First generation fighter

Hawker Sea Hawk British single-seat jet fighter of the Fleet Air Arm (FAA)

General characteristics

Crew: One Length: 39 ft 8 in (12.09 m) Wingspan: 39 ft 0 in (11.89 m) Height: 8 ft 8 in (2.64 m) Wing area: 278 ft² (25.83 m²) Empty weight: 9,278 lb (4,208 kg) Loaded weight: 13,220 lb (5,996 kg) Max takeoff weight: 16,150 lb (7,325 kg) Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Nene 103 turbojet, 5,200 lbf (23.1 kN)

Performance

Maximum speed: 600 mph (965 km/h) Range: 480 mi (770 km) Service ceiling: 44,500 ft (13,564 m) Rate of climb: 5,700 ft/min (29.0 m/s) Wing loading: 48 lb/ft² (232 kg/m²) Thrust/weight: 0.38

Armament

4 × 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano Mk V cannons (200 rpg) 4 × 500 lb (227 kg) bombs

or

20 × "60 lb" (27 kg) unguided rockets

or

16 × 5 in (127 mm) unguided rockets

or

2 × 90 Imp gal (410 l) drop tanks

Second generation fighter

HAL HF-24 MarutIndia

General characteristics

Crew: 1 Length: 15.87 m (52 ft 1 in) Wingspan: 9.00 m (29 ft 6 in) Height: 3.60 m (11 ft 10 in) Wing area: 28 m² (300 ft²) Empty weight: 6,195 kg (13,660 lb) Max takeoff weight: 10,908 kg (24,048 lb)

Powerplant: 2× Bristol-Siddeley Orpheus Mk 703 turbojet, 21.6 kN (4,850 lbf) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 1,128 km/h (609 kn, 701 mph) Range: 800 km (430 NM, 500 mi) Service ceiling: 13,750 m (45,100 ft)

Armament

Guns: 4× 30 mm (1.18 in) ADEN cannon Hardpoints: 4 with a capacity of 1,800 kg (4,000 lb), Rockets: 48× 2.65 in (67 mm) rockets

F-104 Starfighter

Lockheed F-104 Starfighter

Specifications (F-104G)

Data from Quest for Performance

General characteristics

Crew: 1 Length: 54 ft 8 in (16.66 m) Wingspan: 21 ft 9 in (6.36 m) Height: 13 ft 6 in (4.09 m) Wing area: 196.1 ft² (18.22 m²) Airfoil: Biconvex 3.36% root and tip Empty weight: 14,000 lb (6,350 kg) Loaded weight: 20,640 lb (9,365 kg) Max takeoff weight: 29,027 lb (13,170 kg) Powerplant: 1× General Electric J79-GE-11A afterburning turbojet

o Dry thrust: 10,000 lbf (48 kN)o Thrust with afterburner: 15,600 lbf (69 kN)

Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0172 Drag area: 3.37 sq ft (0.31 m²) Aspect ratio: 2.45

Performance

Maximum speed: 1,328 mph (1,154 kn, 2,125 km/h) Combat radius: 420 mi (365 nmi, 670 km) Ferry range: 1,630 mi (1,420 nm, 2,623 km)

Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,000 m) Rate of climb: 48,000 ft/min (244 m/s) Wing loading: 105 lb/ft² (514 kg/m²) Thrust/weight: 0.54 with max. takeoff weight (0.76 loaded) Lift-to-drag ratio: 9.2

Armament

Guns: 1 × 20 mm (0.79 in) M61 Vulcan gatling gun, 725 rounds Hardpoints: 7 with a capacity of 4,000 lb (1,814 kg),with provisions to carry

combinations of: o Missiles: 4 × AIM-9 Sidewinder* Other: Bombs, rockets, or other

stores

Third generation fighter

Mitsubishi F-1Japan's first domestically developed jet fighter

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Fuji Heavy Industries jointly developed the F-1

General characteristics

Crew: 1

Length: 17.66 m (57 ft 11 in) Wingspan: 7.88 m (25 ft 10 in) Height: 4.39 m (14 ft 5 in) Wing area: 21.2 m² (228 ft²) Empty weight: 6,358 kg (14,017 lb) Loaded weight: kg (lb) Max takeoff weight: 13,674 kg (30,146 lb) Powerplant: 2× Ishikawa-Harima TF40-801A turbofan, 32.4 kN (7,280 lbf)

each

Performance

Maximum speed: 1,700 km/h (1,060 mph) Range: 1,130 km (705 mi) Service ceiling: 15,250 m (50,020 ft) Rate of climb: m/s (ft/min) Wing loading: kg/m² (lb/ft²) Thrust/weight: 0.48

Armament

1 × 20 mm JM61A1 Vulcan Various bombs, air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles and rocket pods on four

underwing, two wingtip, and one underfuselage pylon. Weapons carried include AIM-9 Sidewinder, Mitsubishi AAM-1, Mitsubishi ASM-1/2 anti-ship missiles, JLAU-3A 70 mm rocket pods, RL-7 70 mm rockets, RL-4 125 mm rockets, Mk-82 500 lb and M117 750 lb bombs, and GCS-1, IR-guided versions of the Mk-82 and M117.

Dassault Mirage F1 (France)

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Fuji Heavy Industries jointly developed the F-1

General characteristics

Crew: 1 Length: 15.33 m (50 ft 3 in) Wingspan: 8.44 m (27 ft 8 in) Height: 4.49 m (14 ft 8 in) Wing area: 25 m² (270 ft²) Empty weight: 7,400 kg (16,000 lb) Loaded weight: 11,130 kg (24,540 lb) Max takeoff weight: 16,200 kg (35,700 lb) Powerplant: 1× SNECMA Atar 9K-50 afterburning turbojet

Performance

Maximum speed: Mach 2.3 (2,573 km/h, 1,600 mph) at 11,000 m (36,000 ft)

Combat radius: 425 km (229 nm, 265 mi) Ferry range: 2,150 km (1,160 nm, 1,335 mi) Service ceiling: 20,000 m (66,000 ft) Rate of climb: 215 m/s (42,300 ft/min) Wing loading: 450 kg/m² (91 lb/ft²) Thrust/weight: 0.64

Armament

Guns: 2× 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 553 cannons with 150 rounds per gun Rockets: 8× Matra rocket pods with 18× SNEB 68 mm rockets each

Missiles: 4× AIM-9 Sidewinders OR Matra R550 Magics, 2× Super 530Fs, 2× AM-39 Exocets, 2× AS-30L

Bombs: 14,000 lb (6,300 kg) of payload on five external hardpoints, including a variety of bombs, reconnaissance pods or Drop tanks

Fourth generation fighter

F-15 Eagle built by

Dassault Aviation

French single-seat air-superiority fighter and attack aircraft

Specifications (F-15C Eagle)

General characteristics

Crew: 1 Length: 63 ft 9 in (19.43 m) Wingspan: 42 ft 10 in (13.05 m) Height: 18 ft 6 in (5.63 m) Wing area: 608 ft² (56.5 m²) Airfoil: NACA 64A006.6 root, NACA 64A203 tip Empty weight: 28,000 lb (12,700 kg) Loaded weight: 44,500 lb (20,200 kg) Max takeoff weight: 68,000 lb (30,845 kg) Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney F100-100, -220 or -229 afterburning

turbofans o Dry thrust: 17,450 lbf (77.62 kN) eacho Thrust with afterburner: 25,000 lbf for -220; 29,000 lbf for -229

(111.2 kN for -220; 129.0 kN for -229) each

Performance

Maximum speed:o High altitude: Mach 2.5+ (1,650+ mph, 2,660+ km/h)o Low altitude: Mach 1.2 (900 mph, 1,450 km/h)

Combat radius: 1,061 nmi (1,222 mi, 1,967 km) for interdiction mission Ferry range: 3,450 mi (3,000 nmi, 5,550 km) with conformal fuel tanks and

three external fuel tanks Service ceiling: 65,000 ft (20,000 m) Rate of climb: >50,000 ft/min (254 m/s) Wing loading: 73.1 lb/ft² (358 kg/m²) Thrust/weight: 1.12 (-220), 1.30 (-229)

Armament

Guns: 1× internally mounted 20 mm (0.787 in) M61A1 gatling gun, 940 rounds

Hardpoints: four wing, four fuselage, two wing stations, centerline station, optional fuselage pylons with a capacity of 16,000 lb (7,300 kg),

Missiles:o AIM-7F Sparrowo AIM-120 AMRAAMo AIM-9 Sidewinders

Avionics

Radar: o Raytheon AN/APG-63 or AN/APG-70 or

Although several F-15C aircraft were produced with APG-70 radar, all have been retrofitted to the AN/APG-63(V)1 configuration

o Raytheon AN/APG-63(V)1 oro Raytheon AN/APG-63(V)2 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA)

oro Raytheon AN/APG-63(V)3 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA)

Both active AF and ANG F-15Cs will receive another (up to) 48 V3 units between 2009-2015, over the existing 19 aircraft.[74]

Countermeasures: o AN/APX-76 or AN/APX-119 Identify Friend/Foe (IFF) interrogatoro Magnavox AN/ALQ-128 Electronic Warfare Warning Set (EWWS) -

part of Tactical Electronic Warfare Systems (TEWS)o Loral AN/ALR-56 Radar Warning Receiver (RWR)-part of Tactical

Electronic Warfare Systems (TEWS)o Northrop ALQ-135 Internal Countermeasures System (ICS) - part of

Tactical Electronic Warfare Systems (TEWS)o AN/ALE-45 chaff/flare dispensers

Others:

o Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System[74]

o MXU-648 Cargo/Travel Pod - to carry personal belongings, and small pieces of maintenance equipment

Forth generation fighter

F/A-18 Hornet (McDonnell Douglas)

Specifications (F/A-18C/D)

Data from U.S. Navy fact file,[53] Aerospaceweb[54]

General characteristics

Crew: F/A-18C: 1, F/A-18D: 2 (pilot and weapons system officer) Length: 56 ft (17.1 m) Wingspan: 40 ft (12.3 m)

Height: 15 ft 4 in (4.7 m) Wing area: 400 ft² (38 m²) Airfoil: NACA 65A005 mod root, 65A003.5 mod tip Empty weight: 24,700 lb (11,200 kg) Loaded weight: 37,150 lb (16,850 kg) Max takeoff weight: 51,550 lb (23,400 kg) Powerplant: 2× General Electric F404-GE-402 turbofans

o Dry thrust: 11,000 lbf (48.9 kN) eacho Thrust with afterburner: 17,750 lbf (79.2 kN) each

Performance

Maximum speed: Mach 1.8 (1,190 mph, 1,915 km/h) at 40,000 ft (12,190 m)

Combat radius: 330 mi (290 NM, 537 km) on hi-lo-lo-hi mission Ferry range: 2,070 mi (1,800 NM, 3,330 km) Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,000 m) Rate of climb: 50,000 ft/min (254 m/s) Wing loading: 93 lb/ft² (450 kg/m²) Thrust/weight: >0.95

Armament

Guns: 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M61 Vulcan nose mounted gatling gun, 578 rounds

Hardpoints: 9 total: 2× wingtips missile launch rail, 4× under-wing, and 3× under-fuselage with a capacity of 13,700 lb (6,215 kg) external fuel and ordnance,

Rockets: Missiles:

o Air-to-air missiles: 4× AIM-9 Sidewinder or 4× AIM-132 ASRAAM or 4× IRIS-T or 4×

AIM-120 AMRAAM, and 2× AIM-7 Sparrow or additional 2× AIM-120 AMRAAM

o Air-to-surface missiles: AGM-65 Maverick Standoff Land Attack Missile (SLAM-ER) AGM-88 HARM Anti-radiation missile (ARM)

AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) Taurus missile (Cruise missile)

o Anti-ship missile: AGM-84 Harpoon

Bombs:o JDAM Precision-guided munition (PGMs)o Paveway series of Laser guided bombso Mk 80 series of unguided iron bombso CBU-87 clustero CBU-89 gator mineo CBU-97o Mk 20 Rockeye IIo B61/Mk57 nuclear bombs,[55]

Others: o SUU-42A/A Flares/Infrared decoys dispenser pod and chaff pod oro Electronic countermeasures (ECM) pod oro AN/AAS-38 Nite Hawk Targeting pods (US Navy only), to be replace

by AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR oro LITENING targeting pod (USMC and Finland only) oro up to 3× 330 US gallon Sargent Fletcher drop tanks for ferry flight or

extended range/loitering time.

Avionics

Hughes APG-73 radar