Boeing F-15EX / F-15QA and related variants

Sundog said:
Mark Nankivil said:
Good Day All -

I was there yesterday - first day out of quarantine and Boeing flew a bunch of aircraft for me :) F-15QA 006 and 008 flew, 008 for the first time and without CFTs and later a Kuwaiti F/A-18E went up as well. Catbird flew off to Palmdale and EX flew early afternoon. Felt great to be out of the house, in the sun and listening, and feeling!, jet engines!

Enjoy the Day! Mark
Click to expand...

Hi Mark, do you have any idea what program the Catbird is flying in support of right now?
Ken
Click to expand...
Hi Ken -

No idea - they are rather mum about its movements and work effort. I was rather surprised it ended up residing here in St. Louis - seems to be in Palmdale or at Edwards a lot. Here, it is under a "temporary" canopy rather than in a proper hangar. One of these days there will be a hail or wind storm and all bets off....

Enjoy the Day! Mark
 
Anduriel said:
Question: why does 15EX use GE-129 engines with thrust of 13.1 tons instead of more powerful GE-132 egines that have 14.5 tons?
F-15EX has CFTs by default and new quadruple racks are also more draggy compared to dual missile pylons?
Click to expand...
I suspect that the GE-132 engines were developed specifically for the F-16E/F for UAE and development was paid for by UAE, so any use elsewhere would require a royalty be paid to UAE. IIRC, F-16E/F was a strictly commercial sale with minimal US government involvement.
 
“I believe this is the most lethal and survivable jet that's on the market today and I say that because the battlespace effects that this airplane can provide are on par or exceed what you can do with an LO [low observable] platform that has restrictions. This jet has 30,000 lb of things we can put on the wings and the fuselage,” adds Giese. “No one’s going to match that. Then if you marry that up with the radar and the EW system, I would argue — even as a guy that flew the F-22 for 12 years — that this platform produces battlespace effects — which is what the commanders care about — that are equal or better than what an LO platform can do, that’s based on power, size, payload, and capacity.

Ignoring the fact that this airplane, as good as it is, is enabled by LO platforms. Nice sales pitch though...
 
A few pics of EX on its return from its first flight. Shot 4 missed approaches before landing - gave me plenty of opportunities to take pics...

Enjoy the Day! Mark
 

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TomcatViP said:
Not wanting to open a debate but those are not the same things...

en.m.wikipedia.org

Missed approach - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org en.m.wikipedia.org
Click to expand...

Correct, they are not the same thing but they are connected. If the plane did touch and gos (as reported in WarZone), it also flew missed approaches, because that's how touch-and-gos work. You fly the approach, touch-down, fail to stop, then fly a missed approach up and away from the runway. So why "correct" Mark when he mentioned missed approaches?
 
@Grey Havoc : To my knowledge, the EX is significantly lower priced that the Rafale (outside of any free airframe tricks).
Hence if the goal was to negociate a bargain, IN MoD would have reverted or at least altered the balance b/w Rafale and F-15X (resp. 36 and 8).
 
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TomcatViP said:
www.airforcemag.com

Indonesia Could Be First Non-USAF Customer for F-15EX | Air & Space Forces Magazine

Indonesia plans to buy the Boeing F-15EX, expecting to take delivery by 2022, according to press reports from Jakarta.
www.airforcemag.com www.airforcemag.com
Click to expand...
Indonesia's diversity will soon eclipse India's procurement
F-16A/B Block 15 upgrade
F-16C/D Block 25 upgrade
Su-27
Su-30
Hawk 200
T-50
Super Tucano
AH-64E
~potential acquisitions~
Su-35
Rafale
Ex-Austrian Eurofighters
V-22
F-15EX

The palm oil business must be doing very well?
 
More like a combination of "I'll buy said platform and then have it operational for 2 - 4yrs under a warranty period before it ends up grounded through lack of maintenance support/spares" + "this is some good political chest beating".

To the former, I know they have been having trouble keeping even their T-50s, Hawks and Super Tucanos in the air in recent years.
 
isayyo2 said:
TomcatViP said:
www.airforcemag.com

Indonesia Could Be First Non-USAF Customer for F-15EX | Air & Space Forces Magazine

Indonesia plans to buy the Boeing F-15EX, expecting to take delivery by 2022, according to press reports from Jakarta.
www.airforcemag.com www.airforcemag.com
Click to expand...
Indonesia's diversity will soon eclipse India's procurement
F-16A/B Block 15 upgrade
F-16C/D Block 25 upgrade
Su-27
Su-30
Hawk 200
T-50
Super Tucano
AH-64E
~potential acquisitions~
Su-35
Rafale
Ex-Austrian Eurofighters
V-22
F-15EX

The palm oil business must be doing very well?
Click to expand...
AFAIK the F-15EX they are planning to buy are using the carry-over budget which was originally allocated for the procurement of Su-35s from 2018, hence the small number of only 8 jets.

Austrian Typhoons were also one of the options they looked into for this replacement but soon fell through because of parliamentary opposition.

I really doubt that they could afford V-22s, which costed Japan a total program cost of $ 3 billion for 17 Ospreys. I've heard that the flyaway cost of these birds are way cheaper than that which should mean that the supporting infrastructure for the tilt-rotor structure is surely very expensive and also it just costs more when sold over seas in general.

So it should just be

F-16A/B Block 15 upgrade
F-16C/D Block 25 upgrade
Su-27
Su-30
Hawk 200
T-50i upgrade (upgrading to FA-50 equivalent)
Super Tucano
AH-64E

~potential acquisitions~
Rafale
F-15EX


I've also heard that they are planning to replace Hawks soon with something else but I'm not so sure if that's correct.

Should admit that its still a very wide range of aircraft they are using and going to use.
 
Maro.Kyo said:
isayyo2 said:
TomcatViP said:
www.airforcemag.com

Indonesia Could Be First Non-USAF Customer for F-15EX | Air & Space Forces Magazine

Indonesia plans to buy the Boeing F-15EX, expecting to take delivery by 2022, according to press reports from Jakarta.
www.airforcemag.com www.airforcemag.com
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
AFAIK the F-15EX they are planning to buy are using the carry-over budget which was originally allocated for the procurement of Su-35s from 2018, hence the small number of only 8 jets.

Austrian Typhoons were also one of the options they looked into for this replacement but soon fell through because of parliamentary opposition.

I really doubt that they could afford V-22s, which costed Japan a total program cost of $ 3 billion for 17 Ospreys. I've heard that the flyaway cost of these birds are way cheaper than that which should mean that the supporting infrastructure for the tilt-rotor structure is surely very expensive and also it just costs more when sold over seas in general.

So it should just be

F-16A/B Block 15 upgrade
F-16C/D Block 25 upgrade
Su-27
Su-30
Hawk 200
T-50i upgrade (upgrading to FA-50 equivalent)
Super Tucano
AH-64E

~potential acquisitions~
Rafale
F-15EX


I've also heard that they are planning to replace Hawks soon with something else but I'm not so sure if that's correct.

Should admit that its still a very wide range of aircraft they are using and going to use.
Click to expand...


The KFX is the projected replacement for Hawks.

Relying on media or even our own officials are not really a good indicator on what being bought like what happened with Su-35 which contract they never cancel but never made effective either, same as Kilo class submarine which contracted but never made effective but they choose to screwing around trying to find used Kilo class which obviously not in good condition, while Russian actually offered new 636's back then with state credit.

Considering our arms procurement are mostly loan financed by rule. The only good indicator would be the release of Ministry of Finance's "Green Book". This contain all the approved and financed deal. The Airforce officials or medias are mostly talks about Yellow or Blue book. Those are the plans where one can find the wishlists of the many.

Hawk and Flankers however are about to undergo some life extension so they'll have more life ahead of them.
 
stealthflanker said:
Maro.Kyo said:
isayyo2 said:
TomcatViP said:
www.airforcemag.com

Indonesia Could Be First Non-USAF Customer for F-15EX | Air & Space Forces Magazine

Indonesia plans to buy the Boeing F-15EX, expecting to take delivery by 2022, according to press reports from Jakarta.
www.airforcemag.com www.airforcemag.com
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
AFAIK the F-15EX they are planning to buy are using the carry-over budget which was originally allocated for the procurement of Su-35s from 2018, hence the small number of only 8 jets.

Austrian Typhoons were also one of the options they looked into for this replacement but soon fell through because of parliamentary opposition.

I really doubt that they could afford V-22s, which costed Japan a total program cost of $ 3 billion for 17 Ospreys. I've heard that the flyaway cost of these birds are way cheaper than that which should mean that the supporting infrastructure for the tilt-rotor structure is surely very expensive and also it just costs more when sold over seas in general.

So it should just be

F-16A/B Block 15 upgrade
F-16C/D Block 25 upgrade
Su-27
Su-30
Hawk 200
T-50i upgrade (upgrading to FA-50 equivalent)
Super Tucano
AH-64E

~potential acquisitions~
Rafale
F-15EX


I've also heard that they are planning to replace Hawks soon with something else but I'm not so sure if that's correct.

Should admit that its still a very wide range of aircraft they are using and going to use.
Click to expand...


The KFX is the projected replacement for Hawks.

Relying on media or even our own officials are not really a good indicator on what being bought like what happened with Su-35 which contract they never cancel but never made effective either, same as Kilo class submarine which contracted but never made effective but they choose to screwing around trying to find used Kilo class which obviously not in good condition, while Russian actually offered new 636's back then with state credit.

Considering our arms procurement are mostly loan financed by rule. The only good indicator would be the release of Ministry of Finance's "Green Book". This contain all the approved and financed deal. The Airforce officials or medias are mostly talks about Yellow or Blue book. Those are the plans where one can find the wishlists of the many.

Hawk and Flankers however are about to undergo some life extension so they'll have more life ahead of them.
Click to expand...
so what do you think the Indonesian AF should standardize around by 2030-2040?
do they have access to spares and other weapons for their Flankers given the current environment?

to me it should ideally be
Golden Eagle, F-16, F-15 or Rafale
then later Golden Eagle, KFX, F-15 or Rafale
 
helmutkohl said:
en.antaranews.com

Air Force plans to buy used F-15s, Dassault Rafale

The Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) is planning to buy sophisticated 4.5 generation fighter jets, including France-made Dassault Rafale and used US-made F-15s, ...
en.antaranews.com en.antaranews.com

now they are saying they want used F-15s :eek:
Click to expand...
I'm assuming they'll be the Saudi F-15C/Ds; personally I think that's the smartest choice they could make. Multi role capabilities are inherent to the airframe, and unlike the USAF the Saudi Eagles shouldn't be beat to hell either.
Now all we need is for Malaysia to snatch up those Kuwaiti Hornets...
https://twitter.com/x/status/821202414195904512
 
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a nice whatif.
although would prefer if it uses Indonesias scheme for the F-15s or Flanker

4.jpg
 
helmutkohl said:
en.antaranews.com

Air Force plans to buy used F-15s, Dassault Rafale

The Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) is planning to buy sophisticated 4.5 generation fighter jets, including France-made Dassault Rafale and used US-made F-15s, ...
en.antaranews.com en.antaranews.com

now they are saying they want used F-15s :eek:
Click to expand...
I've heard that its probably just a misinterpretation of the announcement. So Indonesia probably still the first foreign F-15EX customer.
 

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Mark Nankivil said:
fightingirish said:
www.thedrive.com

The First F-15EX Fighter Jet Has Now Flown In Its Air Force Colors

The aircraft is slated to be one of the first two F-15EXs to be handed over to the Air Force for test work in the coming months.
www.thedrive.com www.thedrive.com
Click to expand...
Yep, was there though worked caused me to miss the launch which I was told was pretty darn good!

Enjoy the Day! Mark
Click to expand...
Uhh, wasn't EX supposed to be Strike Eagle but with single seat only? Or am I wrong? That tail structure means it is indeed EX which gets me confused...
 
Maro.Kyo said:
Mark Nankivil said:
fightingirish said:
www.thedrive.com

The First F-15EX Fighter Jet Has Now Flown In Its Air Force Colors

The aircraft is slated to be one of the first two F-15EXs to be handed over to the Air Force for test work in the coming months.
www.thedrive.com www.thedrive.com
Click to expand...
Yep, was there though worked caused me to miss the launch which I was told was pretty darn good!

Enjoy the Day! Mark
Click to expand...
Uhh, wasn't EX supposed to be Strike Eagle but with single seat only? Or am I wrong? That tail structure means it is indeed EX which gets me confused...
Click to expand...
Back seat is still "Missionised" for anyone who wants to hop in, they haven't built single seater's lighter airframes since the 80s.
Apparently the last order of D's for the Saudi Air Force were really heavier E airframes in gray paint?
 
Wow looks almost exactly the same as the earlier models

so far the only way to distinguish the EX from the others is at the back
with the straighter, elongated 'stinger'

the other Es had a sloped, and shorter 'stinger'

Screen Shot 2021-02-24 at 12.45.51.png
 
Other F-15EX visual ID features compared to current USAF F-15-series jets:
- F110 engine "turkey feathers" (F100 engines are flown without turkey feathers)
- Identical left & right fin tip pods (antennas moved down to stingers)
- Forward-looking antenna(s) below cockpit.

That said, the visible differences are few and difficult to distinguish (about as challenging as F-14B versus F-14D), but under the skin, this ain't your Dad's mudhen.
 
The Pratt & Whitney F100s did originally come with turkey fathers (and still do on the F-16s). They were removed from the engines used on the F-15s in the '80s supposedly because they were taking a beating in the dirty airflow and it was cheaper to take them off than to have to continually fix them. That's the story I heard, YMMV, trust but verify.

OTH, I don't think I've ever seen an F110 without turkey feathers.
 
aim9xray said:
The Pratt & Whitney F100s did originally come with turkey fathers (and still do on the F-16s). They were removed from the engines used on the F-15s in the '80s supposedly because they were taking a beating in the dirty airflow and it was cheaper to take them off than to have to continually fix them. That's the story I heard, YMMV, trust but verify.

OTH, I don't think I've ever seen an F110 without turkey feathers.
Click to expand...
I've always thought that the lack of the "turkey feathers" diminished the appearance of an otherwise very handsome aircraft. Glad the F110 engined aircraft keep them at least.
 
aim9xray said:
The Pratt & Whitney F100s did originally come with turkey fathers (and still do on the F-16s). They were removed from the engines used on the F-15s in the '80s supposedly because they were taking a beating in the dirty airflow and it was cheaper to take them off than to have to continually fix them. That's the story I heard, YMMV, trust but verify.

OTH, I don't think I've ever seen an F110 without turkey feathers.
Click to expand...
Correct, the airflow around the back of the F-15 fuselage and the two closely spaced round nozzle beat up the F100 turkey feathers. They were removed as a significant cost and maintenance savings, with minimal performance impact. I’m sure there is a signature impact, but that wasn’t a big concern at the time.

The composite turkey feathers on the PW-229 designed and tested to be able to live in the F-15 environment, but the USAF decided to leave them off for the F-15E application.

interestingly, when the USAF ran a service evaluation on F110-GE-100 engines on two F-15Es at Nellis AFB in the late 1990s, they had lots of nozzle issues, and eventually removed the turkey feathers on those engines. I assume that GE has improved them on the current production GE-129 engines.

On a side note, the USAF has also removed the turkey feathers from the F101 engines on the B-1B bombers, presumably for a similar durability issue.
 
If the first aircraft is indicative of the final configuration, then the EX can be visually distinguished from the other Adv. Eagles by the absence of MAWS. An empty rear seat will probably be the first thing most would notice.
 

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