malloy@nprdc.navy.mil (Sean Malloy) (01/12/90)
From: malloy@nprdc.navy.mil (Sean Malloy) In article <13045@cbnews.ATT.COM> you write: >(Since we're supposed to be technological here, I suppose I should >justify insulting the F-15E... :-) The F-15, designed as a bastard >cross between an air-superiority fighter and a high-altitude interceptor, >has much too much wing to make a good low-level bomber. Whereas the >Tornado was designed for it and does it very well.) That the F-15 doesn't make a good ground-attack aircraft isn't suprising; regardless of what the Air Farce has had done to the plane since its inception, the original design philosophy that was used was "Not a pound for air-to-ground" -- it was designed to be a fighter, not the bastard fighter/tactical bomber mix that most of the other 'F' series aircraft have been. Sean Malloy | "I am here by the will of Navy Personnel Research & Development Center | the people and will not San Diego, CA 92152-6800 | leave until I get my malloy@nprdc.navy.mil | raincoat back"
muller@gn.ecn.purdue.edu (Mark B. Muller) (01/16/90)
From: muller@gn.ecn.purdue.edu (Mark B. Muller) >>From: malloy@nprdc.navy.mil (Sean Malloy) >In article <13045@cbnews.ATT.COM> you write: >>(Since we're supposed to be technological here, I suppose I should >>justify insulting the F-15E... :-) The F-15, designed as a bastard >>cross between an air-superiority fighter and a high-altitude interceptor, >>has much too much wing to make a good low-level bomber. Whereas the >>Tornado was designed for it and does it very well.) >That the F-15 doesn't make a good ground-attack aircraft isn't >suprising; regardless of what the Air Farce has had done to the plane >since its inception, the original design philosophy that was used was >"Not a pound for air-to-ground" -- it was designed to be a fighter, >not the bastard fighter/tactical bomber mix that most of the other 'F' >series aircraft have been. While the orginal F-15 was given "not a pound for air-to-ground," the F-15E has quite a few pounds for air-to-ground. In addition to having a second seat, the airframe has been "beeefed up" significantly to be able to carry heavier loads, and do so regularly. It also incorporates both LANTIRN pods as standard equipment, thus giving it all weather capability as well as increased (or in this case, added) target designation capabilities for the large number of weapons it can carry. As each of the pods weighs several hundred pounds, the F-15E has quite a few pounds for air-to-ground operations. Of course, the added weight increases the wing loading, thus making the plane more suitable for low level operations. Given this, the F-15E should be a fine machine for its intended role. The Tornado is also a fine machine for the same role, so that it was still somewhat silly to develop the F-15E whaen the Tornado was already available and proven. *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* * Mark Muller Undergarduate at Purdue University * * muller@gn.ecn.purdue.edu Aeronautics & Astronautics Engineering * *-------------------------------------------------------------------------*