With new engines F-4 Phantom can outperform F-15 and F-18

Dejan Corovic

As above, so bellow
An amazing article reveals, to all the military plane buffs, that an old F-4 Phantom airframe fitted with F-15's jet engines can actually outperform both F-15 and F-18 in speed, range and even maneuverability. That's because modern jet engines are smaller, lighter, spend less fuel and have more thrust. An to top it all up, such F-4 can actually super cruise, like F-22 Raptor.

Why Israel's Promising 'Heavy Hammer' F-4 Super Phantom Never Made It
 

pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable
Now that's cool. I suppose when you're BFF with the world's largest arms producer there isn't much incentive to upgrade what you've got. I'd call that a 'restomod' if it were an old car. Like dropping an LS motor and a suspension package in your old Chevelle.

But upgrades do happen. How about a new B-52 model? Or new engines anyway to take it through a few more decades ....

US Air Force nears battle over next B-52 engine

I recently listened to a podcast that spoke about this, among other things BUFF related

065 – B-52 Stratofortress – The Fighter Pilot Podcast
 

Dejan Corovic

As above, so bellow
What's actually sort of disappointing is that F-4 with F-15's engines can supercruise, but F-15 can't. That means that F-4 is less draggy than F-15 and actually a better design. So it's sort of a downer to hear that more modern fighter is actually aerodynamically inferior to older design. And to top it up, large corporations are preventing their customers from using better options.
 
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Dejan Corovic

As above, so bellow
Yeah, the whole thing sounds like when Apple is deliberately throttling down old iPhones. But this time large corporation is not blackmailing consumers, it's blackmailing governments.

Did anybody ever say that capitalism is socialism for large corporations?
 

pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable
What's actually sort of disappointing is that F-4 with F-15's engines can supercruise, but F-15 can't. That means that F-4 is less draggy than F-15 and actually a better design. So it's sort of a downer to hear that more modern fighter is actually aerodynamically inferior to older design. And to top it up, large corporations are preventing their customers from using better options.

It's F-15 month on The Fighter Pilot Podcast if you're interested
074 - F-15A-D Eagle (part 1) – The Fighter Pilot Podcast
 

Dejan Corovic

As above, so bellow
Yeah that F-15 podcast was a bit disappointing. There was very few anecdotes and even no much new data. Although it's always nice to listen to pilots' stories. But thank you anyway.

Check YouTube channel Grawling Sidwinder. He does lots person vs person dogfights, in all kinds of jets: F-18, F-15, F-16, F-14, A-4, Su-3x, Mig-29, Mirage, with analysis of technical aspects after the dogfight. One can learn a lot about what really matters in modern air combat that average journalist doesn't know about.
 
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