POLL Which aircraft is the best Air to Air brawler?

[churchmouse]

Budget???

And it lost the only fight it has ever really been in.....

 

[HoughMade]

Common sense STILL reigns supreme here,....

What INGO did you get your first 2,100 odd posts on?

L-2 Grasshopper

 

[danielson]

What INGO did you get your first 2,100 odd posts on?

L-2 Grasshopper

A guy can dream... Much like your dreams of a piper cub in an air to air role. lol

 

[Rocket]

I went with F-15. Awesome track record. Still in the air 40 years later. Plus my uncle flew one out of BT Germany in the Cold War. I got to get up close and personal with his plane. I was 12. Made a Huge impression. So I might be biased.

 

[rhino]

So which of the choices can track and fire on the most threats at the same time? F-14? F-15? F-22?

rhino out!

 

[Lectric102002]

I can't believe I'm the only one that voted for the F-4. C'mon people..... F-4 Phantom ruled the air back in the day.

 

[rhino]

I can't believe I'm the only one that voted for the F-4. C'mon people..... F-4 Phantom ruled the air back in the day.

The F-4 was like a marsupial . . . 'cause they're both fast!
​rhino out!

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

Sukhoi has made some awesome planes, mostly F16 copies, but the F14 can take down six target aircraft without even seeing them (visually). That astounds me. And that was 70s technology. Be in awe of an F14 with modern engines and avionics. The P51 was great in its day, but its day has passed.

 

[BOTA56]

I guess the gamer in me went with a 1 v 1 scenario. If I would have been thinking like everyone else on the planet (apparently) I might have chosen differently.

 

[eric001]

Interestingly, Top 10 ranked the F22 as the 10th best fighter...for rather ridiculous reasons. But if there's any doubt about its prowess in the air, check out the video, at about the 2:50 mark. 2 F22's vs 16 F15's and STILL not even close to a fair fight. To me at least, that kind of takes the wind out of the F15's sails rather dramatically.

On a side note, these same folks refused to give the Abrams M1 main battle tank the top position because they said it would never meet its equal on the battlefield...which I think was the whole point of building the thing that way, so it wouldn't HAVE to get into fair fights. Same deal with how I look at the F22--if it's a fair fight, then somebody already screwed up pretty badly.

The Best Fighter Aircraft Ever Made (Full Documentary) - YouTube

 

[BOTA56]

^^^^ I agree, the American stuff is just so OP no one can hang..

 

[Max Volume]

In order to make an objective decision based on facts one would need to consider victory to loss ratio.

 

[Rookie]

I read, just the other day, that there's only been 20 air to air kills since Vietnam war.

 

[Rookie]

5 Reasons Flying a Fighter Jet Is Way Crazier Than 'Top Gun' | Cracked.com

 

[danielson]

In order to make an objective decision based on facts one would need to consider victory to loss ratio.

If your looking at it that way, there will only be one winner, the F6F Hellcat.

This is a personal thing.

 

[churchmouse]

I can't believe I'm the only one that voted for the F-4. C'mon people..... F-4 Phantom ruled the air back in the day.

F-4 was not known as a dog fighter. No guns until they were forced to mount them in a pod on the bottom.

 

[churchmouse]

If your looking at it that way, there will only be one winner, the F6F Hellcat.

This is a personal thing.

Hard to argue.

 

[Femme Assise]

I voted for the F22 raptor, but I would say the Russian SU-35 is overall superior. Air maneuverability is excellent, Range is increased (2237 miles vs 1839 miles) and speed is increased (1553mph vs 1498mph). If things heat up in Ukraine maybe we'll get the chance to find out.

 

[churchmouse]

I voted for the F22 raptor, but I would say the Russian SU-35 is overall superior. Air maneuverability is excellent, Range is increased (2237 miles vs 1839 miles) and speed is increased (1553mph vs 1498mph). If things heat up in Ukraine maybe we'll get the chance to find out.

Raptor is yet to be proven in conflict. I have no doubt it is a complete dog fighter but we will see.

 

[rhino]

Sukhoi has made some awesome planes, mostly F16 copies, but the F14 can take down six target aircraft without even seeing them (visually). That astounds me. And that was 70s technology. Be in awe of an F14 with modern engines and avionics. The P51 was great in its day, but its day has passed.

Only the cost of maintenance on a fleet of F-14s starting in 1974 could stop that plane!!

Plus, it's just cool with those variable geometry wings.

I voted for the F22 raptor, but I would say the Russian SU-35 is overall superior. Air maneuverability is excellent, Range is increased (2237 miles vs 1839 miles) and speed is increased (1553mph vs 1498mph). If things heat up in Ukraine maybe we'll get the chance to find out.

I doubt if published numbers on top speed are 100% reliable. With some aircraft, only the guys who actually flew them will ever know the truth about how fast they could go.