F-15C Eagle

The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a versatile and powerful aircraft created in the mid-1970s in response to the Mikoyan-Gureyvich MiG-25 Foxbat high-altitude interceptor. Its primary function is air superiority, but several versions exist, including long-range reconnaissance and surgical strike functions.

History
In 1971, news reaches ears in the White House and the US Air Force of a new Soviet interceptor aircraft said to be capable of speeds near Mach 3 and exceptional maneuverability. In the effort to stay ahead of the opposition, the Air Force issued a request for an aircraft to contest it.

Conception
In the aftermath of the Vietnam War and protests against it by peace demonstrators, the American government was in a tight situation trying to contain events both at home and abroad.

Specifications

 * Dimensions (length, height, wingspan): 63'9"x18'6"x42'10"
 * Maximum Speed (cruise, combat): 680 mph (1496 kph, 566 knots); 1650 mph (2665 kph, 1375 knots)
 * Maximum Range (combat, nonstop): 1222 miles (1967 km); 2130 miles (4686 km)
 * Operational Ceiling: 65,000 feet (20,000 m)
 * Weight (empty, loaded): 28,000 lbs (12,700 kg); 44,500 lbs (30,845 kg)
 * Turning Radius: 3200 feet (969 m)
 * Powerplant: 2xPratt & Whitney F-100 afterburning turbofans
 * Crew: 1

Armament

 * 1xGeneral Electric M61A1 Vulcan 20mm rotary cannon
 * 2xAIM-9 Sidewinder short-range air-to-air heatseeker
 * 6xAIM-7 Sparrow medium-range air-to-air multitarget radar-homing
 * 4xAIM-120 AMRAAM long-range multipurpose multitarget radar-homing
 * 2xASM-135 Pulverizor extreme-range antisatellite radar-homing

Variations
Since its delivery in 1976, many variants of the Eagle have been produced and sold to other countries.
 * F-15A all-weather air superiority fighter
 * F-15B and D tandem-seat trainers
 * F-15E Strike Eagle ground attack
 * F-15J and DJ of the JASDF
 * F-15N Sea Eagle
 * F-15SE Silent Eagle
 * F-15S/MTD maneuver technology demonstrator
 * F-15 ACTIVE advanced flight control demonstrator

Ace Squadrons/Pilots

 * Joe (STFS/AC)
 * Tuttle (FEAF/AC4) 428px-Pixy & Cipher.png
 * Elch (Moose) (BAF/ACZ)
 * Ibis (BAF/ACZ)
 * Mondlicht (Moonlight) (BAF/ACZ)
 * UAF 6th AD, 66th AFU &quot;Galm" Team (UAF/ACZ)
 * José Gutierrez, 108th Task Force (USAF/AC:AH)
 * Dagger Squadron (USAF/AC:AH)

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon

 * 1) USAF: Standard grey drab with LN tail code.
 * 2) USAF: Blue camouflage, 64th Aggressor Squadron, WA tail code.
 * 3) USAF: Black and white stipes.
 * 4) UAF: Cipher paint scheme from Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
 * UAF: Solo Wing Pixy paint scheme from Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
 * 1) USAF: Death Rider.
 * 2) USAF: Patriot.
 * 3) JASDF : White dragon.

Standard Weapons

 * Gun: 1x 20mm M61A1 Vulcan Cannon
 * Missiles: 2x AIM-9M Sidewinder

Special Weapons

 * QAAM: AIM-9X Sidewinder (ACZ)
 * SAAM: AIM-7M Sparrow (AC5, ACAH)
 * UGBL: Mk.84 2000 lb Bomb (ACZ)
 * UGBM: Mk.83 1000 lb Bomb (AC4)
 * XMAA: AIM-120B AMRAAM (ACZ)
 * XMAA: AIM-120C AMRAAM (AC4)
 * 4AAM: AIM-120C-7 AMRAAM (ACAH)

Air Combat

 * Stability: 20
 * Defense: 90
 * Offense: 100
 * Power: 90
 * Mobility: 50

Ace Combat 5/Zero

 * Speed: 83
 * Mobility: 54
 * Stability: 61
 * Defense: 60
 * Air-to-Air: 73
 * Air-to-Ground: 37

Comparable Aircraft

 * Su-27 Flanker
 * EF-2000 Typhoon
 * Rafale C
 * F-14A Tomcat
 * Tornado F3
 * MiG-29A Fulcrum
 * MiG-31 Foxhound
 * F/A-18C Hornet

Trivia

 * It is interesting that the F-15C can carry Mk.84 bombs in ACZ and AC4, since most F-15Cs cannot carry bombs or air to ground weapons in real life (unless jury-rigged, Israeli F-15A/B/C/D Baz models are capable of dropping 2000 lb or 500 lb bombs in case of an emergency). However, the F-15E Strike Eagle, a two-seat ground attack version of the Eagle, can carry bombs and ground attack munitions. Even more ironic, the F-15C in AC04 can only carry 16 XMAAs, whilst the F-15E can carry 20. Despite of the fact that the F-15C is the air superiority variant, while the F-15E is the attacker variant of the F-15.
 * The starting paint scheme for the F-15C in Ace Combat 04 is very similar to Cipher's paint scheme in Ace Combat Zero.
 * Unlockable paint scheme looks like Pixy's paint with the right wing painted red.
 * Also there`s a special paint scheme for the F-15E Strike Eagle in Ace Combat X2: Joint Assault similar to Cipher`s paint scheme except the blue spots are light blue.
 * Off note is that the F-15C paint scheme in AC04 is an exact duplicate of one of the Japan Air Self Defense Force F-15DJ aggressor squadron paint-schemes, with the only difference being in the plane in which the scheme was applied; AC04 had it applied in the F-15C,which is a single-seater, whilst the JASDF had theirs on the F-15DJ, which is a double-seater. This scheme in its slightly modified form would be reused for Cipher's F-15C Standard paint scheme in ACZ.
 * Originally the F-15C Eagle was supposed to use the EG tailcode for the 33rd Fighter Wing (based at Eglin AFB) in Florida, but for unknown reasons, this was changed to LN for the 48th Fighter Wing (based at RAF Lakenheath) in the UK in the final game.
 * If you notice on the F-15C's Solo Wing Pixy paint scheme, the underpart of the right wing has no red paint, aside from the top part of the wing. The same goes for the F-15E -PIXY- DLC of AC6. This is most likely a texturing mistake.