Tag:

F15

The First Man to fly “Have Blue” and “Tacit Blue” Experimental Stealth Aircraft died

by Till Daisd June 3, 2022

When an engine fire produced a strong oscillation of the fly-by-wire aircraft in July 1979 while Norman “Ken” Dyson was piloting Have Blue No. 2, he was forced to eject. Dyson survived the crash and went on to pilot the Northrop “Tacit Blue,” even though the jet was destroyed

Norman “Ken” Dyson, a U.S. Air Force (USAF) test pilot and civilian who is most known for his work on the experimental stealth aircraft “HavenBlue” and “Tacit Blue,” passed away on August 15, 2019, at the age of 81.

Dyson, according to Air Force Magazine, was a fighter pilot who later transitioned to test flying. He flew the F-100 and F-4 during the Vietnam War before returning to the Air Force as a test pilot. During this time, he conducted weapons development tests in the F-100, F-101, and F-4 as well as early F-15 test flights. He was appointed director of the Air Force’s top-priority combat aircraft program at the time, the F-15 Joint Test Force.

He started working on top-secret projects, such as the Lockheed “Have Blue” stealth demonstrator that served as the basis for the 1976 F-117 Nighthawk, the first stealth attack jet. When an engine fire produced a dramatic oscillation of the fly-by-wire aircraft in July 1979 while Dyson was piloting Have Blue No. 2, he was forced to eject. Dyson survived the crash and went on to pilot the Northrop “Tacit Blue,” even though the jet was destroyed.

The ground-breaking Tacit Blue aircraft, which was constructed in the early 1980s in great secrecy, tested cutting-edge radar sensors and novel stealth technology.

Contrary to the faceted surfaces of the F-117 Nighthawk, Tacit Blue demonstrated that a stealthy aircraft could have curved surfaces, which had a significant impact on succeeding aircraft like the B-2. The design of Tacit Blue also reduced the heat signature given off by the engines, further masking their presence. Tacit Blue was aerodynamically unstable, but it had a digital fly-by-wire system to help control it.

Dyson flew the B-1 bomber through a large portion of its test program after retiring as a lieutenant colonel and starting working for Rockwell, which is now a part of Boeing. Additionally, Dyson piloted the X-31 demonstrator of enhanced fighter maneuverability. In order to collect data on the control in the post-stall flight domain, a multinational project with Germany to study the X-31’s post-stall flight was test-flown at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, in the early 1990s. With the aid of cutting-edge flight control technology and thrust vectoring, which directs engine exhaust flow, the X-31 program successfully demonstrated the value of controllable flight at extremely high angles of attack.

In 1993, Dyson left Rockwell after serving as the company’s chief test pilot and director of flight tests. Dyson got the Legion of Merit, two Distinguished Flying Cross medals, nine Air Medals, and other decorations for his combat and test flying in the Air Force.

Dyson, a past president of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, was also recognized as a distinguished alumnus of the USAF TestnPilot School, an Engineering Fellow of the University of Alabama, and a Distinguished Aerospace Engineering Alumnus of Texas A&M University.

When Have Blue and Tacit Blue (retroactive to 1982) were both declassified, Dyson earned the SETP’s Iven C. Kincheloe award, the highest distinction given by peers, in 1989 for his work on Have Blue and again in 1996 for Tacit Blue. He was inducted into the Aerospace Walk of Honor in Lancaster, California, in 1997.

Norman “Ken” Dyson, the First Man to fly “Have Blue” and “Tacit Blue” Experimental Stealth Aircraft, Passed Away — The Tacit Blue aircraft was nicknamed “The Whale” for its unusual shape. Also, the single-engine intake on the top of the fuselage was reminiscent of a whale’s blowhole.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

June 3, 2022 0 comment

History

The F-15: Its impact on aviation

by Till Daisd May 15, 2022

written by Till Daisd

The F-15 Eagle has been in service with the US Air Force for 47 years. Introduced in 1976, it is still flying in 2019 and will be retired only later this decade. The F-15 is a twin-engine fighter designed to take on other fighters; it was not designed to protect bombers or other slower aircraft from ground fire, and indeed that role has fallen to the F-16 Fighting Falcon over time.

The F-15 can fly as fast as 1,875 miles per hour, or just over Mach 2. While this is an impressive speed compared to most other aircraft, it’s not quite the fastest speed ever recorded; that distinction belongs to the SR-71 Blackbird, a long-range surveillance aircraft. However, the F-15 still has bragging rights for being much faster than any other US fighter jet. The F-15 was designed with the MiG 25 in mind—a Soviet competitor that was much faster than any American warplane at the time.

The F-15 was designed for air superiority in combat. Its ability to perform well beyond visual range engagements has made it one of the best fighters ever built. It is the most successful air-to-air combat fighter in history. The F-15 has been used in combat by the USAF since 1975 and is still used today. Since its introduction, it has also been used by Israel, Japan, and Saudi Arabia. In air combat, this plane has a kill ratio of 104 to zero. This aircraft was instrumental in Operation Desert Storm over Iraq in 1991 and was subsequently used throughout conflict zones in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Israel.

The F-15’s twin engines come from the F-111, which is a fighter bomber that was first developed in the mid-1960s. The F-15 is a single-seat fighter, and even though it has two engines, it’s smaller than the F-111. It also weighs about 20 percent less, which led to its superior maneuverability. The twin engines enable the aircraft to be much more responsive as well as have a higher acceleration rate. Moreover, they are both 30 percent more powerful than the single-engine on the MiG 25. In other words, this means fewer trips to the gas station (or lack thereof). In addition, it has a range of 3,450 miles while carrying 23,000 pounds of bombs.

Upon entering the cockpit, they can immediately feel the crisp coolness of the pressurized environment. The pilot is not required to wear a pressure suit, as they would in an unpressurized aircraft. Additionally, their comfort is aided by the climate control system that maintains a wide range of temperatures. In essence, it is like being inside a small car with high-grade air conditioning and a powerful heater.

Modernized F-15s also ensure that pilots are well protected from outside noise and radio interference. The cockpit has been sealed off from the outside world to reduce noise levels inside by up to 50%. This makes communication easier and improves overall situational awareness for pilots flying at Mach 2 speeds at 30,000 feet above sea level.

The F-15 is somewhat unique among fighter jets in that it’s able to take off from both land and aircraft carriers without any modifications needed—a feature that’s especially impressive given the strength of its engine, which allows it to launch from an aircraft carrier as though it were on a runway.

The F-15 has been a mainstay of the U.S. air force since its debut in 1976, but its reputation spread far beyond American borders. More than 100 F-15s have been sold to U.S. allies in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East since then, including Japan (100), Saudi Arabia (60), Israel (36), South Korea (24), and Singapore (20). So many U.S. allies use the F-15 is just another testament to how popular it is overall.

The F-15 has been deployed in combat operations by several countries. The United States, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and other nations have used the F-15 to defend their borders from air attacks conducted by enemy fighter jets.
There are still more than 500 F-15s flying today – half of which are currently owned by Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Today, the U.S. operates fewer than 200 F-15s in its fleet, but they’re still some of the most advanced fighters in service. The Israeli Air Force has more than 100 F-15s while Saudi Arabia flies 70 of them as well.

Of course, it was the F-15C Eagle that achieved the most notoriety. The first of the Eagles to see combat, the C model destroyed 102 aircraft while losing none in air-to-air engagements. This record makes the F-15C perhaps the most successful air-to-air fighter aircraft in history. It’s been so successful that several nations still operate and fly them today. Both Israel and Saudi Arabia have modernized their fleets to improve their capabilities, and they continue to fly them regularly today.

Even now, 45 years after its creation, the F-15 continues to be sold around the world as an effective fighter jet for both air superiority and ground attack roles. Boeing has continued the development of both single and twin-engine variants of its Eagle for decades now. The latest version is known as the Silent Eagle – a stealthy variant capable of carrying internal bays for both weapons and fuel without compromising low observable characteristics.

And now, the F-15 has evolved into a multi-role tactical fighter with a proven track record and combat success. The aircraft has demonstrated its durability in thousands of sorties, both combat, and training. Thousands of pilots have flown the aircraft and it remains a stable element of the United States Air Force – one that will remain operational well into the 21st century.

The F-15 has been a fighter that has redefined what is possible in the skies. It was able to achieve for the United States what nothing else could, and it ushered in a new era of air superiority warfare that no other plane could hope to replicate. It has died its final death, but it will always be remembered as a pinnacle—and one of the best fighters ever built.
The F-15 was the ultimate example of a fighter jet, and fit perfectly with the US’s Cold War doctrine. The F-15 proved to be hyper air superiority, serving the USAF until the late 2000s, when the F-35 was waiting to take its place.

May 15, 2022 0 comment

History

The Blue on Blue incident, in which two USAF F-15s shot down two U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk

by Till Daisd September 25, 2021

written by Till Daisd

26 crew members and passengers aboard the two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters lost their lives in those few seconds, and the F-15 Eagle’s reputation was permanently damaged

On April 14, 1994, disaster struck when two F-15Cs piloted by Capt. Eric Wickson (lead) and Lt. Col. Randy W. May (wingman) shot down two U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters carrying 26 crew members and passengers over northern Iraq. May was now the CO of the 53rd Fighter Squadron (FS) and already had the controversial Mi-24 kill to his name from three years prior. The U.S. Air Force (USAF) blamed a series of mistakes that started with the general in charge of the Operation Provide Comfort Task Force and went all the way down.

The day began at 0635 hours with the launch of two F-15Cs, designated “Tiger 01” and “02,” on a sweep of the airspace north of the no-fly zone, before changing to a DCA/CAP mission in the region, as stated by Steve Davies in his book F-15C Eagle Units in Combat. The two UH-60s took off from Zakhu at 06:54 a.m. using the call sign “Eagle,” informing AWACS (call sign “Cougar”) of their departure location and their intended destination. At 0720 hours, Wickson, flying in “Tiger 01,” informed “Cougar” that he had entered northern Iraq. He then ordered his flight to conduct a sweep of the region in search of Iraqi aircraft.

The sad story of the Blue on Blue incident which resulted in the destruction of two U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters by two USAF F-15s — The F-15 pilots thought they were attacking a Mi-24 gunship. Indeed, the leader of Tiger flight went as far as to positively identify the helicopter as a ‘Hind’.

The AWACS controller failed to relay the necessary information to the F-15 pilots, who were unaware that a friendly helicopter flight was operating in the very same airspace it was supposed to “delouse” because the ATO did not contain any specific information about the “Eagle” flight.

Two minutes later, Wickson reported a radar contact on a slow-moving, low-flying aircraft that was 40 miles to the southeast of his own location and 52 miles from the southern limit of the no-fly zone. “Cougar” reacted with a “clean there” call, indicating that the AWACS controller’s scope had no targets. While planning an intercept to investigate, the F-15 pilots used IFF to check the contacts for a friendly electronic response.

By 0725 hours (about three minutes after “Tiger 01” had discovered the radar contacts), the distance had shrunk to 20 miles. Wickson again shouted the contacts out to “Cougar,” who reacted this time with “hits there,” indicating that he too had seen the radar contact. The IFF returns were being sent to “Cougar” via the IFF transponders on the “Eagle” aircraft; the AWACS was not picking them up on direct radar returns.

A minute later, Wickson’s reported contacts were still present in the area where the UH-60’s IFF returns were not only clearly visible but also identified as being. Despite this, AWACS still failed to alert the “Tiger” flight to the availability of IFF data in the target area. Each six-second attempt to elicit a response from the target via Wickson’s own IFF interrogations in the commercial and military (Mode IV) modes failed. Wickson then locked the target up. ‘Tiger 01′ and ’02’ moved in closer to make a visual identification.

At 7:27 a.m., Wickson approached within seven miles and called “Tiger 01” to confirm that there was just one helicopter in the area. Standby VID’. In order to avoid any forward-firing weaponry that an enemy gunship could have, he passed “Eagle 01″ at a height of 500 feet and 1000 feet to the left at 450 knots (giving an overtake of 320 knots—”Eagle” was at 130 knots). He then pulled off high and to the right over the top of the helicopter. He noticed that the helicopter was carrying sponsons that were equipped with weapons, but he was unable to identify any other distinctive markings on the green-camouflaged helicopter.

He radioed, ‘”Tiger 01″. VID “Hind” — no, “Hip”‘, at 0728 hrs, before referring to an in-flight silhouette guide to clarify his VID. Wickson then called, ‘”Tiger 01”, disregard “Hip”. VID “Hind”‘. With that he reversed course from the southeast to the northwest, before acquiring a visual on the second helicopter, trailing ‘Eagle 01’ by two miles. His call ‘”Tiger 01”. VID “Hind”, tally two, lead-trail’, prompted ‘Cougar’ to respond, ‘Copy “Hinds”‘. Wickson now sought confirmation of his VID from May in ‘Tiger 02’. “‘Tiger 02”, confirm “Hinds”‘. He later reported receiving the response, ‘Standby’.

The final series of errors started at this time when May flew 2000 feet to the right of the helicopter that was trailing and broadcast “Tiger 02,” tally two, claiming to have both helicopters’ insight. Although May just intended to say that he had the insight into the two helicopters, Wickson misunderstood this signal and believed that May had concurred with his ‘Hind’ VID.

After informing AWACS that two “Hinds” had been engaged, Wickson flew to a location ten miles to the northwest of the helicopters in a planned maneuver that gave the F-15 pilots enough time to launch a successful attack.

As he rolled back towards the helicopters, Wickson called, ‘”Tiger” arm hot, “Tiger 01” is hot’, telling May that he was cleared to fire provided that ROE was met. He then transmitted on the AUX radio, `We’re coming up behind them. There are two in lead-trail. “Tiger 01” is going first. I will shoot the trailer and then you will shoot the leader’. Wickson and May switched to AUTO ACQ mode to acquire their quarry and then attempted a final IFF interrogation, before visually acquiring their respective targets in their HUDs.

‘”TIGER 01″, fox. “TIGER 01”, splash one “Hind”. “Tiger 02”, you’re engaged with the second one. He’s off my nose two miles, right past the fireball. “02” call in. “01’s” off left’. Wickson had despatched the trailing UH-60 with an AIM-120 fired from about four miles out. May followed with an AIM-9 fired about 9000 ft away from ‘Eagle 01’. ‘”Tiger 02″ in hot. “Tiger 02”, splash second “Hind”‘. May reportedly ended the engagement with the words, ‘Stick a fork in him — he’s done!’

The 26 crew and passengers aboard the two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters lost their lives in those few seconds, and the F-15 Eagle’s reputation was permanently damaged. Numerous circumstances contributed to the catastrophe, as explained by Steve Davies and Doug Dildy in their book F-15 Eagle Engaged. The lack of awareness on the part of the AWACS controller resulted in a court-martial. The lack of information in the ATO and Special Instructions (“spins”) cost the career of a very talented, dedicated, and conscientious brigadier general heading the OPC operation. However, the USAF failed to place the blame on the perpetrators of the event.

The F-15 pilots failed in a fundamental fighter pilot responsibility — to be able to correctly visually identify an enemy aircraft from one in their own nation’s military — and miscommunicated the ID. While the squadron commander was the wingman (as was frequently the case in these typically dull and boring missions, the flight lead responsibilities were alternated to give the younger pilots more flight leadership experience), he set the tone in the squadron, failed to convey his true (if later testimony is accepted) appreciation for the situation, and, if he was truly unsure whether the targets were friendly or Iraqi, failed to call off the attack. The Black Hawks were still 40 miles away from the No-Fly Zone line and weren’t going there anyhow at 130 knots. There was certainly enough time, but none was used.

Even worse, the USAF handled the aftermath of the incident appallingly. Initial court-martial charges against the two pilots were withdrawn by the commanding general, reportedly due to a lack of evidence. This prevented the world, and in particular, the grieving loved ones of those who perished aboard the helicopters, from learning the merits of each participant’s conduct. The two aviators received typical, encouraging assignments for their next deployments up until CSAF General Ron Fogleman intervened and resolved the issue. Many people believe that the way the Air Force handled the case’s aftermath was almost as much of a black mark for its reputation as the unfortunate incident itself.

The negative blotch on the otherwise impeccable record of the 53rd FS “Tigers” prevented them from ever fully recovering. Closing the unit was the only way the USAF could end the problem and the suffering. On March 10, 1999, this was completed, leaving USAFE with just one Eagle squadron for the ensuing conflict in its theater.

F-15C Eagle Units in Combat is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

F-15 Eagle Engaged is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by Sgt. Janel Schroeder and MSGT STEVEN TURNER / U.S. Air Force, U.S. Department of Defense

September 25, 2021 0 comment

History

The ASM-135A ASAT missile and the F-15 Satellite killer

by Till Daisd September 2, 2021

written by Till Daisd

The first anti-satellite missile launch from an F-15 occurred over the Pacific Ocean on January 21, 1984. No actual target was involved; the ASAT missile was launched toward a predetermined location in space

A high-performance, all-weather air superiority fighter with twin engines, the F-15. The Eagle, which made its debut in 1972, was first used by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) in 1974. The Eagle’s excellent acceleration and maneuverability are among its most remarkable features. It was the first American fighter to have an engine thrust greater than the aircraft’s basic weight, enabling it to accelerate while climbing vertically.

The Eagle was chosen to carry out the satellite-killing mission because of its high thrust-to-weight ratio (which was roughly 1,04 for a nominally laden F-15).

The United States foresaw the Soviet Union developing “killer satellites” that might obliterate crucial American communication and surveillance satellites in the late 1970s.

The F-15 satellite killer and the ASM-135A ASAT missile

The Vought ASM-135A Anti-Satellite (ASAT) missile was selected as the weapon to neutralize this danger. The ASM-135A possessed a number of intriguing features, including the AGM-69 SRAM-A nuclear air-to-surface missile’s first stage and the absence of any warhead, which required direct contact with the target in order to be destroyed. This outcome was made possible by a tiny “homing kinetic kill vehicle” with IR guidance that had to direct the ASAT on the approaching satellite’s heat source.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) controllers would have employed their satellites to follow data of the target to ensure the exact position, as would be the case in a conventional engagement for an anti-satellite operation, to position the F-15 in a holding pattern. In response to NORAD’s order, the F-15 would have made a supersonic rise toward the target before launching the missile. According to Steve Davies and Doug Dildy in their book F-15 Eagle Engaged, the ASAT needed to be launched from an extraordinarily high angle (80,000ft) and high altitude (60-65 degrees).

Airborne experiments using modified F-15 fighters and “captive” (not launched) ASAT missiles with the designation CASM-135A were conducted since 1982.

The first launch of an anti-satellite missile from an F-15 over the Pacific Ocean occurred on January 21, 1984, following zoom tests carried out by two distinct F-15As from the 6512th Test Squadron. No actual target was involved; the ASAT missile was launched toward a predetermined location in space. The IR seeker was fixed to a star’s IR signature (officially referred to as a “celestial IR source”) and three further launches were made in 1985 after the initial one.

These tests, however, served as a warm-up for the one and only actual ASAT launch, which took place on September 13, 1985, when the F-15A 77-0084 destroyed the Solwind P78-1 satellite.

Since Soviet reconnaissance, maritime surveillance, and electronic intelligence satellites were frequently launched into polar orbits, the Solwind P78-1 spectrometer satellite made the ideal target simulator until it was rendered useless in 1985. The Solwind was launched into polar orbit in February 1979 as a spectrometer satellite.

The F-15 was piloted by Maj. Wilbert D. “Doug” Pearson who launched the missile during the operation, which was known as the “Celestial Eagle Flight,” from a height of 38,100 feet. The missile sped into space and zeroed in on the Solwind at a height of 345 miles. The Solwind was destroyed by the ASAT’s 11,000 mph speed and the 17,000 mph speed at which it collided with the satellite 320 miles above the planet.

Despite the test’s astounding success, the solar scientists’ outraged cries that they were still receiving data from the satellite drowned out the joy. Additionally, the ASAT test violated the recently negotiated US-USSR treaty that forbade the use of weapons in space. As a result of these worries, Congress had to reduce funds for the program, causing the USAF to stop developing the anti-satellite mission in 1988.

Pearson tells how he became the only fighter pilot in history to pull off the extraordinary accomplishment of taking down an orbiting satellite in the amazing video down below.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

Additional source: National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

September 2, 2021 0 comment

History

When the F-15 Baz Fighters become bombers and performed the longest airstrike

by Till Daisd August 23, 2021

written by Till Daisd

Many people still mistakenly assume that the F-15s used in Operation Wooden Leg were F-15E Strike Eagles, however, the strike package was created by IAF F-15Cs and Ds that had been modified in the summer of 1985.

When the Israeli Air Force (IAF) chose the F-15, the service considered the aircraft’s air-to-air performance as well as whether the Eagle design would allow it to operate as an all-weather attack fighter. The Baz, as the IAF referred to its F-15s, stunned the world in 1985 by carrying out the longest airstrike in IAF history. This came after the aircraft had been modified to carry out long-range precision strike missions in the 1980s.

On September 25, 1985, three unarmed Israeli tourists who were vacationing on their yacht off the coast of Larnaca, Cyprus, were slain by Force 17, a division of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). On October 1, 1985, the IAF launched “Operation Mivtza Regel Etz (Wooden Leg)” from Tel Nof Air Base against the PLO headquarters in Hammam al-Shatt, Tunisia, which is approximately twelve miles from the country’s capital, Tunis, in retaliation for the unjustified murder of the three Israeli civilians.

Operation Wooden Leg: how the F-15 Baz fighters became bombers and performed the longest air strike in IAF history

The mission would have been the IAF’s longest attack since Entebbe in 1976 and the first time the F-15 Baz was employed as a fighter bomber, according to Donald J. McCarthy, Jr. in his book “The Raptors All F-15 and F-16 aerial combat victories.” Two modified Boeing 707 tankers from the Desert Giant squadron would meet the strike aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea to complete the long-distance operation, which required the aircraft to fly more than 1,280 miles over the open ocean.

The mission would have been overseen by an airborne command post on a Boeing 707.

The Eagles chosen for the mission were the F-15s from Spearhead Squadron. The actual airstrike for Operation Wooden Leg was to be carried out by two flights of F-15s outfitted with GBU-15 electro-optical glide weapons, hence all of the aircraft and aircrews involved were “GBU-15 qualified.” Notable qualities of the GBU-15 include its great maneuverability and ideal, low- to medium-altitude delivery capabilities with pinpoint accuracy.

The first six F-15s (five of which were F-15D Nos. 280, 450, 455, 970, and 957) were entrusted with transporting the GBU-15s to the PLO’s headquarters near the coast. Six 500 lb. Mk 82 bombs were carried on the centerline pylons of the final two F-15s (F-15C Nos. 530 and 840), which were outfitted with different weapons.

In six minutes, the aircraft destroyed practically the entire PLO complex, including the PLO’s chairman bureau and Force 17’s headhunters. In addition, 70 more terrorists were injured and between 60 and 100 terrorists were killed. The Tunisian and Syrian Air Forces were unable to stop the F-15s since the strike came as such a surprise. Actually, the complex’s anti-aircraft defenses did not even attempt to attack IAF planes.

Israel’s attack on Yasser Arafat’s PLO was roundly and swiftly condemned by the international community; the United States, Israel’s closest friend, also voiced significant disagreements with Operation Wooden Leg.

But, as told by McCarthy Jr., the burning questions for Israel’s enemies were: “How did Israel carry out the longest-range attack in its history? How were they able to avoid detection from Egyptian and Libyan radar units, and even from U.S. Navy ships deployed in the Mediterranean?”

The IAF officials had the vision to fully appreciate the Baz’s multirole capabilities when the F-15 was chosen, which is the answer to the questions. Additionally, after the aircraft started serving the IAF, planning to enhance its capabilities was started right away.

Nevertheless, a lot of people continue to think that the F-15s used in Operation Wooden Leg were F-15E Strike Eagles.

Instead, IAF F-15Cs and Ds were modified in the summer of 1985, far before the delivery of the first F-15Es in April 1988, which made the strike package that carried out Operation Wooden Leg. In truth, improvements like the insertion of conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) provided the F-15s the capacity to carry out long-range missions, even if many crucial parts of Operation Wooden Leg remain classified while advanced weapons control, radar, and electronic warfare systems were further advancements.

Photo by Israeli Air Force Facebook Page

August 23, 2021 0 comment

Accidents and equipments

The F-15 “Franken Eagle” of the Israeli Air Force

by Till Daisd July 15, 2021

written by Till Daisd

The F-15’s central and rear parts were damaged beyond repair, according to the first accident report

A badly damaged Israeli Air Force (IAF) dual-seater F-15 Baz (Falcon, as the F-15 Eagle is dubbed by IAF) fighter jet returned to service with parts coming from a single-seater F-15.

The aircraft, which belonged to the “Edge of the Spear” Squadron, took off from Tel-Nof AFB in June 2011 and was hit by a flock of pelicans when it reached 3,000 feet. Its crew immediately attempted an emergency landing, severely damaging the aircraft’s rear area.

The F-15’s middle and back sections were destroyed beyond repair as a result of the engine burning, according to the first accident report.

According to Iaf.org.il, the Aerial Maintenance Unit (AMU) employees who have worked on the plane since 2014 discovered a solution to get it back in the air by removing the damaged twin-forward seater’s fuselage section and connecting it to a single-seat F-15 that has been in storage for 20 years. “A single-seater F-15 jet, tail number 314, was in storage at Ovda AFB. We removed its cockpit and connected the cockpit of the two-seater to the fuselage of the older F-15. The cockpit of the two-seater is more advanced and includes all of the upgrades performed in the IAF’s new jets,” said Lt. Col. Maxim Orgad, Commander of the AMU’s Engineering Department. Despite the fact that they are both F-15s, the aircraft are not identical, making the connection between them unclear, as Orgad pointed out. “It was a borderline impossible job; we had to map every wire and understand where they fit and which system they belong to.”

In August 2016, the fully rebuilt Baz completed its final series of tests in the AMU before being transferred to the IAF Flight Test Center (FTC), where the F-15 completed its first test flight, as shown in the photo in this post. Lt. Col. Rotem, who was also the mishap pilot during the bird attack, piloted the plane.

The jet returned to service after the flying testing was finished.

The restoration of the F-15, according to Lt. Col. Orgad, was a difficult yet rewarding task. “This is a challenging project engineering-wise. We studied the jet’s systems and structure and figured out the correct solution. In addition, this project gives the engineers pride and motivation. They built a jet from scratch.”

It’s worth noting that this wasn’t the only “Frankenstein conversion”: on September 21, 2009, the Finnish Air Force presented an F-18D Hornet, serially NH-468, which was built from a single-seat F-18C seriously damaged in a mid-air collision.

The “FrankenHornet” was tragically lost during flight testing on January 21, 2010.

Photo by Adar Yahalom via Israeli Air Force website

July 15, 2021 0 comment

Newer Posts

Older Posts