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 Marut

India

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-1
Japan'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) each
o 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 Sparrow
o AIM-120 AMRAAM
o 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 or
o Raytheon AN/APG-63(V)2 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA)
or
o 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) interrogator
o 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) each
o 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 bombs
o Mk 80 series of unguided iron bombs
o CBU-87 cluster
o CBU-89 gator mine
o CBU-97
o Mk 20 Rockeye II
o B61/Mk57 nuclear bombs,[55]
 Others:
o SUU-42A/A Flares/Infrared decoys dispenser pod and chaff pod or
o Electronic countermeasures (ECM) pod or
o AN/AAS-38 Nite Hawk Targeting pods (US Navy only), to be replace
by AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR or
o LITENING targeting pod (USMC and Finland only) or
o up to 3× 330 US gallon Sargent Fletcher drop tanks for ferry flight or
extended range/loitering time.

Avionics

 Hughes APG-73 radar