F-15 S/MTD

The McDonell Douglas F-15S/MTD (Short Take-off and Landing/Maneuver Technology Demonstrator) is an experimental aircraft developed from a preproduction TF-15B Eagle Fighter aircraft used by the NASA as a testbed for new aviation technologies.

The aircraft was further developed into the F-15 ACTIVE (Advanced Control Technology for Integrated VEhicles) Retaining the foward Canard and airframe modifications, but replacing the original P&W F100's 2D thrust vectoring with P/YBBN 20 Degree three-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles.

History

The F-15S/MTD and ACTIVE were constructed as demonstrators for technologies intended for use in other jet fighters. Neither ever saw combat service, but their contribution to further understanding the new technologies now used in air combat have played a pivotal role in shaping the air forces of the future.

Conception

By the 1980s, aviation technology was advancing at astronomical speed. Mach 3 had been attained twenty years earlier by the Lockheed's SR-71 Blackbird, still the only aircraft to do so; now manufacturers around the world were investigating the possibilities of forward-swept wings and stealth technologies. Some were even attempting to combine these technologies to make the ultimate combat aircraft, one that could perform any combat role that a situation could throw at it.

However, the safest way to create a technology that's safe to use is to first test it. Extensively. For this purpose, demonstrators were built to give all new technologies test runs before they were implemented on aircraft currently in use to save material and people, as defunct technology is a sure way to lose both.

Design

Specifications

The F-15S/MTD and ACTIVE are technological demonstrators, meaning they exist solely for the purpose of increasing the knowledge of certain flight system components before they're implemented on aircraft currently in service, and therefore have never been, and likely never will be, used in battle.

Dimensions (length, height, wingspan): 73'4"x12'9"x47'5"
Maximum Speed (cruise, combat): 785 mph (1667 kph, 654 knots); 2134 mph (4694 kph, 1778 knots)
Maximum Range (combat, nonstop): 1023 miles (2250 km); 2870 miles (6314 km)
Operational Ceiling: 78,925 feet (23,916 m)
Turning Radius: 2675 feet (810 m)
Weight (empty, loaded): 12,300 lbs (27,060 kg); 33,140 lbs (72,908 kg)
Powerplant: 2xGeneral Electric F-210 thrust-vectoring afterburning turbofans
Crew: 1 (2 in ground attack version)

Armament

Technological demonstrators are not limited to the testing of flight control systems. Combat systems are just as important, if not more so, as the flight systems. Malfunctioning combat systems can be just as lethal as a loss of flight control systems.

1xGeneral Electric M61A1 Vulcan 20mm cannon
2xAIM-9X Sidewinder short-range air-to-air heatseeker
6xAIM-7F Sparrow medium-range multitarget air-to-air radar-homing
4xAIM-120D AMRAAM long-range multipurpose radar-homing
2xMk 77 self-propelled, self-guided submunition dispenser
6xFAB-100 500 pound freefall bomb
4xFAB-200 750 pound freefall bomb
2xFAB-400 1000 pound freefall bomb

Appearances in the Ace Combat Series

Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies

"The most maneuverable F-15 with thrust vectoring nozzles, ACTIVE and forward-swept wings."

― Hangar Description

In Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies, the F-15S/MTD (erroneously designated "F-15 ACTIVE") is a late-game fighter aircraft. It is unlocked after finishing Mission 16: Whiskey Corridor, alongside the Su-37 Terminator and F-22A. The purchase cost of the aircraft and second paint scheme is 620,000 credits, while the third color can be bought for 806,600.

The ACTIVE performance-wise is a relatively balaced aircraft. It has a high air-to-air rating, stability and speed and maximum mobility. As well, it has high defense. However, air-to-ground is low. It is armed with 78 missiles and a machine gun with 900 rounds. It can be armed with the XMAA multi-lock weapon and the Fuel Air Explosive Bomb, allowing it to engage both air and ground threats.

Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War

In Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War, the F-15S/MTD is a high-end fighter aircraft. It is the third and final aircraft of the Eagle aircraft family, and is unlocked alongside the F-15E Strike Eagle upon filling the Kill Rate Gauge of the F-15C (95,450 pts). A single unit is worth 22,700 credits.

Of the three Eagle aircraft, it is the one centered the most on air-to-air combat, which is reflected by its statistics; 94 Air-to-Air points and 58 Air-to-Ground points, the latter being a minor yet nonetheless important upgrade over the F-15C's meager secore of 38. The streamlined and aerodynamic design provides this variant with a high 89-point Mobility rating. On the downside, its defense is rather average. It is armed with 82 missiles and 14 XMAAs.

Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War

The F-15S/MTD is unlocked along with the special color after completing Mission 16 in Mercenary Ace Style. It is an excellent dogfighter, with stats inherited from those in Ace Combat 5. It is equipped with 82 missiles and its special Weapons are 8 FAEB, 14 XLAA and 16 SOD.

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon

The F-15S/MTD is a multirole aircraft in Ace Combat: Assault Horizon. It is a downloadable aircraft released on November 30, 2011, alongside the Tornado GR.4 at the cost of $5.99 for PSN or 480 MS Points for Xbox 360. Unlike past incarnations of the aircraft, the one featured in Assault Horizon has an air data probe at the nose, like it does in real life, and it has a belly mounted gun pod instead of an internal gun. It has one of the lowest missile payloads in the entire game.

Colors

Color 1: "Mod Eagle" scheme.
Color 2: Ferris Splinter Camouflage.
Color 3: "Active Stripes" design; ghost white with red and blue stripes.

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy

The F-15S/MTD is also available in Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy and unlocked by defeating ace "Stalker" on mission 17, "Toy Box." It is a highly manuverable aircraft, suprassing that of the F-15SE, and rivaling that of the F-22A Raptor.

Gallery

Underbelly
Engines
Cockpit
Assault Horizon stats
An F-15S/MTD in Belkan (Grabacr) colors

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