Fighter plane
A fighter aircraft (also called a fighter aircraft or warplane ), or simply fighter, is a military aircraft designed primarily for air warfare with other aircraft, as opposed to bombers, which are primarily designed to attack ground targets by dropping bombs. Fighters are small, fast and highly maneuverable. Many fighters have secondary ground-attack capabilities, and some are dual-purpose to act as fighter-bombers, a term also used for ground-attack aircraft with fighter capabilities.
Fighters are the primary means by which armed forces achieve air superiority over their opponents in battle. At least since World War II, achieving and maintaining air superiority has been a key component of winning warfare, particularly in conventional warfare between regular armies (not guerrilla warfare). Thus, the acquisition, training and maintenance of a fleet of fighters represents a very substantial part of the defense budgets for today's armed forces.
Among the main missions accomplished by the fighters are the combat air patrol (CAP) and the interception of enemy aircraft. When the confrontation between fighters occurs in pursuit at close range, it is called dogfight or close air combat.
Terminology
The term 'caza' in Spanish, as well as in Portuguese (caça) and Italian (caccia), refers to «to hunt», and in French (chasseur) literally means "hunter". Instead, in English fighter refers to the "fight" (fight ). In English that term did not become official until after World War I, as the British called this type of aircraft "scouts" (scouts) until the early 1920s and the Americans called its fighters were "pursuit" planes until the late 1940s (designated P- since 1916). In most languages, fighters are given names of similar meaning, except for Russian, where they are called "истребитель" (pronounced "istrebitel") and meaning "exterminator".[citation needed]
Although the term 'fighter' technically refers to an aircraft designed to shoot down other aircraft, other similar designs are also useful as multi-role fighter-bombers and sometimes as light fighter-sized tactical ground-attack aircraft. For example, in World War II the United States Navy favored the use of fighters over dedicated dive bombers, and the P-47 Thunderbolt fighter would be favored for ground attack. Subsequently, the controversial F-111 was used almost solely as a fighter-bomber, and the fighter variant was dropped. The name bombers generally refers to aircraft used for long-range strategic bombing. This blur follows the use of fighters from their earliest days for "strike" or "hit" against enemy troops, field positions, vehicles and installations through low-flying attacks or to drop incendiary bombs.[citation needed]
Some of the more expensive fighters, such as the F-14 Tomcat and F-15 Eagle, were used as all-weather interceptors as well as combat superiority aircraft, developing only air-to-ground roles in subsequent years. Multirole fighter-bombers like the F/A-18 Hornet are typically less expensive and are used for ground attack duties (F/A stands for fire/attack, meaning "shoot /attack") and are part of a "high-to-low mix" or, as with the Super Hornet, they replace a whole range of specialized aircraft.[citation needed]
Introduction
Fighters were developed in response to the emerging use of aircraft and airships in World War I for aerial reconnaissance and ground attack duties. The first fighters were very small planes equipped with light weapons; most were biplanes. As air warfare became increasingly important, so did control of airspace. By World War II, fighters were mostly all-metal monoplanes armed with cannons and machine guns. By the end of the war, turbojet engines were already beginning to replace piston engines as a means of propulsion, and more and more sophisticated improvements to weaponry were appearing.[citation needed]
Modern jet fighters are almost always powered by one or two turbofan engines and are equipped with radar as the primary method of locating targets. The main armament consists of air-to-air missiles (as few as two, in some light fighters, or as many as eight or twelve, in air superiority fighters such as the Sukhoi Su-27 and F-15 Eagle) and an automatic cannon as a main armament. reserve (usually with a caliber between 20 and 30 mm); however, if they have a multipurpose capacity, they can also use air-to-surface missiles and guided or unguided bombs for ground attack.[citation needed]
Fighters with internal combustion engines
World War I (1914-1918)
The word "hunt" It was first used to describe a two-seater aircraft with enough lift to carry, in addition to the pilot, an observer and his machine gun. The first of these fighters belonged to the "Gunbus" series, a series of experimental aircraft equipped with weapons from the British company Vickers that culminated in the Vickers F.B.5 model of 1914. The main drawback of this type of aircraft it was his lack of speed. It quickly became apparent that an aircraft intending to destroy another of its type in the air at least needed to be fast enough to catch up with its prey.
Fortunately, another type of military aircraft already existed, which was to serve as the basis for an effective fighter in the modern sense of the word. It was based on the small, fast aircraft developed before the war for air races such as the Gordon Bennett Cup and the Schneider Cup. This was the "scout" (in English: scout) or military reconnaissance, which was not prepared to carry important weapons, but rather relied on its speed to reach the position that it wanted to explore or reconnoiter and then rush back to report. At the same time, because of its speed it was a difficult target for enemy anti-aircraft artillery or armed aircraft. British aircraft "scouts" in this sense they included the Sopwith Tabloid and the Bristol Scout; Among the French equivalents, the light and fast Morane-Saulnier N.
In practice, shortly after the actual start of the war, the pilots of the small scout planes began arming themselves with pistols, carbines, grenades, and an assortment of improvised weapons with which to attack enemy aircraft. It was inevitable that sooner or later a way would be found to arm the 'scouts'. One method was to build the scout plane in a booster configuration like the Airco DH.2, with the propeller mounted behind the pilot. The main drawback was that the high drag of the tail structure of such an aircraft meant that it was slower than similar aircraft with a tractor configuration. Another option was to mount the machine gun in a way that would allow the pilot to fire it outside of the arc of the propeller.
Initially, only two weapon configurations were possible for tractor aircraft for practical purposes. One involved having an added second crewman (gunner) behind the pilot to aim and fire the swivel-mounted machine gun. However, this limited the area of coverage mainly to the rear hemisphere, and the inability to effectively coordinate the pilot's maneuvers with the gunner's aiming, which reduced the accuracy and effectiveness of the weapon as well as added the weight of the second man. This option was used mainly as a defensive measure on reconnaissance aircraft from 1915. The alternative configuration was to mount the machine gun on the upper wing to fire above the propeller. While more effective for offensive combat, since the pilot could move and aim the weapon in unity with the aircraft, this placement made it more difficult to determine the proper aiming point. Furthermore, this location made it nearly impossible for a pilot to maneuver his aircraft and access the gun's breech at the same time—a very important consideration given the tendency of early machine guns to jam—so this was a stopgap solution. However, a machine gun firing above the propeller had some advantages, and it continued in service from 1915 (Nieuport 11) to 1918 (Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5). The British Foster mount was specifically designed for this type of application, allowing the weapon to be lowered in front of the pilot to reload or unjam ammunition.
The need to arm a tractor scout with a front-firing weapon, whose projectiles passed between the propeller blades, was apparent even before the outbreak of war, and its approach motivated inventors in both France and Germany to implement the idea of a timing mechanism preventing the gun from firing when the propeller was in front of it. Franz Schneider, a Swiss engineer, had patented such a device in Germany in 1913, but his original work was not followed up. French aircraft designer Raymond Saulnier patented a practical device in April 1914, but trials were unsuccessful due to the unreliability of the machine gun ammunition used.
In December 1914, French aviator Roland Garros asked Saulnier to install his timing mechanism on the Morane-Saulnier L de Garros monoplane aircraft. Unfortunately the Hotchkiss gas-operated machine gun had a firing cycle that caused the bullet to exit the gun too late to effectively and consistently time the shots with a moving propeller. Because of this, the propeller blades were armored, and Garros mechanic Jules Hue added metal shims to the blades to protect the pilot from ricocheting bullets. Garros's modified monoplane first flew in March 1915 and began combat operations soon after. Firing solid brass 8mm caliber rounds, Garros scored three victories in three weeks before he was shot down on April 18; His aircraft—along with the synchronization system—was captured by the Germans.
However, the synchronization mechanism (called Zentralsteuerung in German) devised by engineers at Anthony Fokker's firm was the first to attract official sponsorship, and made the pioneering Fokker Eindecker monoplane It was a feared aircraft on the Western Front, despite the fact that it was an adaptation of an obsolete pre-war Morane-Saulnier racing plane, with mediocre performance and poor flight characteristics. The first victory achieved by the Eindecker was on July 1, 1915, when Leutnant Kurt Wintgens, piloting with the unit Feldflieger Abteilung 6 in the Western Front, he beat a Morane-Saulnier L two-seater monoplane east of Lunéville. Wintgens' aircraft, one of five Fokker M.5K/MGs produced as prototypes of the Eindecker, was armed with an aviation version of the air-cooled, synchronized Parabellum MG 14 machine gun, which did not it needed shielded propellers. From various points of view, this was the first victory of a "real" fighter in the history of military aviation.
The success of the Eindecker started a hotly contested cycle of improvements among fighters, which spurred the construction of ever more capable single-seat fighters. The Albatros D.I of late 1916, designed by Robert Thelen, set the classic pattern followed by almost all aircraft for nearly twenty years. Like the D.I, almost all were biplanes (only rarely were they monoplanes or triplanes). The biplane's strong box-wing structure offered a rigid wing that allowed for very precise lateral control, essential for fighter-type maneuvering. They had a single crew member, who piloted the plane and also handled its weapons. They were armed with two Maxim-type machine guns—which had proved much easier to synchronize than other types—firing between the propeller blades. Weapon chambers were normally to the right in front of the pilot's face. This had obvious consequences in the event of an accident, but it meant that if a weapon jammed (something very likely on Maxim-type machine guns) it could be unjammed in flight, and it also made aiming an easier task.
The use of metal in fighter aircraft was first applied in World War I by Germany, when Anthony Fokker used chrome-molybdenum steel tubing (similar to stainless steel) for the fuselage structure of all his fighter designs, and innovative German engineer Hugo Junkers developed two all-metal monoplane fighter designs with cantilevered wings: the strictly experimental private project Junkers J 2, made of steel, and around forty examples of the Junkers D.I, made of duralumin corrugated, both based on the metal airframe of his pioneering Junkers J 1 technology demonstration aircraft of late 1915.
As collective combat experience grew, successful pilots such as Oswald Boelcke, Max Immelmann, and Edward Mannock developed innovative maneuvers and tactical formations to improve the combat effectiveness of their respective air units and accelerate learning—and increase hope. life expectancy—of new pilots coming to the front line. In September 1916 Oswald Boelcke published the air combat doctrine Dicta Boelcke , his manual contained eight rules.
Allied pilots and—until 1918—German pilots in World War I were not equipped with parachutes, so most of the cases in which an aircraft caught fire or its structure ruptured the consequences were fatal. Parachutes were developed in 1918, and were adopted by German aviators in the course of that year (the famous "Red Baron" was wearing one when he was killed in action), but their use continued to be opposed by Allied command, for various reasons.
Interwar period (1919-1938)
Fighter development slowed between the wars, and the most significant changes began to come towards the end of that period, when classic World War I-style aircraft gave way to metal monocoque or semi-monocoque monoplanes and cantilever wing structure (also called cantilever). With limited defense budgets at the time, the air forces tended to be conservative in their aircraft purchases, and biplanes remained popular with pilots due to their agility. Until the mid-1930s, the vast majority of fighter aircraft continued to be biplanes. Designs such as the British Gloster Gladiator, Italian Fiat CR.42, and Soviet Polikarpov I-15 were common even until the late 1930s, and many still saw service as late as 1942.
Fighter weapons began to be mounted on the inside of the wings, outside the propeller turning area, although most designs retained two synchronized machine guns on the engine (they offered greater precision). Rifle-caliber machine guns were the norm, as 12.7mm (.50) or larger machine guns and 20mm autocannons were still considered "overkill". Given that many aircraft were built similar to World War I designs (albeit with aluminum frames), it was not considered unreasonable to use Great War-style weaponry to counter them. There was not enough dogfight during most of the period to disprove this idea. The first retractable landing gears also began to appear.
The rotary engine, popular during World War I, quickly disappeared, replaced mainly by the stationary radial engine. Aeronautical engines multiplied their power by several units during this period, going from the typical 180 HP (130 kW) of the 1918 Fokker D.VII to the 900 HP (670 kW) of the 1935 Curtiss P-36. The debate began between the fancy straight-cylinder engines versus the more reliable radial models. While naval air forces preferred radial engines, land-based forces tended to choose inline models. Radial designs did not require a separate cooling system - more vulnerable - but offered greater aerodynamic resistance. Inline engines used to have a better power-to-weight ratio, but there were radial engines that kept going even after taking significant combat damage.
Some air forces experimented with heavy fighters, called "destroyers" (Zerstörer) by the Germans. These aircraft were large and usually twin-engined, sometimes adaptations of light or medium bombers. Such designs typically had a larger internal fuel capacity, and consequently a longer range, and featured heavier armaments than their single-engine counterparts. In combat, they were slow and vulnerable to more agile single-engine fighters.
The main driver of innovation in fighters, until the rearmament period in the late 1930s, was not military budgets, but civil aircraft racing. The planes designed for those races pioneered innovations such as aerodynamic designs and more powerful engines, and were the basis for World War II fighters.
Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
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At the end of the interwar period came the Spanish Civil War. This provided the opportunity that the German Luftwaffe, the Italian Regia Aeronautica and the Red Air Force of the Soviet Union needed to test their latest aircraft designs. Each side sent various types of aircraft to support their side in the conflict. In dogfights over Spain, the then recent Bf 109 fighter from German designer Messerschmitt fared well, as did the Soviet Polikarpov I-16. The German design, however, had considerable scope for development, and the lessons learned in Spain led to vastly improved models in World War II. The Russians, whose side lost in the Spanish conflict, nevertheless determined that their aircraft were sufficient for their immediate needs. The I-16s would later be crushed in World War II fighting by these improved German models, although it remained the most common Soviet fighter on the front line well into 1942. For their part, the Italians were pleased with the performance of the I-16s. their Fiat CR.42 biplanes and, with little funds, continued with that design even though it was obsolete.
The Spanish Civil War was also an opportunity to update combat tactics. One of the innovations resulting from combat experience during this conflict was the development of the asymmetric V formation or "finger-four" by the German pilot Werner Mölders. Each fighter squadron (German: Staffel) was divided into several squadrons (Schwärme) of four aircraft. Each Schwarm was divided into two Rotten or pairs of aircraft. Each Rotte was composed of a leader and an escort. This flexible formation allowed the pilots to maintain great situational awareness, and the two Rotten could separate at any time and attack on their own. The finger-four would be widely adopted as a fundamental tactical formation in the course of World War II.
World War II (1939-1945)
Air combat formed an important part of the military doctrine of World War II. The aircraft's ability to locate, harass, and attack ground forces was instrumental in German combined arms doctrine, and its inability to achieve air superiority over Britain made a German invasion of the island unfeasible. German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel noted of the effect of air power: "Anyone who has to fight, even with the most modern weapons, against an enemy who has complete command in the air, fights like a savage against European troops." modern, by virtue of the same disadvantages and with the same chances of success.”
During the 1930s, two distinct schools of thought about air-to-air combat began to emerge, resulting in two different approaches to monoplane fighter development. In Japan and Italy especially, there remained a strong belief that highly maneuverable and lightly armed single-seat fighters would continue to play a primary role in air-to-air combat. Aircraft such as the Nakajima Ki-27, Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa and Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" in Japan, and the Fiat G.50 Freccia and Macchi M.C.200 Saetta in Italy sum up a generation of monoplanes designed for this concept.
The other school of thought, which arose mainly in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Soviet Union, and the United States, was the conviction that the high speeds of modern combat aircraft and the G-forces imposed by aerial combat meant that dogfights in the classic World War I sense would be impossible. Fighters like the German Messerschmitt Bf 109, the British Supermarine Spitfire, the Soviet Yakovlev Yak-1, and the American Curtiss P-40 Warhawk were all designed for high-end speeds and a good rate of climb. That they had good maneuverability was desirable, but it was not the main objective.
The 1939 Soviet-Japanese Battle of Khalkhin Gol (May 11–August 31, 1939), and the subsequent German invasion of Poland the next day, were too brief, not providing much information to the participants for further evolution of their respective hunting doctrines. During the Winter War, the numerically superior Finnish Air Force, which had adopted the German four-plane formation in an asymmetric V or finger-four, crushed the Soviet Air Force, which relied on the less effective three-aircraft delta formation tactic.
Technological innovations
During the war the power of piston engines was greatly increased. For example, the pre-war Curtiss P-36 Hawk had a 900 HP (670 kW) radial engine but was soon redesigned as the P-40 Warhawk with a 1,100 HP (820 kW) inline engine. In 1943, the latest P-40N had a 1,300 HP (970 kW) Allison engine. By the end of the war, the German Focke-Wulf Ta 152 interceptor could achieve 2,050 HP (1,530 kW) with a single engine and an MW-50 (methanol-water injection) supercharger; the American North American P-51H Mustang equipped with the Packard V-1650-9 engine could reach 2,218 HP (1,650 kW) in standby power. The 1939 Spitfire Mk I was powered by a 1,030 HP (770 kW) Rolls-Royce Merlin II; its 1945 successor, the Spitfire F.Mk 21, was equipped with the 2,035 hp (1,520 kW) Rolls-Royce Griffon 61. Similarly, over the same period of time the preferred radial engines for many fighters also went from having at most 1,100 HP (820 kW) to the 2,090 HP (1,560 kW) that, for example, the Pratt & Whitney R-2800.
The first turbojet-powered fighter designs entered operational status in 1944, clearly outperforming their piston-engined counterparts. New designs, such as the Messerschmitt Me 262 and the Gloster Meteor, demonstrated the effectiveness of the new propulsion system. (Rocket-powered interceptors—mainly the Messerschmitt Me 163—appeared around the same time, but proved to be less effective.) Many of these fighters could go above 400 mph in level flight, and were fast enough in a dive to approaching transonic flight and began to meet near the speed of sound; the turbulence caused sometimes caused the rupture of the reactors in flight due to the heavy load suffered by the planes near the so-called "sound barrier". Dive brakes were added to late World War II jet fighters to minimize these problems and restore control to fighter pilots.
Incorporating more powerful weaponry became a priority early in the war, once it became apparent that the newer monoplane fighters with hardened skins could not be easily shot down with rifle-caliber machine guns. The experiences of the Germans in the Spanish Civil War led them to place 20mm cannons in their fighters. The British soon followed suit, adding cannons to the wings of their Hurricane and Spitfire fighters. The Americans, lacking a gun design of their own, instead chose to fit multiple 12.7mm (.50) machine guns in their fighters. The number and power of weaponry continued to increase throughout the war, for example the German Me 262 jet had four 30mm guns in the nose. The cannons fired explosive shells and could rip holes into enemy aircraft directly rather than relying on the kinetic energy of a solid bullet to damage a critical subsystem (fuel lines, hydraulic systems, control cables, etc.) or kill the pilot.. There was a debate between the high rate of fire of the machine guns against the slower, but more devastating, autocannons.
With the growing need for close air support on the battlefield, fighters were being fitted with bomb racks and increasingly used as fighter-bombers. Some designs, such as the German Focke-Wulf Fw 190—although designer Kurt Tank had created it as a pure interceptor—or the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt proved extremely capable in that role. While carrying air-to-surface weapons such as bombs and rockets under their wings, the fighters' maneuverability was reduced due to less lift and increased drag, but once the warload was released the aircraft was a fighter again. fully capable. Because of their multirole capability, fighter-bombers offered command staff the freedom to assign an air group to air superiority or ground attack missions as required.
Rapid advances in radar technology, which had been invented shortly before the start of World War II, made it possible for it to be fitted to some fighters, such as the German Messerschmitt Bf 110, Bristol Beaufighter and de Havilland DH.98 British Mosquito and the American Northrop P-61 Black Widow, to enable them to locate targets at night. The British, who had created the first radar-equipped night fighters between 1940 and 1941, lost their technical advantage to the Luftwaffe. The Germans developed various types of night fighters (Heinkel He 219 Uhu, Focke-Wulf Ta 154 Moskito), as they were under constant nighttime bombardment from the Army Bomber Command. RAF. As the radars of the time were quite primitive and difficult to use, instead of in single-seat fighters, they were normally used in larger two- or three-seater aircraft with crew members specialized in handling the radar.
Post World War II Period
Several of the fighter programs started in early 1945 were continued after the end of the war and led to advanced piston-engined fighters that entered production and service in 1946. A typical example is the Lavochkin La-9 'Fritz' Soviet, which was an evolution of the successful Lavochkin La-7 'Fin' war fighter. Working with a series of prototypes (the La-120, La-126 and La-130), the Lavochkin design bureau sought to replace the La-7's wooden structure with a metal one, also to incorporate laminar flow wings to improve the performance in maneuverability, and increase the armament. The La-9 entered service in August 1946 and was produced until 1948; it also served as the basis for the development of a long-range escort fighter, the La-11 'Fang', of which about 1,200 examples were manufactured between 1947 and 1951.
During the course of the Korean War, however, it became clear that the era of piston-engined fighters was coming to an end and that the future lay with jet fighters.
This period also saw experimentation with piston-powered aircraft assisted by jet engines. Derivatives of the La-9 included examples equipped under the wings with two auxiliary pulse jet engines (the La-9RD) and similarly with a pair of ramjet engines (the La-138); however, none of them entered service. One that entered service—with the United States Navy in March 1945—was the Ryan FR-1 Fireball, production of which was halted at the end of the war with victory over Japan. By then only 66 aircraft had been delivered, and the model was withdrawn from service as early as 1947. The USAAF had ordered the first 13 pre-production prototypes of the Consolidated Vultee XP-81 Silver Bullet, but this program was also canceled with the end of the war, when 80% of the engineering work had been completed.
Rocket-powered fighters
The first rocket plane was the German Lippisch Ente, which made a successful maiden flight in March 1928. The only pure rocket plane ever to be mass-produced was the Messerschmitt Me 163 in 1944, one of many German projects aimed at developing rocket-powered aircraft during World War II. Some variants of the Me 262 (the C-1a and C-2b) were also fitted with rocket boosters, but were not mass-produced with those modifications.
The Soviet Union experimented with a rocket-powered interceptor in the immediate aftermath of World War II, the Mikoyan-Gurevich I-270, but only two were ever produced.
In the 1950s, the British created mixed-propulsion interceptor designs using both rocket and jet engines to fill the gap in performance that existed in turbojet designs of the time. The rocket was the main engine to achieve the speed and altitude required for high-speed interception of high-altitude bombers, and the turbojet provided better fuel economy in other stages of the flight, mainly to ensure that the aircraft could perform well. conventional landing rather than a risky and unpredictable return gliding as the Me 163 did. The Saunders-Roe SR.53 was a successful design and was planned to go into production when the economy forced the cutback of most of the British aeronautical programs to late 1950s. In addition, rapid advances in jet engine technology had rendered mixed-prop aircraft designs such as Saunders-Roe's SR.53 and SR.177 obsolete. The American Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor—which was the first American fighter to exceed Mach 1 speed in level flight—had a similar fate for the same reason. Thereafter, hybrid jet-rocket propulsion fighter designs were no longer developed. The only operational implementation of mixed propulsion was rocket assisted takeoff (RATO), a system used on heavy aircraft but rarely used on fighters.
Fighters with Jet Engines
The end of World War II brought a revolution in airplanes and it was the turbojet that eliminated the propeller from fighter planes, opening a new era of studies in terms of control surfaces, aiming systems, and firearms. stroke.
In the aviation community it has become common to classify fighter jets by "generations" for historical purposes. There are no official definitions of these generations; rather, they represent the notion that there are stages in the development of fighter design approaches, performance capabilities, and technological evolution.
The time periods associated with each generation are inaccurate and are only indicative of the period during which the use of their technology and their design philosophies have enjoyed a preponderant influence on fighter design and development. These periods also cover the peak in-service phase of each generation.
First generation (mid 1940s - mid 1950s)
First generation jet fighters comprise the initial designs of subsonic aircraft introduced at the end of World War II and in the early postwar period. They differ slightly in appearance from their internal combustion engined counterparts, and many used straight wings. Cannons continued to be their main armament. The impetus for the development of turbojet-powered aircraft was to gain a decisive advantage in terms of top speed. Fighter top speeds increased steadily throughout World War II as more powerful piston engines were developed, and had begun to approach the transonic flight regime where the efficiency of piston-driven propellers drops considerably.
The first jets were developed during World War II and saw combat in the last two years of the war. The German manufacturer Messerschmitt developed the first operational jet fighter, the Me 262. This was considerably faster than contemporary piston-engined aircraft, and in the hands of a competent pilot, was quite difficult for Allied pilots to defeat. The design was never deployed in sufficient numbers to stop the Allied air campaign, and the combination of various factors such as fuel shortages, pilot losses, and technical difficulties with the engines kept the number of sorties low. However, the Me 262 accused the obsolescence of piston aircraft. Spurred by reports of new German fighters, the British Gloster Meteor entered production soon after and the two entered service at virtually the same time in 1944. The Meteors were normally used to intercept V-1 flying bombs, as they were more faster than available internal combustion engine fighters. By the end of the war, work on piston fighters had all but stopped. For a brief time there were a few designs that combined piston and jet engines, such as the Ryan FR-1 Fireball, but by the late 1940s virtually all new fighter aircraft were jets.
Despite their advantages, early jet fighters were far from perfect, particularly in the early years of the generation. Their life spans could be primarily measured in hours; the engines themselves were fragile and bulky, and power could only be adjusted slowly. Because of this, many piston-engined fighter squadrons were maintained until the early to mid-1950s, even in the air forces of the major powers (although the models retained were the best WWII designs). Several innovations were introduced in this period, including ejection seats and fully movable horizontal tail stabilizers.
The Americans were among the first to start using jet fighters in the postwar period. The straight-winged Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star (later renamed the F-80) was less elegant than the swept-winged Me 262, but had a cruise speed (400 mph) as high as the maximum in combat for many years. piston fighters. The British designed several new fighters, including the representative de Havilland Vampire that was sold to the air forces of many nations.
Ironically, the British transferred the Rolls-Royce Nene jet engine technology to the Soviets, who soon employed it in their advanced Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 fighters, which were the first to introduce swept wings in combat, an innovation that had been proposed earlier by German researchers and that allowed it to fly much closer to the speed of sound than straight-winged designs like the F-80. The MiG-15's top speed of 1,075 km/h impressed the American fighter pilots who encountered it in the Korean War, along with its armament of two 23mm cannons and another 37mm in the face of machine guns. F-80 fighters. However, in the first close dogfight between jet fighters in history, which occurred on November 8, 1950 during the Korean War, an F-80 (as it had been renamed the P-80) intercepted two MiG-15s. North Koreans near the Yalu River and shot them down.
The Americans responded by hastening to deploy their squadrons of swept-wing F-86 Saber fighters to combat the MiGs, which had similar transonic performance. The two aircraft had different strengths, but were so similar that only technological superiority in the use of radar for targeting systems and the skills of veteran US Air Force pilots allowed them to prevail. Carrier-based navies also transitioned to jet fighters during this period, even though these new aircraft required catapult launch to take off from carriers. The British Royal Navy's first jet fighter was the de Havilland Sea Vampire. The United States Navy adopted the Grumman F9F Panther as its primary jet fighter in the Korean War period, this was one of the first jet fighters to employ an afterburner. The radar was used on specialized night fighters such as the Douglas F3D Skyknight, which also shot down MiG fighters over Korea, and was later fitted on the McDonnell F2H Banshee and the swept-wing Chance Vought F7U Cutlass and McDonnell F3H Demon night/all-round fighters. time. Early versions of infrared-guided air-to-air missiles like the AIM-9 Sidewinder and later developed radar-guided missiles like the AIM-7 Sparrow were first introduced on the Demon and Cutlass naval fighters.
Second generation (mid 1950s - early 1960s)
The development of the second generation of fighters was driven by technological advances, lessons learned from the air battles of the Korean War, and a focus on driving military operations toward a nuclear war environment. Technological advances in aerodynamics, propellants, and aerospace construction materials (mainly aluminum alloys) allowed designers to experiment with aeronautical innovations, such as swept wings, delta wings, and area rule fuselages.. The widespread use of afterburning turbojet engines made it possible for these first-produced new-generation aircraft to break the sound barrier, and the ability to maintain supersonic speeds in level flight became a common skill among fighters of this generation.
Fighter designs of this era also took advantage of advances in electronic technology by adopting effective radars small enough to be carried on board small aircraft. Airborne radars enabled the detection of enemy aircraft beyond visual range, thus improving the target handling of longer-range ground-based warning and tracking radars. Similarly, with advances in missile development came air-to-air missiles to begin to complement the gun as the primary offensive weapon for the first time in fighter history. During this period, passively homing infrared guided missiles became common, but early infrared sensors had poor sensitivity and a very small field of view (typically less than 30°), limiting their effective use to only a close position. pursuit (behind the enemy aircraft). Radar-guided missiles were also introduced, but early examples proved unreliable. These semi-active search missiles (SARH) could track and intercept a "painted" enemy aircraft; by the radar on board the plane that launched the missile. Medium- and long-range radar-guided air-to-air missiles promised to open up a new dimension of beyond visual range (BVR) combat, so much effort was put into developing this technology.
The prospect of a possible third world war characterized by large mechanized armies and nuclear weapons attacks led to a degree of specialization in fighter aircraft towards two design approaches: interceptors (such as the English Electric Lightning and the Mikoyan- Gurevich MiG-21F) and fighter-bombers (such as the Republic F-105 Thunderchief and Sukhoi Su-7). Close air combat or dogfight, but se, was downplayed in both cases. The interceptor of this era originated from the idea that missiles would completely replace guns and combat would take place at greater visual range distances. As a result, interceptors were designed to carry a large missile payload and powerful radar, sacrificing agility in favor of good speed, flight ceiling, and rate of climb performance. With a primary air defense role, emphasis was placed on the ability to intercept strategic bombers flying at high altitudes. Specialized point defense interceptors used to have limited range and little to no ground attack capabilities. Fighter-bombers could alternate between air superiority and ground attack missions, and were often designed to make high-speed, low-altitude strikes and deliver their payload. To improve the effectiveness of traditional free-fall bombs, television and infrared guided air-to-ground missiles were introduced, and some fighter-bombers were also prepared to drop nuclear bombs.
Third generation (mid 1960s - early 1970s)
The third generation saw the innovations of the second generation continue to mature, but most marked by a renewed emphasis on maneuverability and traditional ground attack capabilities. During the 1960s, increasing experience in air-to-air missile combat showed that air combat often ended in dogfight. Analog avionics began to be introduced, replacing the old flight instruments. Improvements to improve the aerodynamic performance of the third-generation fighters included control surfaces such as canards, movable leading edge fins (slats), and blown flaps. During these years, a multitude of technologies were tested to carry out vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL), but the most successful method was the vectorial thrust applied to the Harrier.
The increase in air combat capability focused on the introduction of better air-to-air missiles, radar systems, and other avionics. While guns remained standard equipment—except on the early models of the F-4 Phantom II—air-to-air missiles became the primary weapons of air superiority fighters, these aircraft employing more sophisticated radar and air-to-air missiles. medium-range radar-guided missiles to achieve greater range of action, however, the kill probabilities of radar-guided missiles turned out to be unexpectedly low due to their poor reliability and improvements in electronic countermeasures (ECM) to circumvent radar locators enemies. Infrared-guided air-to-air missiles had their field of view extended to 45°, improving their tactical ease of use. However, the poor results in close air combat experienced by American fighters in the skies of Vietnam prompted the United States Navy to establish its famous TOPGUN air combat school to train fighter pilots in air combat maneuvers. advanced techniques, and in dissimilar air combat training (DACT) tactics and techniques.
This era also saw an expansion in ground attack capabilities, primarily in missiles, and saw the introduction of the first truly effective avionics for precision ground attack, including aircraft tracking systems. land. Air-to-surface missiles equipped with electro-optical (E-O) contrast seekers—such as the early model of the widely used AGM-65 Maverick—became standard weapons, and laser-guided bombs appeared in an effort to improve warfare capabilities. precision attack. Guidance for such guided weaponry or smart bombs was provided by externally mounted targeting pods, which were introduced in the mid-1960s.
There was also the development of new automatic cannons, mainly the «chain guns» or chain gun, which use an electric motor to move the firing and reloading mechanism. This allowed the introduction of multi-barreled single weapons (such as the M61 Vulcan) with increased rate of fire and accuracy. The reliability and efficiency of the engines were increased and the smoke emitted by the jets was reduced to make them less visible at long distances.
Pure attack aircraft (such as the Grumman A-6 Intruder, SEPECAT Jaguar, and LTV A-7 Corsair II) offered longer range, more sophisticated night attack systems, or lower cost than supersonic fighters. With a variable geometry wing, the supersonic General Dynamics F-111 introduced the Pratt & Whitney TF30, the first afterburner-equipped turbofan. The ambitious project sought to create a versatile common fighter for many functions and services. It could serve as an all-weather bomber, but it lacked the performance to defeat other fighters. The McDonnell F-4 Phantom II was designed around radar and missiles as an all-weather interceptor, but emerged as a versatile fighter-bomber agile enough to prevail in aerial combat. Despite numerous deficiencies that would not be addressed until new fighters appeared, the Phantom is credited with 280 kills, more than any other US fighter over Vietnam. With a range and payload capacity similar to WWII bombers Worldwide as the B-24 Liberator, the Phantom would become a highly successful multirole aircraft.
Fourth generation (1970 - present)
Fourth-generation fighters continued the trend toward multirole configurations, and were equipped with increasingly sophisticated avionics and weapons systems. The design of this generation's fighters was significantly influenced by the Energy-Maneuverability (E-M) theory developed by Colonel John Boyd and mathematician Thomas Christie, based on Boyd's combat experience in the Korean War and as an instructor in tactics. during the 1960s. E-M theory emphasized the value of maintaining aircraft specific energy as an advantage in combat between fighters. Boyd perceived maneuverability as the primary means of getting ahead of an adversary's decision-making cycle, a process Boyd called the "OODA loop" ("Observation-Orientation-Decision-Action"). This approach emphasized aircraft designs that were capable of "quick transitions" – rapid changes in speed, altitude, and direction – instead of relying solely on high speed as the main virtue.
The E-M characteristics were first applied to the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, but Boyd and his supporters believed those performance parameters required a small, light aircraft with larger wings and higher lift. The small size would reduce drag and increase thrust-to-weight ratio, while the large wings would reduce wing loading; although reduced wing loading tends to decrease top speed and reduce range, increased payload capacity and reduced range may be offset by increased fuel capacity on the larger wings. The efforts of the "Fighter Mafia" Boyd's would give rise to the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon.
The F-16's maneuverability was improved by being designed to be slightly unstable aerodynamically. This technique, called "relaxed static stability" (RSS), was made possible by the introduction of the "fly-by-wire" (FBW), which in turn was driven by advances in computers and systems integration techniques. Analog avionics, necessary for FBW operations, became a fundamental requirement and began to be replaced by digital flight control systems in the second half of the 1980s. Similarly, it was introduced with the Pratt & Whitney F100 Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) to electronically manage engine performance. The F-16's sole reliance on electronics and power cables to transmit flight commands, rather than the usual mechanically linked controls and cables, earned it the nickname "the electric jet." Electronic FLCS and FADEC quickly became essential components in all subsequent fighter designs.
Other innovative technologies introduced in fourth-generation fighters include Doppler pulsed fire control radar (with "look-down/shoot-down" capability), head-up data display (HUD), HOTAS controls (on the throttle and joystick), and multifunction displays (MFDs), all of which have become essential equipment. Composite materials in the form of aluminum honeycomb structural elements and carbon fiber reinforced polymer laminate skins began to be incorporated into flight control surfaces and airframe skins to reduce aircraft weight. aircraft. Infrared Search and Track (IRST) sensors became widely used for air-to-ground weapon delivery, and appeared for air-to-air combat as well. Infrared-guided air-to-air missiles became standard weapons of air superiority, these weapons made it possible to hit an enemy aircraft from any angle (although the field of view was still relatively limited). The first active radar-guided long-range air-to-air missile entered service with the AIM-54 Phoenix, a model that was only equipped by the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, one of the few variable-geometry wing fighter designs to enter in production. Even with the tremendous advances in air-to-air missiles of this era, internal guns continued to be standard weaponry.
Another revolution came in the form of an increased claim on ease of maintenance, which led to standardization of parts, reduction of access panels and lubrication points, and generally a reduction in parts on more complicated equipment such as are the engines. Some early jet fighters required 50 man-hours of ground crew work for every hour the plane was airborne; Later models reduced this substantially to allow for faster response times and more sorties in a day. By contrast, some modern military aircraft only require 10 man-hours per flight hour, and some are even more efficient.
Aerodynamic innovations included variable-camber wings and taking advantage of the vortex lift effect to achieve higher angles of attack by adding leading edge extension (LEX) devices (sometimes called strakes).
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Unlike the interceptors of earlier eras, most fourth-generation air superiority fighters were designed to be agile in dogfighting, though there were exceptions such as the Mikoyan interceptors. MiG-31 and Panavia Tornado ADV. In addition, the continued increase in the cost of fighters manifested the importance of multirole fighters. The need for both types of fighters led to the "high/low mix" which provided a high-capability, high-cost core of pure air superiority fighters—such as the F-15 and Su-27—supplemented by a larger contingent of lower-cost multirole fighters—such as the F-16 and MiG-29.
Most of the fourth-generation fighter-bombers, like the F/A-18 Hornet and the Dassault Mirage 2000, were already true multirole aircraft, designed as such from the ground up. This was made possible by multi-mode avionics that could seamlessly switch between 'air' and 'ground' modes. Thus previous ways of adding attack capabilities or designing separate models specialized for different missions generally fell out of fashion, the Panavia Tornado being an exception in this regard. Pure ground attack tasks were typically assigned to either air interdiction aircraft such as the Sukhoi Su-24 and F-15E Strike Eagle or close air support specialists such as the Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II and Sukhoi Su-25.
Perhaps the newest technology to be introduced into fighter jets is "stealth technology," which involves the use of special low observability (L-O) design techniques and materials. in English) to reduce the susceptibility of an aircraft to be detected by enemy sensor systems, particularly radars. The first stealth aircraft to be introduced was the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk attack aircraft (in 1983) and later the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit strategic bomber (first flown in 1989). Although no stealth fighters themselves appeared in the fourth generation, some radar absorbent coatings and L-O treatments developed for those programs were later applied to fourth generation fighters.
4.5 generation (1990 - present)
The end of the Cold War in 1989 led many governments to significantly cut military spending. Air force inventories were slashed, and research and development programs to produce what were expected to be "fifth generation" fighters suffered; many shows were canceled during the first half of the 1990s, and those that survived were postponed. While the slowdown in the pace of development reduces annual capital expenditures, it has the long-term consequence of increased overall program costs and unit costs. This moment, however, also allows designers to make use of the enormous achievements made in the fields of computers, avionics, and other flight electronics, which had been made possible in large part due to advances in semiconductor technologies and integrated circuits in the 1980s and 1990s. This opportunity allowed manufacturers to develop fourth generation designs – or redesigns – with significantly improved capabilities. These improved designs became known as "generation 4.5" or "generation 4++", recognizing its intermediate character between the 4th and 5th generations and its contribution to the development of different technologies of the fifth generation.
The main characteristics of this subgeneration are: the application of advanced aerospace materials and modern digital avionics, partial signature reduction (mainly in radio frequency), and the high integration of systems and weapons. These fighters have been designed to operate in a battle environment centered on communications networks and are primarily multi-role aircraft. Key weapon technologies introduced on these fighters include “beyond visual range” (BVR) range air-to-air missiles; global positioning system (GPS) guided weapons, solid state phased array radars; helmet mounted sights; and security-enhanced, jam-resistant data links. Generation 4.5 fighters also adopted thrust vectoring to further enhance maneuverability capabilities, and high-powered engines allowed some designs to achieve a degree of supercruise capability. Stealth features are primarily focused on radar equivalent section (RCS) forward signature reduction techniques that include the use of radar-absorbing materials, coatings, and low-observability shapes.
Fourth and half generation designs can either be based on 4th generation fighter airframes or new structures that follow the same design theory; however, modifications introduced structural use of composite materials to reduce weight, longer range to increase range, and signature lowering treatments to achieve lower RCS compared to its predecessors. Prime examples of such aircraft, which are based on new structural designs making extensive use of carbon fiber composites, are the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Dassault Rafale and the Saab 39 Gripen NG. Other than those jet fighters, most of the 4.5th generation aircraft are variations on existing airframes. These fighters are usually heavier versions with a longer range; Examples include the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, which is an evolution of the F/A-18 Hornet design, the F-15E Strike Eagle, which is a ground attack variant of the McDonnell Douglas F- 15 Eagle, the Sukhoi Su-30MKI which is a development of the Su-30 and the Mikoyan MiG-35, an updated version of the MiG-29. The Su-30MKI and MiG-35 use two- and three-dimensional thrust vectoring respectively to increase maneuverability. Most of the 4.5th generation aircraft are being retrofitted with Active Electronically Scanned Radars (AESA radars) and latest advances in avionics systems.
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The first 4.5 generation fighters entered service in the early 1990s, and most of them are still in manufacturing and development. It is quite possible that they will continue in production alongside fifth generation fighters due to the high cost of developing the advanced level of stealth technology required to achieve very low observable (VLO) aircraft designs, which is one of the defining characteristics of fighters. fifth generation fighters. Of all these designs, only the Super Hornet, the Strike Eagle and to a lesser extent the Rafale saw combat.
The United States House of Representatives defines a 4.5 generation fighter aircraft as one that “(1) has advanced capabilities, including— (A) AESA radar; (B) high capacity data link; and (C) improved avionics; and (2) have the ability to deploy current advanced weaponry and those foreseen for the reasonable near future."
Although the appearance of the concept of generations of combat fighters assumed the existence of five generations, there are many authors such as Näsström, Keijsper, Pearson or Taylor who believe that until the century XXI There have only been four generations of fighters; thus, according to them, models such as the JAS 39 Gripen and the F22 Raptor belong to the same generation, despite the technological distance that separates them.
For their part, other experts believe that at the beginning of the XXI century, fifth-generation fighters had already made their appearance, whose only component would be the F-22 Raptor, unless the prototypes of the F-35 Lightning II are considered. This is also the official position of the United States Air Force. Finally, some more, like Cate, advance the appearance of this new generation to European models, such as the Eurofighter Typhoon or the Dassault Rafale, which seems to be the official position of the air forces that use them
The definition and cataloging is further complicated when several companies have created new versions of their models with features that are considered within a later generation. Despite the fact that aircraft such as the F-14 Tomcat were not modernized, but were withdrawn without continuing to design new versions, the manufacturers of other models such as the F-16, the F/A-18 and the F-15 (this one already with internal armament) have kept the production lines open and have released new versions/blocks/trunks with digitized and centralized information, as well as the ability to communicate with other planes, ships, command and control centers, electronically scanned radar, etc.. For this reason, there is talk of an intermediate generation, 4.5 or 4+ to refer to those models. The US government, for example, officially defines "4.5th generation" to those who have AESA radar, high-capacity data link, advanced avionics, and the ability to deploy future weapons.
Fifth generation (2005 - present)
The fifth generation began with the introduction of the US Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor fighter in late 2005. Currently at the forefront of military aircraft design, fifth-generation fighters are characterized by being designed from the ground up to operate in a network-centric battle environment, and because they offer extremely low multi-spectrum signatures in all aspects using advanced form and material techniques. They have multifunction AESA radars with data transmission capacity with a high bandwidth and low probability of interception. Infrared Search and Track (IRST) sensors built into the 4.5th generation for air-to-air combat as well as air-to-ground weapon delivery are now fused with other sensors giving rise to situational awareness IRSTs or SAIRST, which constantly track all targets of interest around the aircraft so that they are always visible to the pilot. These sensors, along with advanced avionics, glass cockpit, helmet-mounted sights, and data links that are low probability of being intercepted, resistant to jammers, and more secure, are highly integrated to deliver multi-sensor, multi-platform data mining. which vastly improves situational awareness while easing the pilot's workload. Avionics equipment is based on the extensive use of very high-speed integrated circuit (VHSIC) technology, common modules, and data buses of high speed. Overall, the integration of all those elements is intended to provide fifth-generation fighters with “first-see, first-shoot, first-shoot” capability.
AESA radar offers unique capabilities for fighters (it is rapidly being adopted by 4th and 5th generation designs, as well as being incorporated as an upgrade on some 4th generation aircraft). In addition to its high resistance to electronic countermeasures and low probability of interception, it allows the fighter to function as a "mini-AWACS", providing electronic warfare support measures (ESM) and electronic warfare (EW) jamming functions.
Other common technologies for this latest generation of fighters include integrated electronic warfare systems (INEWS), integrated identification, navigation and communications avionics, centralized aircraft health monitoring systems for ease of maintenance, fiber optic data transmissions and stealth technology.
Maneuverability continues to be important and is improved by nozzles that allow thrust guidance, this also helps reduce takeoff and landing distances. Supercruise capability, which may or may not be offered, allows flying at supersonic speeds without the need for an afterburner, a device that considerably increases the aircraft's infrared signal during use.
A key attribute of fifth generation fighters is their very low observable stealth capability. Great care has been taken in the design of its internal structure and layout to minimize its radar equivalent section (RCS) over a wide bandwidth of radar detection and tracking frequencies. To maintain their very low observable signature during combat operations, the main weapons are carried in internal holds that are only opened long enough to allow for weapon delivery. On the other hand, stealth technology has advanced to the point that it can be used without compromising aerodynamic performance, in contrast to previous technologies (F-117 for example). The cost of developing such sophisticated aircraft is as high as their capabilities. The United States Air Force originally planned to purchase 650 F-22s, but only 187 will be built, as a result of their high take-off cost of around $150 million per unit. To spread the development costs – and production base – more widely, the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program enlists eight other countries as risk and cost-sharing partners. Collectively, the nine partner countries anticipate that around 3,000 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighters will be procured at an average take-off cost of US$80–85 million. The F-35, however, was designed to be a family of three aircraft, a conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) fighter, a short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) fighter, and a catapult-assisted takeoff but recovery by detention (CATOBAR), each of which has a different unit price and their specifications vary slightly in terms of fuel capacity (and therefore range), size and payload.
Other countries started fifth generation fighter development projects, Russia was one of the first countries to continue the research and development of the new generation with the Sukhoi Su-57 and the Mikoyan LMFS. In October 2007, Russia and India signed an agreement for joint participation in a Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) program, which will give India responsibility for developing a two-seat model of the PAK FA. China, for its part, has the Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter. The J-20 made its maiden flight in January 2011 and is estimated to be introduced between 2017 and 2019. India is also developing its own fifth-generation aircraft. called Medium Combat Aircraft. Japan is evaluating the technical feasibility of producing its fifth generation fighters with the Mitsubishi ATD-X prototype.
Fighter Aircraft Configuration
Most fighter aircraft used today tend to be multi-role or multi-role. The planes can be loaded with a different variety of arsenal and respond to different missions, however, when they are manufactured, there are certain profiles that respond to tasks and missions that are specific, for example, in terms of their role in the scope. visual or the amount of weapons they must be able to carry.
Interceptor Fighter
Fighter aircraft designed for airspace defense and dogfight air-to-air combat. They are light ships that give priority to speed, takeoff and ascent, because they are designed for air combat, therefore, they do not have much space for supplies and weapons, the latter being limited to air-to-air missiles. In general, they are not apt to travel a long radius of action and their biggest difference with all fighters is that they are not conditioned to make attacks on the surface, however they are specially adapted to intercept bombers and other enemy ships in internal combat, such as out of sight. Clear examples are the MiG-21, Northrop F-5 and the F-20 Tigershark, the latter being very maneuverable. Even faster, though heavier and less maneuverable versions have been the MiG-25 and the powerful MiG-31. Currently among the aircraft that could be classified with this character are the Dassault Rafale, the Chengdu/PAC JF-17 Thunder and the Saab 39 Gripen, but all of them with a much more versatile profile.
Escort Fighter
Of the time of World War II and the Cold War. They were heavier planes than the interceptors, because they carry a greater capacity for weapons and supplies, in order to achieve a more autonomous and extensive range of action. Likewise, they may not be as fast, but they must ensure maneuverability for confrontation, since their main characteristic is to be prepared for WVR (Within Visual Range) combat, "within visual range". A clear example was the P-51 Mustang. A few examples of escort fighters remain today, although the advent of stealthy bombers such as the B-2 Spirit has limited their role. The F-15 Eagle is an air superiority aircraft, very suitable for escort, because it has a large missile load capacity, other examples may be the Mig-29 in its early versions or the Panavia Tornado ADV.
Interdictor Fighter
Air interdiction is a mission where a specific bombardment of enemy resources is carried out with the intention of disabling the opponent. These types of ships are designed for long-distance tactical bombing and are armed with air-to-surface missiles (in the past with long-range torpedoes and rockets). One of the differences between these interceptor bombers and fighter-bombers, and strategic bombers (which also attack on the surface), is that they tend to be much lighter ships, because they don't have to travel great distances leaving room for fuel, and because they carry a non-heavy and specific weapons, since these aircraft are not designed to intervene in combat, but would prioritize actions "beyond visual range" BVR (Beyond Visual Range). On the other hand, they are usually well equipped with powerful radars for tracking, night combat, and even electronic warfare capabilities. A concrete example is the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark, the Super Étendard and the Panavia Tornado IDS (not to be confused with the Panavia Tornado ADV). The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet can also be classified as interdictor fighters, which has a clear surface attack profile from a long distance, but has a greater role spectrum with a multipurpose character, and another is the Mikoyan MiG- 29 specifically from its latest versions.
Fighter Bomber
Like the bomber plane, they are heavily armed and heavy aircraft that can fly at high altitudes. They prioritize speed by giving up maneuverability. they are usually fighter aircraft reassigned to bombing missions. They emerged during World War II, a period in which the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, the Vought F4U Corsair and the Hawker Typhoon stand out. Their great capacity to carry weapons is mainly intended for strategic surface bombing, therefore they have a certain weakness against interception fighters or air superiority fighters, since they do not favor air-to-air weapons. Examples of fighter-bomber are the Xian JH-7, the Dassault Mirage 2000N/2000D or the F-15 Eagle.
Naval Hunting
They are fighter aircraft with a wide diversity of profiles, but in common, they have capabilities for attacking marine and underwater surfaces (torpedoes and missiles), which normally have BVR interdiction weapons "beyond range visual" and have a marine environment proof design. They must adapt to takeoff in confined spaces such as inside aircraft carriers, CATOBAR. Harrier planes and some Yakovlevs even have the particularity of STOVL vertical climb takeoff. The diversity of profiles ranges from the defense of airspace, coastal patrol, air-to-air interception to even air superiority, later the so-called multipurpose fighters proliferated. Obvious examples are the Yakovlev Yak-38, the Mikoyan MiG-29K, and the Sea Harrier. The classic A-4 Skyhawk and AV-8B Harrier have been naval fighters with a readiness for close air support and surface attack. The F-18 Hornet and Super Hornet have a multirole naval fighter profile. The F-14 Tomcat was more of an air superiority character. The advanced Sukhoi Su-34, in addition to air superiority, has a coastal patrol profile. Versions B and C of the Lockheed Martin F-35, considered a V generation stealth fighter, have a clear naval layout with CATOBAR and STOVL takeoff respectively.
These generations of aircraft, in addition to having more advanced technology, ensure the maneuverability for air-to-air combat "within visual range" (WVR Within Visual Range combat). It is for this reason that, fulfilling all the range of attack roles, namely air confrontation, bombing and interdiction, these aircraft focus their distinctions on issues of weight, capacity and variety in the use of weapons. On the other hand, new technologies continue to emerge and stealth fighters appear along these lines. The new classification from the fourth generation between air superiority and multipurpose aircraft is based on the Soviet paradigm of the Sukhoi Su-27 and the Mikoyan MiG-29; the first of air superiority and the second smaller and more versatile.
Multi-role fighter
They are aircraft that appear from the IV generation and come to suppress the need for large fighter-bombers. As a general rule, they are lighter and less powerful than air superiority fighters, however, like them and unlike fighter-bombers, they are highly maneuverable for dogfighting. They are classified as multipurpose or multirole because they do not give up any task, since they can be used in the same way as air-to-air combat fighters, as well as remote attack aircraft, or even, despite their size, to carry attack weapons. to surface. However, there are two subtypes in terms of the approach that can be privileged. On the one hand, there are multipurpose aircraft that favor interdiction tasks "beyond visual range" BVR (Beyond Visual Range), such as the F-18 Super Hornet and the Sukhoi Su-34, and those multipurpose aircraft that continued to improve in air-to-air combat such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon, Dassault Rafale, Saab 39 Gripen, Chengdu J-10B, Mikoyan MiG-35 or the Eurofighter Typhoon.
Superiority Hunting
Air superiority fighters are aircraft made from generation 4. that fulfill tasks of control of the enemy's airspace. They are solid fighters in combat and powerful in carrying missiles and bombs. One difference from multi-role fighters is that while they almost have enormous strategic bombing capabilities, they do not perform close air support tasks. On the other hand, this type of aircraft favors confrontation as such rather than interdiction. They are much heavier than multipurpose aircraft, they can carry more weapons, however this does not mean that they lose maneuverability, even on the contrary, they are very aerodynamic and maneuverable aircraft. Clear examples are the F-15 Eagle, the Shenyang J-11, and the Sukhoi Su-35.
Poaching
They are 5th generation aircraft that add to the fighters the option of being used in stealth missions, namely that they have a design and construction made to not be detected by enemy radars. Clear examples of this type of aircraft are the F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning, the Sukhoi PAK FA, the Chengdu J-20 and the Shenyang J-31.