Why The F-15 Terrified The Soviets
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- Опубліковано 12 кві 2023
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More than 50 years after making its first flight, the F-15 Eagle remains one of the most capable fighter aircraft ever developed.
The F-15 was born from the difficult lessons learned during the Vietnam War. In the late 1950s, Air Force planners were confident that the advent of powerful new radars and long-range air-to-air missiles had rendered close-range aerial combat a thing of the past. So fighter jets like venerable the Mcdonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom were not engineered to be light or agile like their predecessors. Instead, they were designed to be heavily-loaded with missiles and carry powerful radars. Their pilots were no longer trained to dogfight, as they would engage the enemy at great distances, well beyond visual range.
But in the Vietnam War, military planners learned the hard way that the age of dogfighting was far from over. American pilots were being downed at alarming rates. The Friend or Foe (IFF) systems designed to identify enemy targets proved unreliable, forcing Air Force pilots to get in close to visually identify targets. At close-range, up against more agile Soviet-built MiGs, the F-4s were at a disadvantage. They were less agile than the MiGs, lacked a gun for close-range combat, and their pilots weren’t properly trained. To make matters worse, 1967, the Soviet Union looked set to unveil what appeared to be a new super-fighter built for extreme maneuverability.
The devastating experience from Vietnam and concerns being outclassed in the skies pushed the United States to develop a new air-superiority fighter that could face off with any current or future Soviet-built fighter. The result would be a twin-engine, high-performance, all-weather air superiority fighter known for its incredible acceleration and agility. Engineered from the ground up for tactical dominance in any air space, the F-15 holds the distinction of over a hundred aerial victories without a single defeat.
Thanks for watching!
My Eagle vs. Foxbat video is now up on Nebula! nebula.tv/videos/mustard-eagle-vs-foxbat-samurra-air-battle Super excited to post this one, as it's a new kind of Mustard video!
I want more like this kinda “series”
The 2 tech marvels and then a vid about a notable rivalry/fight between them
@@tdestroyer1882 The Nebula video was AMAZING. I agree.. a mustard series on 'great air battles" would be amazing. I want MOOOAARR
Best fighter?!
What is good about fighting?
Have you thought of producing content on the A-10 Thunderbolt vs the SU-25 Frogfoot? CAS birds from the opposite sides of the coin much like the F-15 and Foxbat are in the role of Fighters.
I would love to see one about the Mig-29 fulcrum or the SU-27 flanker love your channel watch your videos multiple times just so entertaining
It's kind of poetic; the Soviets oversold a jet's capabilities and knew it could never do all the things they claimed. The American D.o.D. took their adversary at face value and so built a jet that could equal or excel their Soviet counterpart. This results in a jet that actually dominates their direct competition. It was a solution to a problem that never actually existed.
They never oversold it, it was the american intelligence who made the wrong performance predictions.
Soviets build a fast, long range interceptor. With a with great radar and missiles meant to intercept bombers.
Soviets main issue was american bombers on a really huge frontier to cover. They needed an interceptor.
Americans had several good interceptors... They needed a fighter.They saw what they wanted to see.
@@Coyote27981 naa they over sold it just like their T-14 and SU-57. This ain’t the first thing the soviet over sold.
The Foxbat successor (MiG-31) is doing well in the Ukraine war though. Just put a hypersonic missile, go as high and fast as possible, toss it and turn around
@@rdablock if Ukraine didn't shift their forces day 1 of the way away from major airfields, (therefor avoiding Pre-set strikes) Russian air superiority would of been won day 1
Failing to acquire the major objectives in first week such as airfields and major bases, has caused this war to linger. Incompetence or not, Russia is still a major force which have given superpowers headaches for a reason. Soviet technology during the USSR (60/80s) was sometimes surpassing western technology, Not only in this video does it show the Foxbat as a example, but Aerospace too, like "The Great Buran" Shuttle.
@Remain Nameless ….you’re the one doing the whataboutism
This channel is the definition of “quality over quantity”.
almost an equal number were built the soviets didnt make particularily many of them
@@elmoantero99he’s talking about the Mustard UA-cam channel…. not the planes.
True
5:18 they even made it look like a presentation for us with the light washing out the projector light.
Yeah! Right up their butt!
the f-15 landed with only one wing, shot a satellite, hit a fucking helicopter with a guided bomb, and has a god damn 104:0 kill ratio. Damn what an aircraft
Ahhhh, the ghost of Kyiv🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@ctrl-del630 nah, the actual pilots unknown
@@ctrl-del630 Ahh, the tank turrets keeping air superiority due to lack of aircraft.
@@ctrl-del630 Not quite.
One winged landing 1983: IAF F-15D, pilot Zivi Nedivi.
ASAT sattelite destruction 1985: USAF F-15A, pilot Maj. Wilbert Pearson
LGB helicopter kill 1991: USAF F-15E, pilot Capt. Tim Bennett.
@@ctrl-del630No. You do realize the Ukrainian government admitted to making up the Ghost of Kyiv for morale purposes right? Plus during the rumors they said he flew a Mig-29. So shush little Timmy, don’t disrespect the F-15 like that.
I once heard. The F-15 doesn’t produce lift. It beats the atmosphere into submission
A man of culture, I see
The Fat Electrician
The Chuck Norris of combat aircraft.
Is that not the joke about how helicopters work? been hearing that one since the 90s from pilots.
the f-15 can actually fly with one wing missing, the fuselage is so aerodynamic it produces lift on its own.
I am a former F 15 aircraft mechanic while I was in active duty Air Force, then I transitioned over to the KC 135 in the reserve. Thank you my friend. Thank you so much.
What year did you get out the reserves ??
Remember the F15s from Bitburg
@@M167A1 Bitte ein Bit!
I too am a former F-15E mechanic (2A753)
What was your afsc?
It was cool to see the internals of the jets and even hop in the cockpit to pretent I'm a pilot or wso.
@IHWKR I'm an older guy ,so did you ever serve at Langley AFB? I was, although not as mechanic. I worked on ejection seats ACES II.
This channel is the definition of a great channel on UA-cam. No bullshit, just raw facts, amazing animations, historical content and easy to understand. No click bait just quality content from a passionate group of people. Love you guys at Mustard ❤
Click-bait is useless when the quality is this high
He has the nerve to end a youtube video in a TV show style cliffhanger to sell you something and everyone loves him for it. We don't deserve good things.
I get what you mean, the ads get really annoying, but Nebula is a damn good subscription service, it's definitely worth it and considering how UA-cam screws over creators like him he has the right to promote his own stuff.
This comment is the definition of a sucker begging for meaningless youtube likes by commenting as fast as possible after an upload. Get a life, bro
I know only a handful of high quality military aviation history channels on yt. I'm blessed to have found Mustard.
There are a lot of good ones out there of similar quality, but they are impossible to find. The algorithm meant to show me channels of interest, in reality just pushes ones with mass appeal.
I just wish the video would've actually told something about the Eagle, this was basically just a recap if his Foxbat video from a year ago. Not that I'm complaining!, I just crave more 😊
I can not recall if it were Lazerpig, Animarchy History, or Falcon's Fighter Tales, but one of them made a video where they talked about how adding guns to American jets were not what changed US performance in Vietnam. It was new training. This was demonstrated in the equally increased performance by Navy Phantoms which did not get gunpods.
And you know what the name of that new program was? The Top Gun program
@@devilbub8709top gun started in 1969, hard to believe we let the Vietnamese smoke us for four years
@@devilbub8709 please stop getting all your information from movies
@@gentlemen.7621 TOPGUN did not, contrary to popular belief, teach pilots to be better dogfighters. It taught command-rated pilots to teach their squadron mates how to fight Russian aircraft and tactics.
@@devilbub8709 CONSTANT PEG actually had a lot more to do with it than TOP GUN. The CONSTANT PEG program was a joint USAF-USN program to fly purchased Soviet fighters in mock air battles with American pilots, giving them experience in the characteristics of the Soviet aircraft before they had to fight them in a scenario where the Soviets fought back.
When bluffing you enemy goes wrong...
Because your enemy then builds something to counter your bluff.
what bluff are you referring to?
Well when you speak of the F-15 being built to counter the Mig-25 bluff... it's drenched in Irony... did you know the ONLY reason the Mig-25 was built, was to counter the American "bluff" of the XB-70 Valkyrie bomber? That American bomber project was 100% the reason the Mig-25 was built.
@wolfshanze5980 YeH, drenched in irony, bathed in karma, showered by melodrama. I have yet to hear anyone say that MiG-25 and "XB-70" are "connected in fact" or "related based on evidence", possibly because links between the 2 aircraft simply don't exist.
"he ONLY reason the Mig-25 was built, was to counter the American "bluff" of the XB-70 Valkyrie bomber?"
What "bluiff" are you referring to? The XB-70 was based on the B-70 bomber, but that other airplane had never been built. The XB-70 itself was a flight test aircraft, and not a bomber or any other combat aircraft.
"That American bomber project was 100% the reason the Mig-25 was built."
Even though the almost 100% of the MiG-25's development occurred AFTER "That American bomber project" had been cancelled by JFK in early 1961. Even the XB-70 was irrelevant to the MiG-25, and the sole surviving XB-70A was retired before the MiG25 went into production.
Moral of the story: learn to lie or better, don't do it
Task failed successfully
I flew the -E for 18 of my 32 years in the USAF. Wonderful machine to this day and I'm so happy that her bloodline is still going strong!
Thanks for serving
Can't wait to fly it in DCS _soonᵀᴹ_
Is it true that the F5 tiger shark was a match for it in air to air combat? I’ve heard that claim repeated numerous times online but I’m not sure what to make of it.
Thank you for your service! What's your opinion on the f-35?
@@JimmyDoresHairDye You mean the F-20 of which only 3 have been built? That's the Tigershark...
Uncle Sam really backed himself into a corner with an imaginary super plane and still won
But, as usual in the USA, the taxpayers *LOST* massively.
Won what? The same year the Eagle flew, Saigon and Phnom Penh fell.
@Bartonovich52 "It's over, boys. Saigon has fallen, and therefore, so has the airforce. Shut it down," - retarded-ass logic and a petty attempt at missing the entire point of the video and the history of a very specific aircraft. Guess that alcohol-induced copium has funny effects on the brain lol.
@@Bartonovich52 Won world-wide air superiority. Unlike Russia, which is a joke of a military
America wins so often and is so dominant in battle that they let the Ukrainians do the dirty work.
America cannot and will not even supply them with enough equipment to actually defeat Russia.
So where is that stupid country (America) now with bold words. Pffff
The Abrams tanks. The patriot system. All blown to bits.
All America can win are battles against lightly armored terrorists.
But against a real army they do not stand a chance. They even stay home.
What a joke.
As a current F15 Crew Chief, i can say this has been my favorite fighter since i was 10 years old when it first came out. It's just a badass looking, flying and fighting aircraft.
so ur sixty years old?
@@popok774 If he's a current F-15 crew chief, he was definitely not 10yo when it first came out... I was 5 when it first came out and I retired from the USAF 18 years ago! At least I can honestly say in the 9 years of my career I worked on the flightline with F-15s none of them were older than me. If he's currently a crew chief, probably every F-15 he's working on is older than him!
@@popok774 59
I’m a 15 Crew Chief, there’s so many stories to tell.
One of my personal favorites is quickly scrolled by at 11:30. A single E Model with an air to air kill. The jet was doing an intercept to assist some Green Berets, and there were some helicopters dropping troops off to attack the paratroopers. The pilot released his 2000 pound bomb trying to hit the helicopter as it dropped off troops, but as he released the bomb, the helicopter took off. The back seater didn’t break the laser targeting, and the rest was history. Helicopter evaporated, only Air to Air kill with a bomb. The jet was Named “Lucky” and it still has its star under it’s canopy sill. It’s reaching the end of it’s lifetime, and a museum has already paid and reserved it.
I know this was three months ago, but that is fucking awesome! Thats for the story....if you read this, how about one more? :)
@@extragoogleaccount6061 To be honest, that’s the main interesting one I have. Others would have to come up in conversation.
Where was that?
@@winstonchurchill8300 I think it was desert storm
Any chance you know which museum it was reserved to?
It’s nuts that the US actually fielded TWO air superiority fighters in the F-15 Eagle and F-14 Tomcat at the same time.
The F-14 was a bit of an underpowered pig. There's a reason the Navy retired them. The F/A-18 was and is superior.
The F-15 is for the USAF, the F-14 to defend and attack Fleets, man... I haven't heard, that you can land with an Eagle on a carrier...
@@kurtbjorn3841 love your sarcasm
To make F-15 the best air superiority fighter they couldn't make any compromises. Giving it carrier capabilities would sacrifice lots of performance, hence the F-14 was created.
Three actually including the F 16.
Then it made it 4 for 4 withe the F22.
Then it went back to the McNana days with a slow low capacity short range POS fighter called F35¹.
Against human stupididity the gods themselves contend in vain.
7:14 love the orange paint scheme on that F-15, reminds me of a certain game
\\ still alive.....buddy?
which game
Ace combat 7?
Afterburner: Black Falcon ?? ua-cam.com/video/_tYMwqxKVsM/v-deo.htmlsi=MMw5aX2sXiqy5fat&t=70
mirrors edge? lol
Something about the f15’s airframe from top down view (6:14) just screams “air superiority fighter”-like the perfect balance between a high speed interceptor and an agile dogfighter. It’s so iconic.
What's amazing is that the F-15 entered service in 1976, and we still have new F-15EX aircraft rolling off the line today for service in the Air Force.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
@@user-nd7fr8uz2n Fixing what ain't broke is a tradition in the US military.
@@jshepard152 oh I know lol.
None of my AMUs had strict flight hours replacements. Components were replaced when they broke.
That's because whenever the US military tries to make anything new these days, they're financial disasters like the F-22, "F"(should be "A")-35 and don't get me started on the Zumwalt-class "Destroyer" (really a Cruiser). The USAF took one look at the operational costs of "Fat Amy" and decided to ask Boeing to make some new Eagles that they could actually afford to fly.
@@user-nd7fr8uz2n Just because it ain't broke, doesn't mean that it shouldn't be replaced with something better. Otherwise the USAF would still be using F-4s.
It's a good day when mustard uploads
Always, a blessing indeed.
Yes him and real engineering
@@clan_houltzsimilar audiences
“Honey, Mustard uploaded a new video!”
You seem to be on every video
(I agree though)
This dude honestly makes the highest quality documentaries on UA-cam. Huge props to you
Along with XboxAhoy, both great creators!
@@fembill and LEMMiNO!
@@Raf-qz7ih kurgesagt
@@fembill تىخر
خاخرنرتترتورنىمزؤكؤم/
A quick glance at its air-to-air kill ratio (100+ to 0) is a good testament of the Eagle's quality. Perceived necessity married to ingenuity is the mother of invention.
Yup and there in lies the problem. A quick glance does not reveal the truth. There is ZERO evidence of this a2a record. It is a claim made by the Israelis and Americans. If you do some research you'll find the F15 has been shot down in a2a combat e.g. Samara air battle.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurra_Air_Battle
Of course the US denies the loss but anyone caring to do some proper research will realize the F15 was in fact shot down. The Syrians have also shot down F15s.
thats BS, its been shot down at least once or twice - unacknowledged by the IAF or the Americans
@ghostrider-be9ek The F15E Strike Eagle has been brought down by surface to air fire, but I don't believe the F15, in any of its iterations, has been downed by another plane.
I could he wrong, but that's what I read.
@@ghostrider-be9ek Or the F15I.
The F-15's abilities were massive overkill for what was actually *needed* at the time, and the American taxpayers were forced to massively *overpay* for the F-15. Summary: Taxpayers get robbed, weapons company shareholders get rich from the taxpayers' money, and America is always boasting about its capabilities while the rest of the world laughs at it.
Soviets: [make something, and use blatant lies to overstate how well done it was] Ha! Beat that!
Americans: Oh shit o shit oshitoshitOSHITOSHIT [hurl money and patriotism at something assembling a godlike beast of engineering to the moon and back in a stroke of pure terror] O-oh yeah? Well how bout this?
Soviets: Oh fuck, he did.
Literally to the moon in 1969
The F-14 is the beauty queen, but the 15 is who takes them home. The fact that it still punches above its weight many decades later is testament to how ahead of its time it was.
The F22 to me was the highlight of the Blue Angels show I went to. I was super impressed with the F18s and when that F22 started it’s demonstrated it blew me away.
@@jamesp1289yeah raptor's such a beast
A modern Russian sukoi could out turn it in a 180 in midair.
The F-14 looks like a Turkey.
@@SlavicUnionGaming the f15 is not an air superiority fighter anymore the models in service are multirole aircraft
When Mustard uploads, everyone’s lives gets better
There are about 3 channels I will share without even watching, this is one of them.
Yarnhub is another.
It's a youtube video that ends in a cliffhanger for a paid product.
NO
Yes, also gets me up at 3am
YES
My late father worked for general dynamics and ended up spending most his life doing research in radars and working in and around f-15. Proud son moment 😊
I knew the Streak Eagle had several time-to-climb and altitude records. I didn't realize it was launched fairly locally to me (grew up in Minot, now live in Fargo). I do miss seeing the F-15s and F-16s flying overhead.
Surprised you didn't mention the training accident where F-15 flew several miles and land with its ENTIRE RIGHT WING MISSING and it stayed in the air due to how powerful the afterburner are on it
oh yeah i remember that
Ah. The literal Israeli "Solo Wing" incident.
It was more the lifting body design that saved it, which is where the fuselage of the aircraft is designed in such a way, as to also create a significant amount of lift. The afterburners helped, but weren't the sole reason that F-15 made it back, got repaired and back to flying.
“Surely that was an accident taxiing on ground” - engineers sent to review it.
@@Schnittertm1 worth noting, the other plane in that mid-air fell to pieces.
it’s not just the lifting body design that got it on the ground. It’s the fact that it held together after hitting another plane - pilots took note of that and chose a new aircraft to fly.
Foxbat was designed with the sole purpose of shooting down the SR-71. Viktor Belenko defected and flew his Foxbat to Japan. He eventually made his way to the US and became a citizen. One of the first things he requested was to see an SR-71 up close because he never got to see one before.
That's incredible.
His bio and interviews are super interesting. He was amazed at how much food there was in the United States. He even accidentally ate cat food that he bought from a supermarket and thought it was great and even shared it with his friends without telling them it was cat food. They also thought it was great. His experiences in the US vs the Soviet Union just illustrated how far back quality of life was in the SU.
Lol not even close; it was in made in response to the Valkyrie supersonic bomber program.
It was to counter XB70, not SR-71.
@@user-uy1rg8td1v that’s hilarious and wholesome
i love how at the end its you'll never guess what happens next but with the f-15s 104-0 kill ratio i think we can guess what happens next
It reminds me of what American comedian Chris Titus said years ago about Americans,
“we build monster trucks, for fun. We built a top fuel dragster that goes 0 to 330 mph in under 5 seconds, because we were bored. Piss us off and see what we build.”
My dad flew f4s in Vietnam on weasel missions and eventually the f15 when his unit transitioned to them, flew them till retirement. I remember him telling me people were really hesitant about the f15 until one by one they became hardcore lovers of the 15 after their first flights in them 🤣
F4 weasels where still flying in 91 during the gulf war to spoof iraqi aa into revealing themselves to counter radar munitions
👍🇺🇸
I've always loved the f15, it's beautiful and menacing and strong
Tell me the difference between your father were in Vietnam and Russian in Ukraine ?
@@user-hu2fr7eo1v communist, difference is the Russians where also in north Vietnam as participants and advisors, evidently world history is no longer taught, it must suck to be so very ignorant to what was once considered common knowledge
An amusing footnote is that the MiG-25 was designed to intercept the mach 3+ North American XB-70 Valkyrie, which ended up only having two prototypes and never entering service. So the reason the F-15 is so capable is that it was designed to defeat a MiG-25 that never really existed, which itself was designed to designed to defeat a bomber that never really existed.
the ghost war
@JK JK2 WUT? The first flight of the XB-70 Valkyrie is 1964. That was not a test platform it was indented to be bomber.
You have quite big face with 0 knowledge.
The Mig-25 was also for deterrence against the A-12 and SR-71.
@@calvinnickel9995 Not exactly. Following the U-2 incident a presidential order banned the manned overflights above the WPACT + USSR. The SR-71 never was planned to overflight so it was a deterrent for the SR-71. The incident happened May of 1st 1960. Way before the SR-71.
That's fog of war for you
I've re-watched this video several times because of how well the story is told, and the visually stunning graphics. well done!
My uncle was an F-16 crew chief and i adored that plane growing up but as ive gotten older, ive really appreciated the f-15 more and more.
Holy crap a mustard video on my favorite aircraft of all time. All my wishes have come true!
It one I always went for in video games
Mine too! I have a scale model F-15 to build when I get time. And hope to build a radio controlled one one day. Used to watch them do a vertical climb on afterburners in the 1980s at Greenham Common Airshow here in England, just a few miles from our home. The engine sound scrambled your stomach but it was worth it!
My brother flew the F-15 A and B models and was the youngest F-15 instructor pilot in the world at that time. He was with the Triple Nickel out of Luke AFB, AZ. Somehow, two years in a row, he convinced his superiors to let him bring a B model (first year) to Peoria, IL for the little airshow we had there. I was left with the plane during the weekend while people were allowed to walk up stairs and look but not touch, sort of enforced by 12 year old me. The plane carried three external tanks and while impressive, the departure was less than "thrilling." So I mailed my bro a letter and told him it was a "dog."
The next year was very similar, to a point. He brought an A model with one tank. Same story with the air show, my brother hung out in the officer's club and I kept housewives out of the cockpit. After the show was over, the next day, there was some (as I later discovered, B.S.) talk about how the ANG didn't have enough Jet A to top off the plane and he'd have to refuel along the way at a base in TX. Our Mom, sister and I were told to stand on a flatbed trailer out by the end of the runway to see the plane leave. From the right, out of view, my brother got the plane airborne and the gear up. As it became visible, it seemed like it was maybe 50 feet off the deck in level flight, but you really couldn't hear it. Until he got across from where we were standing. Then it was straight up - and the loudest, most powerful noise I've heard in my life. It disappeared into the sky, never leaving the vertical. Even in afterburner, there was little/no visible smoke and it just...disappeared. That was about 45 years ago, but I'll never forget it.
Nice.
I've seen that with a pair of F14s when I was in the RAN in the Eighties.
Noone cares
@@ronjeremy5826chill bro
As an aside, Viktor Belenko, the Soviet defector who handed over the Foxbat, just recently died, an American citizen with few regrets.
Also, the US returned said Foxbat to the Soviet Union - in pieces, having completely autopsied the thing first.
Imagine if they'd built a special shit one to lull the US into a false sense of security.
Fun fact: the soviets never paid the shipping fee
Wow...had no idea he'd passed. Sep 24, 2023.
@@TheLucanicLord Yeah, imagine thinking a _specific_ pilot would defect, so you assign him a very expensive trap that would still make the US over react and still make something you can't deal with....did you even think before you posted?
Tankies, dude...all the brains of the old USSR, none of the vodka to cause it.
i read this and thought, "man, that's a shame. this must have been a while ago though." and then i see this was written only 3 days ago
The visuals and breakdowns on this channel is why I love it here they make everything understandable and nice to look at
An amazing fighter jet covered by an amazing channel!
People say creators NEED clickbait titles to get views. Complete hogwash. Quality content with honest titles get plenty of views.
My dad flew the F-15c his entire Air Force career. His last assignment with the Eagle was 10 years with the 125th, even serving as the wing commander. He had his finnie flight in the Eagle last February and hung up his spurs. Right now I’m in the process of applying for USAFA to continue on his legacy and hopefully start my own. What an amazing aircraft, and quality content as always from Mustard.
Ah, you'll fly the next-gen F-35's then.
Good luck, young buck!
Thank you for offering your services, thank your father too. In these tense times, I hope your services will never be needed.
Wouldn't it amazing if you wound up in the cockpit of a F-15EX. Good luck!
@@britishmalayasociety Did you somehow miss the fact the the USAF just dropped the next update to the F-15? Not only is it still in service, it has more range and a larger payload than the F-35. The USAF for fiscal year 2023 has already *cancelled* F-35 orders so that they have the funds to order *more* F15EX's.
The F-15 Eagle was the start of the Air Superiority Fighter dominance that still exists to this day with the F-22. The new NGAD that is being developed right now will make the F-22 look like a Mig-31 to it.
And of course American taxpayers are being *forced* to pay *massive* amounts of money to the weapons companies to make them *mega-rich* !
the soviets learned the literal representation of the more you fuck around the more you're going to find out
Was a Jet Engine Mechanic in the US Air Force. It was honestly incredible working on these aircraft. Truly an engineering masterpiece.
it's overshadowed by its other peers when it comes to popularity, but the eagle/strike eagle still remain the most effective at its job, deadlier even
Where were you stationed? I worked them at Eglin AFB on the 33rd side back when they ran the F100-100s. Now a P&W F100-229 mechanic with the OHANG. Do miss the active duty days sometimes...
When I got assigned to Luke AFB, we still had the Phantom but were transitioning to the Eagle, seeing them in the hanger, sitting side by side, was hard to believe that they were manufactured by the same company, a marvel of engineering, much easier to work on.
Brother
@Warbird02 I was stationed at RAF Lakenheath working on the E models. Worked P&W F100 220 and 229. A part of me also misses active duty but I am glad to be out. I mainly miss the rowdyness of Maintenance and how close everyone in my shop was.
7:42 I love how the F-5 pilot seemingly couldn't help but smile and laugh in excitement of how capable the new jet was
He probably had the biggest smile on his face
@@kiryu2281 "Ha ha, I'd hate to fly against this thing for real."
>
And yet, G1 Starscream still gets his ass kicked in the air.
There’s a very hard data point against the theory that dogfighting was why US aircraft struggled in Vietnam. The US navy, the second largest Air Force on earth, did not re-adopt autocannons at the same time, but experienced the same improvements in combat performance. This indicates that, rather than dogfighting technology being the issue, the problem was purely in training.
Not purely; the Sidewinder and Sparrow were undergoing upgrades and enhancements as well. Those first gen missiles, especially the Falcon, were truly awful. Sometimes I wonder if the heatseekers would even follow the sun!
I’m 99% sure that those extremely early heat seekers did go for the sun at times I do know that only 11% of the aim-7 sparrows in Vietnam hit their targets at all a decent amount of them either just fell off of the airplane or literally just stayed on the plane after they were supposed to be fired.
@@ronjon7942 you both are partially correct, early model sidewinders were treated roughly by loading crews, adding them to jets, and removing unused ones from jets. this was because the US to increase faith in the missiles told crews it was rugged, and in its defense, it was, but not to repeated drops without maintenance, after both aircrew weapon employment training, and aircrew handling training, the issues with the missiles largely disappeared and later model (G and later) could be handled far more roughly than the regs said to treat them, and it would be a few short years until (with the most major development being the pusle doppler radar that made flying under the radar a thing of the past) the dogfight finally, truly, died
note: yes ron, even modern IR missiles still chase the sun on occasion, its less common now because missiles can tell heat sources apart, but to prevent a missile from refusing to lock if it doesnt recognize the target, it just uses this to keep locked onto the thing it was locked onto during launch, and if a pilot turns into the sun at the wrong time, the missiles lock may jump from the enemy to the sun, and if the pilot doesnt notice before he fires a missile is wasted.
in the early days missiles (seeking the brightest signature it saw) would often jump onto the sun if it was close enough to the seekers line of sight, meaning that a good tactic was to try and put the sun behind you if you needed a quick breather without worrying about missile launch this (among other reasons) lead to the development of the AIM-7 E2 "dogfight sparrow" a long range missile tuned for close range performance so it could be used in conditions that IR seekers could not
@@gaiamission7200 The Air Force's versions of the Sidewinder was also strictly worse than the Navy's at every iteration until the two lines were finally unified with the AIM-9L in the late 1970s.
Air Force Phantom pilots also hated the gun pod (and the nose-mounted M61 in the F-4E) because it made the plane noticeably heavier and draggier, and the E variant's nose-mounted gun made the plane - SURPRISE - more nose-heavy in its handling.
Something designers don't typically ask themselves: What happens when one of the wings gets ripped off in a mid-air collision.
One IDF pilot's answer for the F-15 would be that you have to land at a much higher speed.
He knew he was damaged from a collision but couldn't see the extent of it - never realizing he had lost almost an entire wing until after he managed to land his crippled fighter. Landing at twice the normal landing speed, and stopping with just a few meters to spare from the end of the runway.
Zivi Nedivi, in May 1983
Turns out the wide body of the F-15 provides lift with sufficient speed.
The F-15 takes the Starfighter logic of "Missile with a man in it" and goes HARD.
The F-15 doesn’t even need wings it runs purely on its rage and hatred for Soviets
End of runway is irrelevant since it would make no difference in this case especially as it's real life and not some neckbeard videogame.
@@kishascapeDepending on what airfield you’re at going past the end of the runway is not more open field, there would be trees, fences, buildings, or other objects. If it went past the end of the runway it may have started hitting those.
@@kishascapeWhat a strange thing to say.
Imagine engineering modern jet tech applied to the frame design? I'd be really interested to see how it preforms. I've always loved the tomcat. But my heart is always for the f18S. We just had our first proper airshow on the Goldie. My condolences for the families related to the very offspray that was here commanded by the tragecally lost marine captain and her crew. Their loss should have not happened
Wouldn't that be the new F-15EX?
@@joesharp8228 haven't seen it. Thanks mate. I'm looking it up now
@@joesharp8228 mate, what a bird. It should replace the F-35 immediately. It even fires the super Cruise missiles. Cheers for that.
F4 still had a kill ratio of 2:1 over MIG. Far away than the 10:1 ratio for the Sabres during Korea, but still not as bad as portrayed here.
LOL! The Sabre never had a 10:1 kill ratio. It's total BS. Google the RAND study about this lie.
I just love how North American concept for F-15 at 5:04 was really similar to su-27 and especially MiG-29. It's amazing to see both U.S. and Soviet engineers coming up with very similar designs when ability to dogfight and maneuverability in jets are essential requirements.
Soviet designers reportedly followed the FX competition, and the Sukhoi engineers were supposedly inspired by the North American / Rockwell design. You can even see the crescent wing shape of their NA-335 on the Sukhoi T10 (SU27 prototype)
@@carlkinder8201 that's because they stole plans for the f-15 to make the su-27 and mig-29 lol
That's because Russia got a hold of plans for the f-15 and used the data to make su-27 and mig-29
"Amazing"? Why Amazing? Both are stable designs (so less capable in a dog fight). Technology is seldom a unique domain. Ultimately its about money or political intent. The Harrier was ground breaking. These planes are not.
@@areyou0k98 Except.... Have you looked at how much the F-15 looks like the Mig -25? The 25 came out first.
Apparently when Lt Belenko landed in Japan in the Mig 25 the assembled crowd were exchanging ideas as to what it was made of, one of the assembled crowd pulled a magnet from his pocket and the mystery was solved.
Maybe they were hoping it was made of delicious whale meat
@@chrispekel5709
They were checking for exotic metals...
@@SMGJohn No, I think whale meat sounds more feasible. It _is_ delicious, after all.
Stainless steel or nickel steel is non-magnetic.
Nice try.
@@Bartonovich52 no? most stainless steel are magnetic?
Fun Fact: The F-15's radar image is larger than the actual plane.
It *wants* to be seen.
It *wants* to smell your fear.
The radar return from the F-14 radar even turned off, gives away the plane.
Its like that Gru meme.
-Make a new jet, and use propaganda to make it seem greater than it really is.
-Make American military freak out over the super jet
-Make American design new fighter jet that can outperform your jet with ease.
-Make American design new fighter jet that can outperform your jet with ease. **looks confused and worried**
Bro this ain’t animation at this point this is art it looks amazing.
Beautiful statement.
Isn't animation a type of art?
Sadly the technical scope of the video lags behind the visual.
@@molnibalage83 Us amateurs can't see it. So for us it doesn't exist.
The MiG-25 wasn't a bad plane, it just wasn't what they thought it was. It was intended to go extremely fast at high altitude, to intercept enemy bombers before they could drop their bombs. And afterwards it was intended to simply zoom past, using its speed to protect it. It had excellent radar and missiles, and an Iraqi MiG-25 even shot down a US military F/A-18 Hornet in a night attack and was gone before anyone else could engage it. As much as people deride it, it was well-designed for its intended role.
Yea and two mig-25’s were also shot down by F-15s on January 19
@@xmzru Yeah, but the MiG-25 is now a 52-year-old design and has been superseded by the MiG-31, an updated version of it. The avionics have not been updated since about 1990, whereas the MiG-31 is still current-production and still updated. The F-15 is likewise still updated. So it makes sense that the MiG-25 is now obsolete.
@@WardenWolf I know, I’m just saying what’s your point when you said it shot down a f-15 when 2 mig-25’s were also shot down by a f-15. I feel like you’re giving it too much credit here
@@xmzru You failed to read. It was an F/A-18 Hornet that got shot down. And from what I can tell, the F-15 vs. MiG-25 incident you speak of occurred in Israel vs. Syria in the 1980s. The Syrian pilots had just received their aircraft and were inexperienced and poorly trained. Meanwhile, Israeli training is legendary. Syria also lacked operational flexibility as it was basically limited to MiG-25's and MiG-21's vs. Israel's F-4 Phantoms and F-15's. This basically meant Syria had nothing that could win ANY dogfight and that Boom 'n zoom was literally their only hope.
Don't be Fucking Naive........it was INTENDED with it's wide wings huge engine and Air Superiority Appearance, AS A BIG SCARY BLUFF TO SEND THE WEST INTO A PANIC.....but as usual another fraud...
I must say the mig-25 was a badass plane
7:41 I love how you can hear the absolute joy in their voice when they realized they’ve created a monster
Ive seen the Foxbat that's been in a restoration storage at the NMUSAF. It was buried in the sand by Iraqi military to hide from US forces, dug up, and brought back to the states. The exhausts on it make the F15s look like pipe cleaners. Also of note the Streak Eagle that holds those time-to-climb records is also in restoration and parked right next to it.
Phew. So it was saved. Thanks for the confirmation.
Citizens of America, observe control, do not withdraw money from banks, let the banks burn with your money! Money can only be withdrawn to capitalists, not you, don't worry! Money is more important to capitalists than to you..№
Why did the Iraqis hide the Foxbat in a sand berm if it was such a great airplane? Consider that question carefully. Additionally, ask yourself why F-15s have downed 100 Russian-made fighter jets while suffering no losses of their own.
@@nobodyisbest Iraq likely did not hide it for their own sake, they hid it on instructions from Russia and possible retribution from Russia if Russia's fabricated hype of the Foxbat was recovered by the USA and subsequently debunked for good. Was nothing but a save-face move. The USA would not want 4th gen fighters in Russias hands either even though they are geriatric aircraft getting replaced.
@@nobodyisbest The Mig 25 was designed to intercept bombers at high altitudes. It wasn't a fighter. That's the point of this video...the F15 was built in response to a misunderstanding.
This is epic. The amazing animation, the storytelling, and the plane itself. One of the best Mustard videos, I swear.
The animation is amazing but the rest of it....
@@militavia-air-defense-aircraft , share your wisdom.
Great video Mr Mustard. Good visuals, nice storytelling and a history lesson for those of us wondering if there were any lessons learned about beyond visual range fighters of the past compared to todays multirole stealth platforms.
When I lived in Point Loma, I watched a Foxbat land at the Island of Coronado. When it landed, the lights on the runway and the taxi way all shut off, as not so easily been spotted.
You covered MiG 25, and how the panic over it gave rise to F-15 and now the obvious direction is to cover Su 27 which was made to counter F15
Shhhhhhh
@@MustardChannel Oh...
oh, after the Su-27, may we probably expect the F-22 Raptor? Then the Su-57 (although based on current events, I don't think there's too much of a point with the Felon.)
@@ARK_Constn1it could be a double feature on the -57 and the J-20, being the only non US designs atm to both claim to be "5th Gen", and be in production (even tho the Suhkoi is questionable in that regard)
The 57 is absolutely not "in production"
Both my dad and granddad were Eagle Drivers. In fact my granddad flew some of the time to climb flights in the Streak Eagle. This was a great mini doc on my favorite airplane!
So that only leaves the question: what do you fly?
@@zacherius137 tx
eagle drivers lol
Driver's?? 💀💀
@@CEOmagi yes, its a common saying in aviation. maybe you havent heard it before, but ive heard it many times. 💀
I loved this thing as a kid because it was used as the alt mode for the Deception Air COmmander Starscream in Transformers, same for the F-22 Raptor for the Michael Bay films, but now I love these 2 even more from learnign of just how good they are. The fact that the F-15 was built before 1984 and is STILL oen of the best fighter jets in the world really says alot about US military capabilites. We build our stuff to either be long term usable, or built it in a way that it can still keep gettign upgraded with modern tech, the F-15 and Nimitz carrier are 2 pieces of equipment that best comes to mind for me.
This channel is the definition of “quality over quantity”.. This plane was an absolute masterpiece in design, function and look.
The F-15 Eagle was and still is a monster of an aircraft, and I don't think we'll see something this great again.
You saw it, F-22 Raptor!.
brother a f-16 fighter jet,the advanced modern fighter jet of today was destroyed by a mig-21 jet in dog fight
and the main thing was that the f-16 is technically advanced and mordern and the mig-21 is from Soviet union time period
I think the definition of "Great" has to be relative to time frame or something; the f18 is just objectively superior to the f15 in every conceivable way except top speed and range (both are irrelevant because you cant top speed for long at all; and range is altered by add ons and in flight refueling); what DOES matter is the radar and weapons systems on the f18 compared to the f15. The reality is an F18 can destroy an F15 before the F15 ever sees it...
THEN WE HAVE GEN 5. Its not even the same game at this point. There is no "dog fight" any more; neither the f18 nor the f15 can touch a gen 5 in any capacity. F15 still faster tho :D
@@thetopsecretpentagonsclass6350 F22's are just unreal. I spent a lot of time with F18's in the Navy; and went to an air show with my wife to watch what the F22 could do... its incredible. For as much as we do know about them, even just watching how they move, theres an incredible amount going on in those things. I dont think an F15 holds up here lol
@@leehayanvivi565 which dogfight?? F-16 never lost to any MiG-21.
It's a bit of a misnomer to say that the early MiGs were designed to be 'fighters' and therefore more agile for maneuvering combat. All of them, MiG-15/17, -19 and -21 were meant to be defensive interceptors (of mainly bombers) as well, as evidenced by heavier cannon armament, lots of lift and the most powerful engines the USSR could manage to produce at the time. It's just that they were the previous generation of aircraft, and simpler weaponry like the cannon and early IR-guided missiles (which were copies of the US Sidewinder anyway) proved more useful in close combat. It's true that, not requiring a multifunction radar and associated long range missiles, nor fuel for long range (MiGs are only useful over their own territory, mind, same was true in Korea), they had advantages in the combat arena over Vietnam, but as a matter of pure performance, there's nothing that any of the MiG's could do that the Phantom didn't have an answer for. Besides, the Navy had the F-8, which was a pretty pure thoroughbred of a fighter..
The f-8 lacked high speed agility. That tilting wing mechanism was comparatively weak, and I believe the f-8 was capped at just 4.5g turns (+50% for a structural overhead). It was huge too, so at low speeds was probably vulnerable.
Personally, I don't think the f-8 was a great dogfighter however of course I never flew it.
@@leojennings2438 Well the F-8 had a 6 to 1 kill ratio over migs
The wingstrength issue was on early F8U models, but after the nomenclature reset and some upgrades, the F-8E could turn quite well at much higher g loads.
wdym by 'pure' performance
So was it maneuvrability and insufficient quality of BVR? Or is it something else
@Marek Siciński i don't mean to speak for anyone, but if i had to guess, i would assume that pure performance means both hard and soft statistics. An example of both would be TWR as a hard stat, and pilot/wso/rio visibilty, comfort, and avionics being a soft stat.
Doctrine was the primary reason for the initial distress in both the air force and navy when it came to the phantom. Once refined, the aircraft's superior performance became objectively clear.
Everybody gangsta until f15 arrived
Love this videos! I challenge you guys to make a plane that is actually 3-5 airplanes linked together to look like they are flying in formation. Bonus points if you can make the formation change during flight (i.e. V to diamond).
Some minor inaccuracy:
1) the thinking going into the Vietnam War was that future dogfights would occur at supersonic speeds, not that they wouldn't occur at all, and at that speeds, guns would be impossible to aim and so self guiding missiles would be the preferred weapon
2) the dogfights that occurred in the Vietnam War were because of Robert Mcnamara's stupid ROE. BVR would've been entirely possible with existing air control, but he forced pilots to visually identify contacts
3) the F-4 Phantom is way more maneuverable than people give it credit, it can out-dogfight every interceptor type that came before it (it can actually out-rate the MiG-21 on the deck!). Also see incidents like Showtime 100 vs "Colonel Toon" (F-4J out-dogfighting MiG-17F)
4) the energy maneuverability concept is not groundbreaking, it's a great way to measure how a WW2 era fighter would perform but not a modern fighter jet. It was created by reformer John Boyd, who wanted an air force made entirely of F-5 Freedom Fighters and though the Eagle was overcomplicated crap. He took credit for the F-15 after it turned out what a monster it was in the 1991 Gulf War
As a matter of fact, at his behest, the Air Force and Navy were dragged into ACEVAl/AIMVALto prove that the F-15 was not a capable dogfighter. It was forced into Vietnam style visual ID engagements against F-5s to show that the lighter fighter could dogfight better, but even forced into a dogfight, the F-15 had a 2.5:1 k/d score against the smaller plane. Of course, the media reported that the F-15 was "fought to a standstill". Don't you just love journalism
_________
Overall though the video is very good, it's just that some pre-service information comes directly from Reformer central
Boyd's energy manoeuvrability theory wasn't even his. It was a paper from Douglas made in the 1950s.
f-4 pilots be like:
“too close for missiles, switching to guns- *OH WAIT* “
Hey, let's design a fighter/bomber but leave out those nasty gun things!
1:05 - NOPE! The F-86 was NOT supersonic. It was "transsonic," in that it could exceed Mach 1 in a dive, but not in level flight. As an example, the F-86D was about 22 mph faster than the MiG-15bis. The earliest Sabres were slower than the MiGs, but advances in engine technology soon gave the Americans the edge.
9:32 - Nope AGAIN! It's Belenko (bel-EN-ko), NOT "bel-yen-kah." DUH! I was in college ROTC when Lt. Viktor Ivanovich Belenko flew his MiG to Japan. He has been one of my personal heroes since then.
I use to work on jets when I was in the military. Once upon a time a squadron of F-15s parked beside us on the flight line. What amazed about this aircraft was how big it is. This is a gigantic aircraft.
Yeah, the Eagle is a BIG fighter. It's the USAF's heavy fighter like the Flanker is Russia's heavy fighter. They're both just massive planes.
She's a flying brick, and hits like one too.
It's hard to contain the badassery required to fly while missing a wing and being able to knock a satellite out of orbit in a small air frame.
Oh yeah, she's a very big bird
I love how mustard has become, the production quality always improved over the time keep it up man.
It's also one of the most beautiful.
And it's the model used for the Decepticon "seekers".
The F-15 Eagle is the ultimate fighter, and always will be. It's faster then the F-22 and F35 while climbing at full afterburner and still holds many records. It has never been shot down in a dogfight and has a kill ratio of 100/0.
During the 80's the 32TFS "Wolfhounds" were stationed at Camp New Amsterdam. An elite squadron.
Operating from Soesterberg Afb in the Netherlands they flew QRA and patrol missions over mostly West Germany.
The Soviets had no answer, just their old TU-95's to kind of tease.
It is amazing how the quality has been consistently going up, from what already was a super strong start of the channel. Story-wise, production-wise and graphics-wise. That shot of the F-15 afterburners is a piece of art.
The first game I ever played was F-15 Strike Eagle III on DOS. Ever since then, I've loved the F-15, and I love how it's been able to keep up with modern jets with very little modification.
Great job man! Exceptionally accurate! So man of this type of video on youtube gets so much stuff wrong but you nailed it!
Foxbat vs F15 gives me HELLA goosebumps dog, imagine those things blasting past like two living guided missiles
Awesome video. Being a former F-15 mechanic (A’s through C’s, and E’s as QA), I dig the confirmation bias in this short documentary. Proud to have been involved with this beast.
@Axel Kilander If you’re referring to Helmet Mounted Display, the answer is no. This system was in it’s testing phase on a few C models when I was at Nellis, mid to late 90’s. We referred to it as the “Merlin mod” at the time. The A/B models were in ANG units or a couple test aircraft at this time, and were being phased out. If any A’s had the HMD, it would’ve been a single aircraft used as a proof of concept before going to operational testing on C’s.
It is always a great day to see that Mustard uploaded especially today since its my favorite plane (minus the swordfish nothing can compare to it)
It is still crazy that such of impressive technological plane like f 15 is a result from 60s planning and idea... the definition of groundbreaking
F-15 is still the best sounding fighter jet. They're a pleasure to listen to as much as watch at any air show
Tons of F-18s train at Miramar, but I go outside and look up when I hear that distinctive Eagle howl.
Whenever someone asks me to recommend them a channel, Mustard is the end all, the production quality is insane. Also have you ever thought about doing an episode about the C-123 Provider? It had quite an interesting history. It was originally a glider, then they added engines, then Chase, the company making them, lost the contract, and the finished planes were scrapped. Until Fairchild took over and eventually added jet pods to shorten the takeoff (someone even made an amphibious version, and apparently Thailand was interested in converting their fleet instead of upgrading to C-130's, and a company called Mancro aviation made a Turboprop version). They were also some of the first airplanes to arrive in Vietnam to spray "agent orange".. And that's another carcinogenic can of worms in it's self. Whatever you make, I'll be here watching, thank you for these awesome videos!!
+1 , would love to see a video on the Provider!
I do not understand the hype. The video is quite rich is misleading statements. Regardless of its length is very content light.
I was a crew Chief on an F-15C and then later an E. Truly an incredibly aircraft.
Tell that to an Avionics Specialist. We hate the damn thing, constantly swapping parts and repairing wires, only for the pilots to tell us, it's still broken.
so
Does it feel same as riding a Kawasaki H2R?
@@MC-mh2ju Sounds like you need to be a better avionics dude.
@@adrianspeeder sounds like you’re talking out your azz
“104 & 0” is probably the most gangster fighter jet line of all time.
The only fighter accused of not fighting fair
This is an awesome video, I love all the details included in the aircraft introduction. I’d love to see more “failed” project videos on aircraft like the British Martin Baker M.B.5 or the Russian heavy calibre tank buster aircraft of WW2!
Paper Skies might be able to scratch at least some of that itch while you wait!
i recommend "rex's hangar", there's even a video about the mb 5
> Be the USSR
> design a new "Air Superiority" Fighter
> pretend it is way more capable than it actually is
> US panics
> and Develops the most successful fighter ever made
>fuck
First time encountering a Mustard Video. Engaging content and narrative. Hats off to your modeling team.
pleasantly surprised the significance of a gun on the F-4 wasn’t overstated
Another blessing from the man himself. Keep up the exquisite content, Mustard! ❤
The Foxbat is the perfect example of psychological warfare: Make the enemy think you have a weapon much more powerful than it actually is. Make it look menacing from the distance, and extraordinarily fast, giving the impression of the most advanced combat fighter ever created... when in reality it was just a big and heavy hunk of iron that was barely maneuverable.
The foxbat was only marginally faster than an F14. Infact f14D did mach 2.5 during a test and was still accelerating.
All fun and games until the opposition takes the threat seriously and counters with a genuinely lethal system
@@_wayward_494 Propaganda is only an effective tool against less capable rivals. If you successfully scare an enemy with the resources, tech and intellectual experience into making a direct competitor to what you claim to have you could suddenly find yourself badly outmatched, and that's why you should try to stick to diplomacy whenever possible.
@@reelchef67 that was with a clean configuration, that is, without a payload (which would be more aerodynamic). That doesn’t tell us much, concerning the speed comparison considering Mig 25 could reach that with a full payload. Clean, it supposedly could reach Mach 3.2, if only for a few minutes as the engines melted away.
but in the end psychological warfare is just in your head
The fascinating book "Mig pilot" by Belenko, was probably one of the greatest reveals of the late era cold war. In 1976, the Soviet pilot Viktor Belenko defected to the Americans by taking his Foxbat off course during an exercise, and landing his Mig 25 at Hakodate airport in Japan. American intelligence and aviation experts quickly descended on Japan and tore the Mig25 apart to reveal its secrets. The reveal amazed the Americans as the aircraft was a strange mixture of old and new.
It was found the Soviets used a minimum of titanium on the airframe, and that most of it was made of ordinary steel. The Russians had merely affixed titanium strips on wing leading edges and other areas prone to very high heat. And the electronics were even more of a marvel - the Soviet designers had actually used archaic radio tubes in the radar! The radar avoided jamming by being extremely powerful so as to essentially burn through any electronic countermeasures.
Even more surprising was Belenko himself. While a ready and willing participant in his debriefing sessions the American intelligence experts found much of what Belenko said to be hard to believe. When asked Belenko stated the maximum speed of his Foxbat was Mach 2.8. "But we have clocked your aircraft at Mach 3.2," replied the Americans (referring to an incident where an Egyptian Foxbat was tracked over Israel during a photo recon mission).
Belenko replied "Yes and every time a Foxbat was flown that fast, both engines were completely destroyed and the pilot was lucky to land in one piece."
The Americans soon realized their vaunted Soviet super-fighter was little more than a manned missile with wings. The Mig-25 was usable only as a straight interceptor with the occasional high speed reconnaissance mission, and for little else. And a Foxbat was likely to be easy prey to even an F-4 Phantom let alone the far superior F-15 then entering service.
In Victor Belenko's book "Mig Pilot", he talks about his dismay when he was briefed on the F-14 Tomcat. He said that they (Mig-25's) couldn't counter it! Keep in mind the Shah of Iran bought F-14's to prevent Mig-25 reconnaissance overflights of Iran. Which stopped after he got the Tomcats! So even before the F-15 Eagle the Foxbat was outclassed! ⚓
I have always loved the beauty of the F15. It is an awesome machine. I didn’t realize just how successful it was. I also didn’t realize they were still being produced.
5:44 I live near Eglin AFB, and it is amazing seeing them go straight up. Sometimes when I’m driving I just see them go straight up with full afterburner. Truly a sight to behold
The F-4 is sometimes referred to as “the world’s largest MiGs part distributor” especially after adding the cannon on upgraded builds.
I'd love to see a video surrounding British bombers, culminating in the history and achievements of the Avro Vulcan