The F-15E Strike Eagle’s wing, for example, is a very neat piece of aerodynamic design, with a conical camber and an aerofoil section optimised to reduce wave drag at high speed. The last 20 per cent of the chord is thickened to delay boundary layer separation and so reduce drag.
Strike Eagle manoeuvre performance is also enhanced by the slab tailplanes, which operate differentially, in concert with the ailerons, in the rolling plane and together for pitch control.
They compensate to a great extent for loss of aileron effectiveness at extreme angles of attack, a vital factor in tight air combat. The aircraft’s twin fins are also positioned to receive vortex flow off the wing in order to maintain directional stability at high angles of attack.
The F-15C, the earlier single-seat interceptor version, has a wing loading of only 54lb (25kg) and this, together with two 23,450lbst (104.3kN) Pratt & Whitney F-100 advanced-technology turbofans, gives it an extraordinary turning ability and the combat thrust-to-weight ratio (1.3:1) necessary to retain the initiative in a fight.
The high thrust-to-weight ratio permits a scramble time of only six seconds, using 600ft (180m) of runway, and a maximum speed of more than Mach 2.5 gives the pilot the margin he needs if he has to break off an engagement.
F-15E Strike Eagle versus F-22 Raptor
| CATEGORY |
F-15E Strike Eagle |
F-22 Raptor |
| Unit cost in USD millions |
100-105 |
140-160 |
| Fuel economy in km/l |
0,38 |
0,22 |
| Fuel economy in NM/g |
0,89 |
0,51 |
| Fuel tank capacity in litres |
5950 |
8100 |
| Fuel tank capacity in gallon |
1571 |
2138 |
| Range on internal fuel in km |
2250 |
1800 |
| Range on internal fuel in miles |
1395 |
1116 |
| Range on internal fuel in NM |
1215 |
972 |
| Powerplant/Engines |
2 × Pratt & Whitney F100-229 |
2 x Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 |
| Dry thrust in kN |
2 x 78 |
2 x 116 |
| Dry thrust in lbf |
2 x 17500 |
2 x 26000 |
| Afterburner in kN |
2 x 129 |
2 x 155 |
| Afterburner in lbf |
2 x 29000 |
2 x 35000 |
| Max. Speed in Mach |
2,50 |
2,30 |
| Max. Speed in km/h |
3063 |
2818 |
| Max. Speed in mph |
1903 |
1751 |
| Minimal thrust/weight ratio |
0,72 |
0,84 |
| Normal thrust/weight ratio |
0,93 |
1,09 |
| Maximal thrust/weight ratio |
1,84 |
1,61 |
| Overall length in meters |
19,45 |
18,90 |
| Overall length in ft |
63,80 |
61,99 |
| Wingspan in meters |
13,05 |
13,56 |
| Wingspan in ft |
42,80 |
44,48 |
| Height in meters |
5,65 |
5,08 |
| Height in ft |
18,53 |
16,66 |
| Wing area in sq meters |
57,00 |
78,00 |
| Wing area in sq ft |
613,32 |
839,28 |
| Empty weight in kg |
14300 |
19700 |
| Empty weight in lb |
31460 |
43340 |
| Maximal take-off weight in kg |
36700 |
38000 |
| Maximal take-off weight in lb |
80740 |
83600 |
| Minimal wing-loading in kg/m2 |
255 |
252 |
| Normal wing-loading in kg/m2 |
504 |
375 |
| Maximal wing-loading in kg/m2 |
651 |
487 |
| Rate of climb in m/sec |
254 |
280 |
| Rate of climb in ft/min |
50013 |
55132 |
| First flight |
1986 |
1997 |
