BOEING (MCDONNELL DOUGLAS) F-15E 'Eagle'

TYPE:

• Two-seat dual-role strike/attack and air superiority fighter.

PROGRAMME:

• Demonstration of the Strike Eagle prototype was modified from a F-15B, including accurate blind weapons delivery, completed at Edwards AFB and Eglin AFB in 1982.
• Successfully won the competitive evaluation with the General Dynamics F-16XL in 1982-3.
• Proceeded with the manufacture of three prototypes in 1985.
• First flight of the first production F-15E was on December 11, 1986.
• The first delivery was to Luke AFB, Arizona, on April 12, 1988.
• Original plan of 392 F-15E's ordered, later trimmed down to 209.

DESIGN FEATURES:

• Adoption of the two-seat layout for this adverse-weather, deep-penetration strike aircraft.
• USAF initially planened the F-15E for one pilot, with the belief that the aid of adequate avionics, accurate navigation, weapons delivery, and mission management were possible for the lone pilot.
• F-15E's rear seat occupent is provided with 4 multi-purpose CRT displays for radar, weapons management and selection, and threat monitoring.
• Pilot is provided with wide-angle HUD, CRTs and a moving map display for navigation, precision radar mapping and automatic terrain following.
• To accomodate the increased avionics, one fuselage tank has been reduced in size. However, the F-15E can employ the standard conformal tanks.
• New and important feature is the inclusion of provision for the accomodation of physical and performance growth of new equipment without extensive alteration to aircraft structure.
• Local structure has been strengthened, including revised landing gear components.
• Avionics Include:
• Use of the APG-70 radar with 1,000-K memory and trebled processing speed.
• Weapon delivery system is compatible with the LANTIRN twin-pod navigation/targeting system used with GBU-12, -22, and -24 laser-guided weapons.
• Use of the AXQ-14 data link pod is used with the GBU-15 weapon.

POWER PLANT:

• Initially, two Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 turbofans, each rated for take-off at 104.3 kN (23450 lb st), installed, with afterburning.
• Later aircraft have an option of Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229s or General Electric F110-GE-129s.
• Later USAF aircraft, from 135 or built from August 1991 and onwards, have 129.4 kN (29100 lb st) Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229s, which were also ordered for Saudi F-15S.
• Internal fuel in foam-filled structural wing tanks and six Goodyear fuselage tanks, total capacity is 7,643 litres (2019 US gallons; 1681 Imp gallons).

ACCOMMODATION:

• Two crew, pilot and weapon systems officer, in tandem on McDonnell Douglas ACES II zero/zero ejection seats.

ARMAMENT:

• 20 mm M61A1 six-barrel gun in starboard wing-root, with 512 rounds.
• Provision on underwing (one per wing) and centreline pylons for air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons and external fuel tanks.
• Wing pylons use standard rail and launchers for AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles.
• F-15E can carry a wide variety and quantity of guided and unguided air-to-ground weapons.
• Typpical load consist of 26 Mk 20 Rockeye cluster bombs, six AGM-65 Maverick missiles, or nine B61 nuclear weapons.