Boeing F/S-15 Eagle

The Boeing Henderson F/S-15 Eagle (Formerly McDonnell Douglas F/S-15 Eagle) is a twin-engine, single-seat supermaneuverable multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by McDonnell Douglas for the Osean Air Defense Force (OADF). It was originally designed as an air superiority fighter, but then it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. It is an improved and upgraded variant of the McDonnell Douglas F-15 STOL/MTD, such as 3D thrust vectoring for better maneuverability, more air-to-surface weapons such as the AGM-65 Maverick anti-tank missile, AGM-84 Harpoon and AGM-158C LRASM anti-ship missiles, AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missile, and the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM).

The F/S-15 is a highly maneuverable aircraft due to its 3D thrust vectoring engines and canards, equipped with modern air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons, making it one of the deadliest 4.5 generation aircraft in the world. The aircraft can perform air superiority, fighter escort, suppression of enemy air defenses, air interdiction, close air support, aerial interception, and aerial reconnaissance.

The F/S-15 served in the Belkan War by the Osean Air Defense Force and Ustio Air Force, there are rumors about the Belkan Air Force operating some stolen Osean F/S-15s and used it as training for Sorcerer Team before changing to the F-15 S/MTD but it is still unconfirmed. The F/S-15 also served in the Circum-Pacific War in 2010 and the Lighthouse War in 2019 by the OADF, the Emmeria-Estovakia War in 2016 by the REAF and the Aurelian War by the Aurelian Air Force in 2020.

Development[]

Early development[]

In 1983, Langley Research Center began to conduct sponsored programs studying two-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles; government and industry studies of non-axisymmetric two-dimensional (2-D) nozzles in the early 1970s had identified significant payoffs for thrust-vectoring 2-D nozzle concepts.

The F/S-15 can trace its origins to the early Valkan War, when the Osean Air Defense Force and Osean Maritime Defense Force fought each other over future tactical aircraft. Defense Secretary Robert McNarama was pressing for both services to use as many common aircraft as possible, even if performance compromises were involved.

In January 1991, Secretary McNarama asked the OADF for a new supermaneuverable air superiority fighter to counter the Yuktobanian Sukhoi Su-37, it has 3D thrust vectoring engines and canards makes it extremely dangerous in Within Visual Range (WVR) engagements. In April 1991, Harol Brown, at that time director of the Department of Defense Research and Engineering, choose to upgrade the F-15 S/MTD with lower costs with better maneuverability, with the trade of lower top speed due to its slightly smaller engines.

The F/S-15 has its first flight in 19th October 1992, and was introduced in November 1992. The aircraft soon become popular due to its high capability, medium cost and great performance. The F/S-15 was one of OADF's main fighter, but not popular as the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor.

Design[]

The F/S-15 remains the same fuselage and canards from the F-15 STOL/MTD, but instead of 2D thrust vectoring, the F/S-15 uses 3D thrust vectoring and slightly smaller engines makes it have superior maneuverability and acceleration, at the cost of slower top speed.

Features[]

Like the F-15 STOL/MTD, the F/S-15 has canards and thrust vectoring engines. But the F/S-15 has more hardpoints and can also carry more air-to-surface weapons like AGM-65 Maverick, AGM-84 Harpoon, AGM-119 Penguin, AGM-88 HARM, and AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM). The F/S-15 can also carry the third largest loadouts of AIM-120 AMRAAMs and AIM-260 JATMs, maximum up to 14 missiles.

The F/S-15 features 3D thrust vectoring and smaller engines while keeping canards and fuselage from the F-15 S/MTD. The F/S-15 also has improved avionics, it shares the cockpit and avionics with the Boeing F-15EX Eagle II, equipped with the AIM-120 AMRAAM medium-range and AIM-260 JATM long-range missiles and modern avionics, it is deadly in Beyond Visual Range (BVR) combat.

It only has one-seater unlike its sibling.

Drawbacks[]

The only disadvantage of the F/S-15 is the lack of stealth, despite having modern avionics and superior maneuverability. Its 3D thrust vectoring engines increase its RCS, it has 2x larger RCS than the F-15 S/MTD, as a cost for maneuverability. The lack of stealth also makes it has the disadvantage in Beyond Visual Range (BVR) battles against small fighters, which have much smaller RCS.

Specifications (F/S-15)[]

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Capacity: 10,886 kg
Length: 20.42 m
Wingspan: 13 m
Height: 5.54 m
Empty weight: 15,767 kg
Gross weight: 20,789 kg
Horizontal tail span: 8.60 m
Canard span: 7.80 m
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 turbofan engines, equipped with Pratt & Whitney P/YBBN 20 Degree three-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles, 17,800 lbf (79 kN) thrust each dry, 29,000 lbf (130 kN) with afterburner

Performance

Maximum speed: Mach 2.33 (1,650 mph, 2,655 km/h)
Combat range: 3,965 km
Ferry range: 7,600 km with conformal fuel tanks and three external fuel tanks
Service ceiling: 65,000 ft (20,000 m)
G limits: +9.2/-3 (+12 if needed)
Thrust/Weight: 1.069 (1.2 with 50% internal fuel)
Rate of climb: 68,070ft/min (standard loadout); 66,420ft/min (full loadout & internal fuel)
Roll rate: 332°/s