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5050 Santa Fe Drive • Atwater, California • 95301
McDonnell-Douglas F-15A Eagle
MUSEUM HOURS
May 1- October 31
9:00am - 5:00pm
November 1 - April 30
10:00am - 4:00pm
The museum is open
daily year round,
except for the
following days:
New Year's Day,
Easter,
Thanksgiving and
Christmas Day.
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, after more than 25 years of service, was still the U.S. Air Force's premier fighter as the year 2000 approached. It is the only aircraft in the U.S. Air Force arsenal capable of launching the ASAT anti-satellite missile. It also serves with the air forces of Israel, Japan and Saudi Arabia.
The F-15 constantly is upgraded to include state-of-the-art equipment. It can penetrate enemy defenses and can outperform and outfight any current or projected enemy. The Eagle's air superiority is due to its advanced avionics, its range and weaponry, and its unprecedented maneuverability. One person can effectively perform air-to-air combat using its advanced systems to detect, acquire, track and attack enemy aircraft.
The F-15's low-wing loading (the ratio of aircraft weight to its wing area), combined with its high engine thrust-to-weight ratio, allows it to turn tightly without losing airspeed. Under any light conditions, data from the integrated avionics system is projected on the windscreen, so the pilot can track and destroy an enemy aircraft without having to look down at cockpit instruments.
Between Jan. 16 and Feb. 1, 1975, an F-15A nicknamed "Streak Eagle" broke eight time-to-climb world records. It reached an altitude of 98,425 feet just 3 minutes 27.8 seconds from brake release at takeoff and coasted to nearly 103,000 feet before descending.
The first Eagle entered service in November 1974 with the 58th Tactical Training Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. The first Air Force air defense squadron to transition to the F-15 was the 48th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, Va., in January 1982. By 1989, more than 1,200 Eagles were in service; most were built by McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis, Mo., and more than 110 were built by Mitsubishi of Japan.
Besides the U.S.A.F., Israel (F-15I Ra'am -- Hebrew: Thunder), Japan (F-15J/DJ), S. Korea (F-15K 'Slam Eagle') and Saudi Arabia (F-15S) are the only countries to operate the F-15A
Specifications
Country of Origin: United States
Manufacturer: McDonnell-Douglas Aircraft Co.
Role/Function: Fighter
Serial Number: 74-119
Model Number/Mk. #: n/a
Crew: F-15A/C, 1 crew; F-15B/D, 2 crew
Power Plant: 2 - 25,000-pound-thrust P&W F100-PW-100 turbofan engines
Maximum Speed: 1,875 mph.
Cruising Speed: 600 mph.
Service Ceiling: 65,000 ft.
Range: 2,400 mi.
Weights: Empty: 28,000 lbs. Loaded: 44,500 lbs. Maximum: 68,000 lbs.
Wing Span: 42 ft. 10 in.
Length: 63 ft. 9 in.
Height: 18 ft. 8 in.
Wing Area: 608 ft² (56.5 m²)
Armament: AIM-7F/M Sparrow missiles or AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles; AIM-9L/M Sidewinder or AIM-120 missiles; 20 mm M-61-A1 Gatling gun.
Cost: $27,900,000.00 (in 1998)
# Built: 384 (between 1972-79). 110 by Mitsubishi of Japan.
# in Current Service: Hundreds.
Above: The F-15A's 20mm M-61-A-1 Gatling Gun
Below: NASA's F-15 research testbed #836 (74-0141), with the Quiet Spike boom to reduce and control Sonic Booms.
Above: Roll-out of the F-15A