It could be argued that the history of aviation
spans thousands of years,
but in the last generation alone,
mankind has developed technology
that has allowed humanity to not only take flight,
but to accomplish powerful feats of aerodynamic speed,
distance, and heights.
We've also built advanced weapons,
both manned and unmanned,
that have changed the scope of warfare forever.
This is a list of the top 10 fighters
that transformed the aerial battlespace
for better or for worse.
Number 10, the Su-27 Flanker.
The Su-27 Flanker introduced
a true modern fighter for the Soviet Union.
It was developed in response to the F-15 Eagle
during the Cold War and would become
one of the most impressive fighter jets of the 20th century.
The combination of AA-11 Archer missiles
and Helmet Mounted Sight system
introduced a true close-in threat to western fighters.
The Su-27 might even have an edge
over the F-15 in a dogfight -
if the Eagle's superior avionics let it get that close -
but I'll let you guys debate that in the comments below.
Built for air superiority, the Su-27 has the flexibility
for interceptor and ground attack missions
and it remains in service
as a multi-role fighter to this day.
Number nine, the F-86 Saber.
The F-86 Saber was the first swept-wing airplane
in the U.S. fighter inventory.
It scored countless air-to-air kills
against Soviet-built aircraft during the Korean War,
namely the MiG-15.
In 1948, an F-86A set a world speed record
of 570 miles per hour.
Model upgrades would go on to better that record
when an F-86D flew 698 miles per hour in 1952
and then beat its own record by going 715 miles in 1953.
While the United States would discontinue
production of the F-86 in 1956,
it still boasts the legacy of defeating its enemy
with a victory ratio of 10-1 over the Korean Peninsula,
where nearly 800 MiG-15s were destroyed
at the cost of fewer than 80 Sabers.
Number eight, the Fokker Dr 1.
The Fokker Dr 1 is infamous for its missions
at the hands of German World War 1 ace,
Baron Manfred von Richtofen,
otherwise known as the Red Baron.
In fact, it is the very plane he was killed in
after his 80th and final victory.
The triplane was built to outmaneuver
Great Britain's Sopwith Triplane, and it did.
While relatively slow with a maximum speed
of 115 miles per hour at sea level,
it could, according to the Red Baron himself,
"maneuver like a devil."
More impressive, perhaps, were its thick cantilever wings,
which needed no struts or bracing wires,
unlike most other planes during the war.
While later variants of the Fokker would surpass
the Red Baron's driedecker, that is triplane,
the Fokker Dr 1 earned its reputation
paving the way for aerial dogfights.
Number seven, the F-4 Phantom.
The F-4 Phantom made this list
not only because it was one of the most
versatile fighters ever built,
but also because of its bad a** Wild Weasel role
during the Vietnam War.
The Phantom was specifically designed
to go looking for trouble, flying low and slow
to light up enemy surface to missile sites.
Early models of the F-4 didn't even have an internal gun;
it was built for beyond visual range weapons.
Carrying everything from the AIM-9 Sidewinder
to nuclear weapons, the Phantom ushered in modern air combat
as a true multi-role fighter.
During its time in service, the F-4 established 16 speed,
altitude, and time-to-climb records,
cementing its place in aviation history.
Number six, the Supermarine Spitfire.
With the Bf-109, the P-51 Mustang,
and P-38 Lightning in the skies,
it can be hard to choose a favorite plane from World War II,
but we're giving the glory to the Supermarine Spitfire.
The British icon was built with an advanced
all-metal airframe, making it fast and maneuverable.
It was also full of firepower,
and its role in the Battle of Britain
against the German Luftwaffe gave the allies
a crucial victory when they needed it the most.
During the D-Day invasion,
the Spitfire Mark IX carried 20 millimeter cannons
and 50 caliber machine guns,
carrying out critical ground-attack missions,
and even injured General Erwin Rommel,
the Desert Fox himself.
Number five, the F-117 Nighthawk.
While stealth technology had been explored
since World War II, the F-117 Nighthawk gets credit
for bringing true stealth capabilities to combat.
Shrouded in secrecy during its development,
the F-117 was designed to attack high value targets
without being detected by enemy radar.
In 1981, it became the world's first
operational stealth aircraft.
In 1999, the U.S. lost its edge
when an F-117 was shot down in Yugoslavia.
The details about the event are still classified,
but it's known that the aircraft landed relatively intact,
potentially allowing Russia and China
to enter the stealth technology game.
The F-117 saw combat during multiple operations
over two decades and it paved the way
for the 5th generation stealth fighters we fly today.
Number four, the F/A-18 Hornet.
The F/A-18 Hornet was the first tactical aircraft
designed to carry out both air-to-air
and air-to-ground missions, making it a versatile fighter
for both Naval aircraft carrier duty
and Marine Corps combat operations.
The Hornet could switch roles easily,
a feat it performed successfully during the Persian Gulf War
when it shot down two Iraqi MiG-21s in fighter mode
and then took out a ground target
in attack mode during a mission.
The Hornet is not only
the nation's first official strike-fighter,
it's proven to be one of the most reliable as well,
operating as a fighter escort, fleet air defense,
and providing both close and deep air support.
Number three, the MQ-1 Predator.
The MQ-1 Predator brought true combat drones to reality
and marked the beginning of the end
of man-powered aerial combat.
Yeah, I said it.
Come at me, flyboys.
With its first Hellfire kill in November 2002,
the Predator changed war fighting forever.
The Predator was operated remotely
by a pilot and one or two sensor operators.
It was a multi-mission, medium-altitude,
long-endurance asset that primarily operated
as an ISR platform, but its armament capabilities
offered it the ability to strike targets as needed.
The U.S. Air Force officially retired the Predator
on March 9, 2018, to give way to its super-sized follow-up,
the MQ-9 Reaper, which saw the Hellfire missiles of the MQ-1
and raised it some JDAMs and the GBU-12.
Number two, the F-15 Eagle.
The F-15 Eagle boasts an undefeated record
in air-to-air combat, with models still in use today
despite the design being from the 1970s.
Its longevity can be attributed
to its unprecedented acceleration,
groundbreaking maneuverability,
and impressive weapons capabilities.
Its high thrust-to-weight ratio
and low wing-loading allow the Eagle
to turn tightly without losing airspeed
while its top speed above Mach 2.5 made it the first U.S.
fighter capable of vertical acceleration.
Its avionics package and armament specs,
notably including the AIM 120-D AMRAAM radar-guided missile,
combined with flight performance defined air superiority
and it has yet to meet an enemy capable of bringing it down.
Number one, the F-22 Raptor.
The F-22 Raptor is the most powerful
air dominance fighter in the world, no, in the universe.
Considered the first 5th generation fighter
in the U.S. inventory,
the Raptor boasts unprecedented attack capabilities,
integrated avionics, and battlespace awareness,
as well as stealth technologies
that allow it to protect not only itself but other assets.
In air-to-air configuration,
the Raptor carries six AIM-120 AMRAAMs
and two AIM-9 Sidewinders, while in air-to-ground mode,
it can carry two GBU-32 JDAMs,
while bringing along two AMRAAMs
and two Sidewinders just for kicks.
The F-22's powerful engine
and sleek aerodynamic design allow it
to cruise at supersonic speeds without using afterburner
and its flight controls and maneuverability
are unmatched by any other aircraft, ever.
If that list doesn't make you want to cross
into the wild blue yonder,
then d****t, I don't know what will.
Leave a comment and let me know.