Top Gun

The F-15 is still being actively developed, after 5 decades of service. Still undefeated in A-A combat I believe. Of course, the latest F-15EX Eagle II has better engines, avionics, weapons, etc. It'll never be stealthy, but what a weapons platform: Boeing: F-15EX
I know that Grumman had ideas/upgrades for extending the life of the F-14, but the Navy went down the F-18 path for almost everything at that time.
Yes, the EX is and improved version of a phenomenal airframe. I worked at McDonnell Douglas for my first real job after college. They paid for my MBA. My favorite thing was to go over to building 1 and walk the assembly lines, but especially the F15 line. It was cool watching them take shape over time. Plus the building I worked in overlooked the cross wind runway at the St. Louis airport. The Missouri air guard was based there and they used that runway a lot with their F 15s.
Anyway, long story short, my Dad and his best friend (my godfather) were responsible for the team that designed the original avionics. The rest of his career he spent designing and supporting test stands for all of the electronics on F 15s. When I was about 10, we were on a 3 week vacation in Fort Walton Beach. My Dad had to call into the office every couple days and one day they asked him to go to Eglin AFB to troubleshoot a problem. So my brother and I tagged along, but we couldn't go into the building he had to go in due to security clearance. So my dad asked an F15 pilot he knew to keep an eye on us. Well he didn't know what to do with 10 and 14 year old kids. So he took us over to an F 15 that was sitting on the tarmac, walked us around the plane and explained what everything did and why. Then the coolest part, he pulled a set of stairs over and we each got a chance to sit in the cockpit and he explained almost every control in there. He was a great guy, very patient. By the time we were finished in the cockpit my Dad walked up and we headed back to Fort Walton Beach with a really cool story. I don't think that would be allowed now!
 
Also, my best friend's daughter works as an engineer for Boeing in St. Louis. Her first project there was working with a team that developed simulators for the EX. The F 15 line has supported 3 generations of workers.
 
I don't think that would be allowed now!

We have our H1 Unlimited Hydroplane races here every year and our yacht club has a dinner cruise for the pilots and crews of the boats and also of the airplanes that come for the airshow. A couple of years ago USAF send an F-22 demo team with 2 planes and 2 sets of crew for each plane. We ended up having the crew (minus the pilot) of one of the F-22's on our boat.

I've always felt that if you don't ask, you don't get, so in conversation with one of the crew I casually asked him what it would take to get a walk around on the F-22. He hopped to another boat, OK'd it with the pilot and came back to tell us we were on for the next day.

We met him out at the airport the next morning with 2 of our grandsons and got a tour of the planes. We couldn't get in the cockpit, couldn't touch the radar absorbing material on the skin, and couldn't take photos inside the cordoned off area.

DSCN3383.jpg

DSCN3384.jpg
DSCN3404.jpg


That was an afternoon the boys will likely never forget and one where ol' gramps gained a few status points.

I'd tell ya about the radar absorbing material but I'd have to kill ya. Sorry.
 
We have our H1 Unlimited Hydroplane races here every year and our yacht club has a dinner cruise for the pilots and crews of the boats and also of the airplanes that come for the airshow. A couple of years ago USAF send an F-22 demo team with 2 planes and 2 sets of crew for each plane. We ended up having the crew (minus the pilot) of one of the F-22's on our boat.

I've always felt that if you don't ask, you don't get, so in conversation with one of the crew I casually asked him what it would take to get a walk around on the F-22. He hopped to another boat, OK'd it with the pilot and came back to tell us we were on for the next day.

We met him out at the airport the next morning with 2 of our grandsons and got a tour of the planes. We couldn't get in the cockpit, couldn't touch the radar absorbing material on the skin, and couldn't take photos inside the cordoned off area.

DSCN3383.jpg

DSCN3384.jpg
DSCN3404.jpg


That was an afternoon the boys will likely never forget and one where ol' gramps gained a few status points.

I'd tell ya about the radar absorbing material but I'd have to kill ya. Sorry.
See that guy in the middle, the one on his knee? That guy’s brain can process more in one second than most people can process in a year. They are not human. They are smart beyond human comprehension.
“My grandmother wants to fly jets.. Mayo naisse!
48CF3103-7680-4BBF-822B-4FC6C4A13B13.jpeg
 
We have our H1 Unlimited Hydroplane races here every year and our yacht club has a dinner cruise for the pilots and crews of the boats and also of the airplanes that come for the airshow. A couple of years ago USAF send an F-22 demo team with 2 planes and 2 sets of crew for each plane. We ended up having the crew (minus the pilot) of one of the F-22's on our boat.

I've always felt that if you don't ask, you don't get, so in conversation with one of the crew I casually asked him what it would take to get a walk around on the F-22. He hopped to another boat, OK'd it with the pilot and came back to tell us we were on for the next day.

We met him out at the airport the next morning with 2 of our grandsons and got a tour of the planes. We couldn't get in the cockpit, couldn't touch the radar absorbing material on the skin, and couldn't take photos inside the cordoned off area.

DSCN3383.jpg

DSCN3384.jpg
DSCN3404.jpg


That was an afternoon the boys will likely never forget and one where ol' gramps gained a few status points.

I'd tell ya about the radar absorbing material but I'd have to kill ya. Sorry.

Very cool! I worked in Advanced Materials and Structures in my time at McDonnell Douglas. I got to see lots of radar absorbing and deflecting materials. I still wouldn't talk about it. I left in 1996 and there were things in development that I know went into service but still aren't publicly known. Saw some crazy stuff.

About 8 or 9 years ago the Air Force sent an F 22 for static display. It's a big air and most years the Blues are there. Usually about 70,000 people would attend (it's also a fair). Anyway, there 5 armed airmen around the F 22 and signs on the ropes said to expect to be shot if you step inside the rope. They weren't playing.

Good for Grandpa! They'll always have that memory of you.
 
About 8 or 9 years ago the Air Force sent an F 22 for static display. It's a big air and most years the Blues are there. Usually about 70,000 people would attend (it's also a fair). Anyway, there 5 armed airmen around the F 22 and signs on the ropes said to expect to be shot if you step inside the rope. They weren't playing.

Good for Grandpa! They'll always have that memory of you.
DSCN3408.jpg


We were able to stroll right past this sign to get out onto the ramp and up next to the plane. We could see over our shoulders people standing outside the fence who were yelling about why we were in there and they couldn't be.

Too bad, so sad, it's all in who ya know, and I got lotsa BFF's at CSR!
 
Last edited:
Read “Boyd. The fighter pilot that changed the art of war”…. He really developed the F-15.

The "Mad Major" may have been the smartest guy to ever fly. He and the rest of the "fighter mafia" came up with the F-15.
I could easily argue the best air superiority fighter ever.

"NOT A POUND FOR AIR TO GROUND!"
 
The "Mad Major" may have been the smartest guy to ever fly. He and the rest of the "fighter mafia" came up with the F-15.
I could easily argue the best air superiority fighter ever.

"NOT A POUND FOR AIR TO GROUND!"
I don't know if there's even anything to argue. Undefeated. I could see the F-22 giving it fits, but there just aren't enough of them.
 
The F-22 put on a heck of an airshow for us. That plane (and the pilot "Rock") did things airplanes were not supposed to be able to do.
 
The F-22 put on a heck of an airshow for us. That plane (and the pilot "Rock") did things airplanes were not supposed to be able to do.

We had an F22 and an F35 at the airshow a few years back. They Flew side by side for a bit and it was surprising how much bigger the 22 is. Then the F22 did it's show and wow, you are absolutely right. Playing around with the vectored thrust, that thing got into speeds and attitudes where any other plane would have fallen out of the sky.
 
Ok, just got home from watching...

Script was a little predictable, little cheezy at times, but paid good homage to the original. Let's face it, I loved the the original, but it was not God's gift to screen writing. Some great and unpredictable parts though in the new one as the show rolls on.

The flight sequences were awesome!! My wife said she was dizzy at some point.

If you liked the original, then go get your need...your need for speed! We are gonna go again, but gonna see it in IMAX next time!! Will wait for a rainy day though, missed a good dock party...
 
Ok, just got home from watching...

Script was a little predictable, little cheezy at times, but paid good homage to the original. Let's face it, I loved the the original, but it was not God's gift to screen writing. Some great and unpredictable parts though in the new one as the show rolls on.

The flight sequences were awesome!! My wife said she was dizzy at some point.

If you liked the original, then go get your need...your need for speed! We are gonna go again, but gonna see it in IMAX next time!! Will wait for a rainy day though, missed a good dock party...
Seems like some people like it

96F4B818-2283-423C-B2AB-E4D9DF5ED98E.jpeg
72C6D410-C4CC-47FE-85F0-93646C02F048.jpeg
 
We saw it last night. Damn good. Years ago, after I got out of the USAF, I had some patients in the Va National Guard. They went out to Red Flag (USAF vs of Top Gun) and a squadron of 15's and a squadron of 16's lost to 2 (total planes) F-22's. The 22's are above Mach 1 at cruise, not in afterburner like the others if I remember correctly. The 15 and 16 pilots could see the 22's but not shoot because the couldn't lock on to the stealth.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
112,948
Messages
1,422,827
Members
60,931
Latest member
Ebrown69
Back
Top