McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) F-15 Eagle

McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) F-15 Eagle. Photo by Bob Franklin

F-15 Eagle at Fairford Air Show (RIAT) 2007
Photo Ian Bracegirdle

The McDonnell Douglas F-15 first flew on 27th July 1972. Its main operator is the United States Air Force (USAF) and it is also operated by Israel, Japan and Saudi Arabia.

Several versions of the F-15 Eagle have been built, the F-15A single-seater and the F-15B twin-seater. Also other versions include the F-15C and F-16D, but the definitive model is the F-15E Strike Eagle which is a dual-role, all-weather, air-to-air and deep interdiction mission aircraft.

The F-15 in recent years has been deployed in support of The Gulf War in 1991 where it accounted for over thirty of the air-to-air kills, which included MiG-29s, MiG-23s and six Mirage F1s. The USAF operates the F-15 from RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk and carry out regular missions supported when necessary by KC-135 tankers from nearby RAF Mildenhall.

McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) F-15 Eagles. Images courtesy of Bruce Martin and Bob Franklin