The F-15A Eagle prototype, which was based on the McDonnell Douglas 199-B design, was the first aircraft to leave the company’s St. Louis, Missouri, plant on June 26, 1972. The aircraft completed its maiden flight on July 27. Production models were commissioned by the 1st TFW at Langley, Virginia, in January 1976. Since then, the aircraft has developed into the most successful fighter in the world, and since the Gulf War in 1991, it has been the interceptor of choice over the skies of Iraq.
The Eagle’s outstanding radar, powerful supporting avionics, and dependable, maintenance-friendly airframe are the secrets to its superiority. It boasts an extremely straightforward, fixed-geometry, cambered wing design with smooth lines and a clear lack of high-lift devices. For improved air combat mobility, this wing’s high-subsonic maneuverability and 21.5-degree/second sustained turn rate, as well as superb instantaneous turn rare, for an enhanced air combat maneuvering experience.
‘McAir’ implemented a revolutionary concept that supplemented the radar and weaponry systems – HOTAS. The phrase “Hands-On Throttle and Stick” refers to the science of strategically positioning switches and buttons on the throttle and managing the stick grip so that the pilot’s thumbs and fingers could easily access them. Due to their ingenuity, F-15 pilots have been able to successfully complete kills in situations where they might have otherwise been distracted by finding or setting up a series of switches, perfuming, or performing another time-consuming operation.
HOTAS was complimented by a head-up display (HUD) that employed two combining glasses on to which a wide range of flight and weapons system information was projected. It too increased the pilot’s awareness by allowing him to keep his eyes outside the aircraft for longer.
The F-15C, a modified version of the Eagle that had a larger combat radius, was created by McDonnell Douglas. The C-model, which made its first flight on February 26, 1979, was visually identical to the F-15A except for having a new ACES II ejection scat and slight modifications to the landing gear to accommodate its larger takeoff weight.
The aircraft had a full avionics fit, including an extra (UHF) radio, stronger airframe components, and a thorough Tactical Electronic Warfare System (TEWS), which was missing from most A-models. The AN/ALQ-135(V) ICMS (Internal CounterMeasures Set) jammer line replacement units, which were moved from the avionics compartment behind the pilot in the C-model by the second cockpit, were not present in the two-seat F-15C.
When the Multiple Stage Improvement Program II (MSIP II) was introduced to the F-15C/Ds rolling off the production line and then retrofitted to the full F-15 inventory, including A/B-models, in February 1983, the F-15C fleet underwent significant upgrades. In June 1985, the first completely upgraded MSIP-II F-15C (84-000 I) took to the skies.
MSTP-II created a 25 percent increase in systems reliability and saw the installation of the Hughes AN/APG-70 radar (an advanced radar derived from the APC-63), a faster central computer with more memory, a new multi-purpose color display to replace an existing analog armament panel, wiring and software to integrate JTIDS (joint tactical information distribution system, which was installed in very limited numbers and was replaced by Fighter Dara Link in 2001), new throttles, a videotape recording system that recorded the HUD and radar for post-flight debriefing and kills validation, improvements to the aircraft’s electronic warfare system and support for the AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile). The APG-70 was used for a short time only, however, as it was superseded by the updated APG-63(V)I.
After the introduction of MSlP, which included a redesigned throttle design and a stick grip with a larger number of buttons, HOTAS was fully improved.
The book “F-15C/E Eagle Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom” by Steve Davies and Chris Davey is available to purchase here.