dollars with all its additions the f-15e is much pricier some sources estimate the price tag is upwards of 130 million dollars but there's a reason these planes are expensive they include features that allow the plane to move with immense agility and maneuverability one of those features is the air brakes only Decades of powered flight air brakes were flaps mounted on the wings they were manually controlled by a lever in the cockpit f-15s have a large dorsal air brake just behind the cockpit it raises on top of the plane to instantly create drag and slow the jet down this is why air brakes are also referred to as speed brakes [Music] speed brakes are installed on nearly every fighter aircraft they take several different forms certain planes have them in the back of the fuselage they all perform the same function which is to greatly increase parasitic drag and slow the aircraft [Music] the brake Works quickly and is either engaged or not engaged there is no halfway it's extended fully or it's not while air brakes are used a bit in maneuvering mostly they're deployed to slow down an F-15 to land [Music] another notable characteristic of the F-15 is its rear cockpit [Music] the person sitting in the second seat is often a navigator who assists the pilot and operates the weapon systems foreign however the controls for the front and rear cockpits are the same this allows the person in the rear cockpit to take over and pilot the plane if the person up front is occupied or injured two pilots on board also allow these fighter jets to succeed in air-to-ground missions foreign s over Florida the Air Force practices attacking ground targets from low altitudes using aircraft mounted automatic weapons the person positioned in the rear cockpit normally operates those weapon systems while the pilot focuses on flying as close to the Target as he or she can safely do so f-15s have been essential in recent battles the f-15c D and E models were deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1991. that was in support of Operation Desert Storm the F-15 sea Fighters accounted for 34 of the 37 Air Force air-to-air victories the family of f-15s continues to evolve in April 2021 the Air Force unveiled the latest and greatest model of F-15 at Elgin Air Force Base in Florida ladies and gentlemen it's my honor to introduce the f-15ex eagle 2. created in a partnership between Boeing and the Air Force the F-15 ex Eagle 2 builds on the F-15 Eagle Mission design series and is an upgraded version of the F-15 4th generation fighter jet Boeing says the f-15ex features fly-by-wire controls it has a best-in-class weapons carriage the fighter also has the world's fastest Mission computer [Music] think to those advances the f-15ex has improved radar and advanced electronic warfare protection and the newest version of the F-15 software operational flight program [Music] the f-15ex is the most advanced variant of the multi-role all-weather and day and night versions of the F-15 aircraft family 15ex's modern avionics feature a state-of-the-art advanced cockpit system with an all-glass large area display that gives the Warfighter significantly enhanced situational awareness both day and night the jet is meant to replace the Air Force's aging f-15s and supplement its Fleet of stealth Fighters perhaps its most important capability the f-15ex is among a small group of U.S aircraft built for nuclear capabilities [Music] it also excels at dog fighting foreign is the slang term for air combat maneuvering [Music] it's the Tactical art of moving turning and or situating once fighter aircraft in order to attain a position from which an attack can be made on another aircraft here we can see inside an f-15e where a U.S air force weapon school instructor Pilots over the Nevada test and training range and its surrounding area in a mock dog fight but it's not the F-15 but rather the F-22 jet that's now widely regarded as the most dominant fighter in the world a newer aircraft first unveiled in 1997 the F-22 Raptor has air-to-air maneuverability attributes which many say is of a superior category compared to any other potential rival [Music] the F-22 is a Lockheed Martin 5th generation jet it's aerodynamics relax stability and Powerful thrust vectoring engines give it excellent maneuverability and energy potential to cross its flight envelope [Music] the F-22 has an incredible 60 degree angle of attack characteristics and can still maintain roll control and perform tricky maneuvers the public often gets a chance to see the f-22's high-flying abilities including a near vertical takeoff at air shows foreign 2007 the Air Force approved the aircraft for demonstration replacing the air combat command's f-15c demonstration team F-22 demos include the crowd-pleasing power Loop foreign [Music] as well as high-speed passes and dedication passes [Music] based on those designed for combat operations but are performed at much lower altitudes than most Pilots are certified to fly [Music] [Music] foreign however the f-22s are no longer in production for a variety of reasons in 2009 the program was cut at 150 million dollars per aircraft a big reason was the high cost [Music] additionally there was a lack of Need for air-to-air Missions foreign the very last F-22 was delivered in 2012. when U.S Air Force pilots enter battle they can rest assured they are behind the Yoke of the most technologically advanced fighter jets in the world thank you [Music] the f-15s have dominated the skies for 30 years and counting their only Nemesis the F-22 is also an American-made aircraft whether taking part in a mock dog fight or putting their life on the line in war Pilots can trust the power maneuverability and ultimately the survivability of these amazing planes foreign that's the end of this video I hope you enjoyed it make sure to subscribe to this channel so you don't miss any of our new content see you next time

Channel: Fluctus

Views: 609,274

Keywords: F-15 fighter jet, U.S. Air Force, F-15E, F-15A, F-15B, F-15C, F-15D, automatic terrain following, low-altitude flying, Mach 2, plane engine, engine thrust, dual cockpit, rear cockpit, dogfighting, dogfight, mock dogfight

Id: 0U2dNNFFAMg

Length: 15min 50sec (950 seconds)

Published: Sun Jan 01 2023