NASA's 837: The Ultimate Modified F-15! 

There is a documentary about them. I believe it's about alot of the aircraft that were tested at Dryden.

@Robert Garcia I cannot express to you how much your compliment means to me...as someone who has worked on both these airplanes...wow. Thank you so much!

Interesting video. Does this mean that the US Military had the ability to implement (or actually had implemented) thrust vectoring prior to the USSR?

@@spiritbreathlife7492 more like at the same time.

@@PilotPhotog Why was the Thrust Vectoring Engines not carried forward on Production F-15s and F-16s?

Awesome and thank you for your service!

Thank you for your sacrifice and your service, Chief!

Your opinion is, above all, more relevant than anyone else’s. In that respect I ask you…If pushed to it’s extremes, including thrust vectoring,how would this machine fare in contemporary air space, including combat with the SU-57?

Salute to David Watson

Wow!

Hey, they figured out how to make an air frame that can cut through the air, carry a shit ton of weapons and take a beating. All they had to do was upgrade the electronic, the engines and make slight tweaks to the air frame for improved aerodynamics and RCS.

Laws of diminishing returns. I think that you are right, this may be the most efficient airframe to date and perhaps the future. Build and improve the same airframe and reduce the cost through modularity. 15 is a great number, f-15 and AR15 both flexible to mission load-outs.

The F-15 is a flying corner reflector. The antithesis of stealthy design. By my eye, it stopped looking modern sometime back in the mid-80s. About the same time that the Foxbat started looking like a relic. For examples of timeless design, the F-16 takes that one hands down. (Right up til the Block 60, when they had a contest to see how fugly they could make it.) In the era before that, the F-86. Before that, the Spit. And before that, the Albatross. And from the pioneering era, nothing was as beautiful as the Taube. All five of these classics have timeless beauty. This bears repeating: *F-16* *F-86* *Spitfire* *Albatross* *Taube* There was a time when I absolutely LOVED the F-15. And I actually hated the F-16 for daring to tread in its territory. And I also remember when the overtake happened. It was a bittersweet day when I finally fell out of love with the Eagle. I actually held out til the early 90s. Right around 92 or 93. The F-16 jumped to the top of my list, and it has remained there ever since. As for sexiest F-16 of all time, that one has never been built. It would be a retrofit of the YF-16 with a bigmouth inlet, an F110-GE-132 motor, and an MATV nozzle. THAT is my dream jet right there. Also be sure to add the MATV's moving sidestick, replacing the one from the YF that didn't move at all. This is the ultimate aircraft, in my book. I'd be willing to consider adapting the paint job from the STOL/MTD. That might look snazzy.

@Greg Spolar, if you go all the way back to the beginning of the F-15 in what MacDac was trying to sell to the AF, they were pushing the Eagle as a Super Phantom. Doing all the roles the Phantom did, to include tactical nuke strike fighter. The base model even came equipped with the pit to put a Wizzo. It was only afterward that the Air-to-Air generals took charge of F-X and got McD to go along with the "Not A Pound For Air to Ground" mantra. Ironically, it was the F-16 program that began its life as a pure air-to-air fighter. Then during the FSD phase it morphed from LWF to ACF, with the F-16 becoming the eventual replacement for the many roles done by the F-4, including tac nuke. The most needed change was the switch from the pencil-nosed YF-16 to the bulbous FSD nose, so that a full function fire control radar could fit inside. So the F-15 & F-16 Programs started in opposite places, then evolved in these opposite directions with each ending where the other was starting from. PureA2A vs MultiRole. Only much later did the F-15 branch off to a new species which fit with the original concept. The Strike Eagle. And around that same timeframe did the F-16 stop being a joke when it came to its air-to-air capability. It finally got BVR missiles. First by way of adapting Aim-7s for certain Guard units. Then the more comprehensive Aim-120 fix. If you plot the trajectories of the Eagle & Falcon programs, it looks kind of like this scissors dogfight maneuver. Starting in opposing positions, then fighting to get into the position of where the other one was. Then after assessing this new position you've established, putting all this effort toward getting back to where your original position had been... Kind of. With the F-16, it was originally there to just boost the numbers when going into combat. Give the Ruskies a bunch of cheap targets to shoot at so that the prized F-15s would not be double teamed. The final position it ended at was being this amazingly capable air-to-air fighter which also retained a respectable air-to-ground role. No longer throw away. With the F-15, it went from Super Phantom to this final position of Super Phantom in the E-model. With the C-model drilling useless holes endlessly in the sky. One could say that the Seagull (C-eagle) obsoleted itself. It did its job so well that no one was willing to challenge it. So in the end, it had no one to play with. Both the F-16 & F-15E got Lantirn. So this let the AF junk their Vark Fleet, even though neither came close to the full capabilities of the -111 in its highly specialized role. The Vark had always been a maintenance nightmare, having stretched science fiction capability into the realm of science fact. It never got adequately replaced, but from the accountant's perspective, this retirement came as a relief. As for the A-10, the real reason the AF hates it is because it was always the step-child. From the moment it was conceived. Even when the USAF got a Chief of Staff who _was_ a Warthog Warrior himself, what did he try to do? Kill it. Congress forced him to keep it. So this is USAF fighter aircraft through the 70s, 80s & 90s, into the 2000s, in a nutshell.

The F-15 is still one hell of an aircraft but it's design does look a little dated but like the old saying goes if it ain't broke don't fix it

AC5 was great. Zero is still my favorite though. Thanks for commenting!

Vipers got you in the pipe 5x5.

I flew this thing in HAWX back in the day. The thing was so manouvrable i clould fuck up all the shit they threw at me.

Not to mention the painting is drop dead gorgeous...

Bruh

There are so many Ace Combat fans here...I thought I was the only one. Thanks for the AC5 reference, and I think I am going to start streaming Ace Combat play.

PilotPhotog I want you to try something: put a black F-14D in your thumbnail and count how many nuggets crawl out from 5000 feet

8492nd: "DIE, BLAZE, DIE HUCKKEBEIN THE RAVEN, DIE EDGE, DIE JOKER, DIE SNOWMAN, , JUST DIE!" Pops: "Is that you again 8492nd? Been hearin all about 8492nd THIS, 8492nd THAT, stinking up the sky, hell I got tired of flying in the same sky with ya!.."🤣😊😂😅😹🤣

That squadron doesn't exist. I don't know what your talking about... Belka did nothing wrong

Underrated comment.

Yeah, I remember it most from Patlabor 2's F-15J Kai Eagle+. Truly awesome looking.

@@jocax188723 I just found out about this anime and now need to go see it...thanks for commenting!

Transmute!

PilotPhotog I’d also recommend Battle Fairy Yukikaze if you haven’t already seen it - the flight sequences are simply divine.

Looks like something a 10 year old would design

I laughed way to hard at this comment, thank you!

vtec just kicked in yo

Lol! Needs more stickers!

Let's see. Flashy cool paint job: ✔️ Add more wings: ✔️ Engine swap: ✔️ Exhaust mod: ✔️ Yep.

The shingo plane

I agree with you totally, like what were they thinking? Let's just do this for fun.

Having the air bases in western Europe hit by soviets was a real threat.

AMVM oookay..? and that does relate here... how?

@@cn.st.182 you're so stupid it hurts.

@@cn.st.182 Because the thrust vectoring and canards were for supposed to reduce the take-off length.

F-15MTD: "Your death"

You should have way more likes for this bro

@@davecrupel2817 LOL 😃

@Marc Michaud i think it was 2d nozzles in ac4

I'm starting to think there are many fellow Ace Combat fans here...should I do videos on the series? Would you watch them?

@@PilotPhotog yes especially 5 where they give some rare plane variants like f4x phantom!

@@PilotPhotog Yes, please!

PilotPhotog yes that would be amazing

@Alan Whiteside I was a machine repairman in maintenance behind the hush houses. Bldg 56 I think?? (spent a lot of time on that roof watching vertical take offs or emergency landings using the cables). I worked on hyd. carts, nitrogen carts , engine dollies etc. I even got a couple F15 and 18 back seat rides during hush house engine runs. Good times. I was always impressed with the flight mechanics experience and expertise working on those planes. I was chosen as the only maintenance guy to go to Lemoore for the big F-18 mod in 1985 (cracked formers). I wanted nothing more than to travel for MAC after that, but sadly that was my only one.

@Alan Whiteside Oh hell yeah!!! I remember John Roller, he was a building mechanic. I bought a car from him. Was at his house several times

@Alan Whiteside hey!! I have something nostalgic you may be interested in.... or another retiree you may know. Remember the Roll-Outs?? Big windsocks on the light posts??? Well, damn the luck one of those turned up missing when we were tasked with removing them. It's from 10,000th airplane. It has some stains, but it has never been in the sun since it came off the light post. It's yours if you want it. I live on a boat now getting ready to head south when borders open up. I'm gettin' rid of stuff!!

@Alan Whiteside Hey!! I have something nostalgic you or some other retiree may be interested in. It's one of the big wind socks from the 10,000th plane roll out. It's yours if you want.

Thank you and I am planning a video on the F-14. Thanks for commenting!

She was one of the thiccest!

The F-111 aardvark and F-8 crusader are good looking too

@@wolfairforce5427 I just love aircraft in general.

Love the Ace Combat references

Ace combat 7 reference: Roger that Sorcerer 1, Spare 15 full thrust

Ace combat 4: Copy that, Mobius 1 on full thrust and a prayer

@@PilotPhotog Then you will love the fact that this aircraft has now been released as DLC for Ace Combat 7.

But can he sell insurance throughout the Osean Federation or just in Osea?

@@PilotPhotog ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

is that an ace combat reference? Or am I just stupid?

@@thefelon8027 You're correct, it is an Ace Combat reference; specifically from Ace Combat Zero.

@@solowingborders3239 LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Thank you I do believe it is on static display...outside? Not sure but agreed that it should be kept indoors.

well, "we" get nostalgic and all that, but remember it's just an asset. It did its job, quite well in fact, and now it's retired. It did a shit-ton of test work both with the USAF and NASA. Combined with the X-29's work with thrust vectoring and flight control enhancements, those two platforms are vital predecessors to today's 5th generation and beyond fighters and other weapons systems.

I saw it on a static display at Edwards AFB a few years ago. (Inside the AFB) It’s stuck on top of a pole. Kinda a shame it didn’t end up in a proper museum for the public to see.

@@PilotPhotog outdoors??? Ion know about that 😬😬 Last time I saw a plane on display outside was like a week ago, and it was in SHAMBLES, would rather not see that happen to this plane 😭

@@aceofaces1506 hopefully they can hanger it soon

I get that forward canards aren't great for radar cross section, but they could have at least fitted thrust vectoring into the F-15X or something.

HaveBlu the original 2d thrust vectoring part of this aircraft’s test flight series was used to study and develop concepts that would become the F-22 Raptor

...oblamer stopped the production of the F22 so i'd hoped they might build a few hundred of THESE!!! ;)

@@caseygtrNo need for thrust vectoring in the F-15EX. It just isn’t very relevant in realistic combat situations.

@@bluemarlin8138 I know... but still.

@@mingouczjcz3800 Bruh the Rafale is far more advanced

Yea me too but unfortunately the USAF is more into BVR instead of dogfighting and supermanueverability

Hey there buddy, you still alive?

But we got the F15EX instead ...

But all those money found a much better use on the development of fifth gen fighter jet

@@M1A2_Abrams_MBT well the F15EX is basically the latest and most advanced variant. Imagining have the experimental fighter combined with the F15EX tech and improvements, u could have a near 5th gen top of the line frontline fighter. Without the stealth of course. Though u can have radar absorbent materials and paint to enhance it but u cant change the shape much for a stealthy design. I would imagine the best F15 to possibly be imagined to be the experimental fighter with the technology of the F15EX plus the F15 silent eagle combined. Reduce RCS, internal carriage bay, advance performance and the latest features. But that might make the price pricy

@@Benjamin-wy4dj I think the silent eagle goes against what the EX is trying to accomplish. I think the EX carries 12 AMRAAMs, and the ordinance of the silent eagle is limited? The EX isn't that much different from the E. It can just carry more missiles, has a newer airframe, and has a better radar. Correct me if I'm wrong.

@@M1A2_Abrams_MBT Depends. I did read on the F35 having its so called beast mode where it carries ordance outside for situations where stealth isnt really required. So i mean u can have the SE and EX at the same time. Its really the application uses if they need to go quiet or not.

Thank you so much, I really appreciate your feedback and will continue working to improve with each successive video.

All three PS2 titles in fact. Except it’s signature livery isn’t in 5

I'm sure much of this is being used. So much valuable information to incorporate.

Thrust vectoring proved to be a shitty concept for aerodynamically maneuverable energy fighters

All the us learned was it burned energy

Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin why is it in the f-22 then?

@@AL3X2580 F-22 isn't designed to get in aerial engagements...Just lock pop and run...the thrust vectoring is a quick fix for some angle of attack issues... it was controversial, over the F-23 with Conventional Manuverability and energy retention...Many look back at the F-23 with a "damn, that mightve just been the greatest air superiority foghter to never enter service, ever designed..."

Thank you so much and I try to get a little better with each video.

Thanks for pointing this out, I appreciate the feedback especially from someone who was around the program.

Most of the form factors are similar. Eg. Most fighters have canopy on top, in front....

more like the Russian SU

The J-20 looks like a kitbash of a F-22 and the MiG 1.44.

@@travisbishop782 FR, and dang the J-20 is so ugly.

@@daciannation5847 ikr. The F-117 is 1st gen stealth and stiĺl looks better.

Thank you and working on it!

That'd be amazing

We had the f4 in Vietnam

Thank you so much Blaine! I try to get a little better with each video and am always trying new things, glad you enjoyed the video and more on the way!

This is exactly why I started following him so long ago. These other channels with robots talking or a hired voice actor doesn't have the same direct interaction with the RU-vidr.

Don't forget the "streak Eagle" and the stuff it did.. Didn't do as MUCH as this jet but man oh man, it set records and was fast as a white house intern running from Bill Clinton...

I dunno, the EX is supposed to be a flying missile magazine.

Thank you Juan as always and I will start working on the NASA test plane series.

Thank you and glad you enjoy the videos! As far as the older vids...no worries I try to get better with each video so I am glad that there is a noticeable improvement in the series. More to come!

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you and I will start working on a series on NASA aircraft!

thank you!

Thank you so much and I will start working on more videos on the NASA series.

Thank you and glad you enjoyed it

It’s in the older Ace Combat games too

Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for commenting

Because such a plane heavily featured in the book?

I'm pretty sure I did a book report on this as a kid...thats the kind of kid I was lol. I also had the page for this jet in my Aircraft of the World binder (never did finish out the full set)

Great book...first thing I thought when I saw the thumbnail

heyy, same. if i had to make a book report, it'd probably be about "plan of attack" or basically the american holocaust.

@@KnightDriveTV that it was!

Glad you like them!

Salute to lawsom1

Thank you much appreciated!

Thank you much appreciated!

thank you glad you enjoyed it and thanks for all of your comments Sahan

Thanks you much appreciated!

Glad you enjoyed it!

> *

The 8492nd is much more important

Abyssal Dision with his F-15 S/MTD Eagle+ would like to have a talk with you

@@Stellaris556 I totally forgot about Dision, oh well he's dead and the player is a simulation soo

Indeed and love all the Ace Combat references, thanks for commenting!

Thanks, will do!

Thank you glad you enjoyed it and more videos on the way.

I believe it is on static display at Edwards AFB...thanks for commenting!

I think I’d have to agree and thanks for commenting!

Will do and thank you!

Indeed the AC series have made a lot of obscure aircraft known to may players. Thanks for commenting!

I don't mean to offend you but at least AC7 has nothing to do with simulators although the story is great. Don't know about previous installments..

@@peterkolesar4020 I, ah, I know... I understand that Ace Combat is not a sim.

Probably because the F22 was in the works, why spend all that $ on a retrofit? The F22 is super-maneuverable and has stealth.

@@BStrambo Because of the improvment from forward air bases. Taking off from makeshift runways is a good thing. However F-15 is a big jet and small jets are better for this role.

The US doesn't really like the canard idea at all. They increase drag and decrease range and speed. The US has a different doctrine than they used to.

@@sevenrats agreed. Also massive close coupled canards like thoes would have a detrimental effect on high speed manoeuvres. As I'm sure the F15 is better at high speed "dog fights" than low speeds. So why handicap it? This was also true with the Eurofighter Typhoon. Even though it has forward cannards coupled with a delta wing making it highly maneuverable at high speeds. It suffers with low speed due to the placement of the canards. So Eurofighter tested "LERX" Leading Edge root extensions which improved subsonic manoeuvring by 15% but had a knock on effect at subsonic speeds. Where as the french Rafale has close coupled canards like the F15 in question is highly maneuverable at lower speed and suffering more at higher speeds. All in all, I'm use the USAF said there were more cons than pros with these canards for what the f15 is intedent to do.

@@sevenrats ; And increases in radar signature, and maintenance time.

Thank you so much - I try to get a little better with each video - more on the way!

I loved thst show

I just started reading the book series...looking forward to getting to Day of the Cheetah. thanks for commenting!

I read that book in high school! Loved it!

@@anthonyrobinson7715 Same here. Back in the 90s. The whole arc took a turn after the fall of the Soviet Union and the McClanahan (I think that's the name of the main character) narrative transitioned into speculative fiction where Communist hardliners took over instead of Yeltsin. It makes for an interesting thought experiment. "What if the Soviet Union didn't dissolve in 1991?"

@@rayceeya8659 then most of these airplanes would be in production: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-tNrw7iPXmJY.html

I wondered the same thing. I know when I was crew chief on the F15e we took the cft's off to demo the jet and it kept push g limits. I don't know if this airframe could handle thrust vectoring.

They’re superior to the Su-30 without thrust vectoring, because they have better high-speed sustained turn rates, better energy maintenance, and much better radar and avionics. Thrust vectoring just isn’t really relevant in modern air combat. No US pilot is going to get into a turning fight at 250 mph. US doctrine since 1942 has been to avoid this at all costs.

Great suggestions and thanks for commenting!

Thank you much appreciated

Thanks, will do!

Thanks, will do!

Thanks for commenting and that is a very interesting point, I hadn't realized that and I've played many of the AC games...Zero is by far my favorite.

@@PilotPhotog me too ^^ by far the best story, characters and boss fights against elite Belkan squadrons, i heard the news that Project Aces is going to realease soon an update where we can use all the AC Zero skins in AC 7, both the Belkan squadrons and Cipher's F-15C

"Hey buddy.....you still alive ..?". -Solo Wing Pixy, AC ZERO. Best AC game ever🖤🖤🖤

It did some great acrobatics on belkan war game on the 360 I chose it over any other aircraft in that game doing backflips and going to guns while (now) going backwards and rotating while gunning the throttle to take out an enemy in you 6 was always fun

Now I am envisioning the EF-14G Super Growler Tomcat

...and the VF-11 Thunderbolt is born.

Thank you much appreciated and yes that F-15 with the camo was flying in 1984 - way ahead of its time.

Agreed, those were some great liveries!

@@PilotPhotog thanks for the awesome videos 😘

It’s an incredible jet and makes a few appearances in the AC series. Thanks for commenting!

I think that to they developed their own stuff.

You’re the lucky charm lol. Thanks for commenting and subscribing!

Thank you very much for your comment - I am always in awe when those who were there comment on my videos, much appreciated and thank you for your service! I would have loved to see the STMD fly!

But the curve on the rear makes it look like taken from the vertical stabs, tho. Are they like trim off the surface so the way those looks?

I came in here to say this. Great book!

Loved that book

Thank you and I appreciate you checking out my other videos, more on the way!

Thank you for your service and I am glad you enjoyed the video.

On display at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center at EAFB

IT BELONGS IN A MUSEUM!!!!

@@robertgarcia6569 but of course! :)

@ It's in the NASA museum at Edwards. Don't you read the replies?

So do you!

Agreed and thanks for commenting!

I’ll start taking notes rn