Which jet is best dogfighter?

Question

Which of these jets would win in a one on one dogfight?The f-14, the f-15c,the f-16,or the f/a-18 super hornet.

Answer 1

in a furball, the F-16 would have it.  Medium range head on, the F-15 would win.  Long range, the  F/A-18 would have a slight advantage.  With the F-14 no longer in the picture, its no factor.  And on a side note, at redflag the F-16 was the ONLY aircraft to be able to defeat the F-22.

(The F-16 did defeat the F-22 but there is an asterisk.  The F-22 was not "in the fight" rather surprised before the exercise officially was underway.  That is the story I was given.)

Answer 2

If your question is being asked before the retirement of the F-14 (and of course the recent possibly permanent grounding of most of the F-15 fleet - I haven't read, but I would assume the F-15A), my USMC F-18 pilot friend was always frustrated getting kicked by the F-15As and F-15Cs which always won any dissimilar air to air simulated combat.

I think that he said #2 would be the F-14 because of the two member crew with the backseater followed closely by the F-16Cs and F-16As with the F-18 always being tail end charlie which frustrated him to no end as he was a F-18 pilot with many years of military flight experience.

Yes the F-18 Super Hornet is a big improvement over the F-18A in certain respects particularly in range; however, you must remember that the USN and USMC F-18 derived from the USAF F-17 as the F-17 lost the fly off competition to the F-16 before F-16 production was started.  So, in a way the F-18 was a loser before it was put into production with its performance further limited with the necessary modifications needed to make the F-18 carrier compatible which added a lot of weight to the F-18.

Obviously, the F-22, when not grounded, is untouchable by the F-15C.

But, the F-15C would win your hypothetical dogfight.

I am not sure about the comment of a F-16 defeating a F-22 in air to air combat.  If it occurred, then the much more powerful, much more maneuverable, and totally "stealthy" F-22A unless there were some circumstances which obviously would not be disclosed as the F-15C if it ever met the F-16C in air to air combat should win every time assuming all else was equal in a F-15C versus a F-16C faceoff.

Obviously, in an equal F-22A versus F-16C faceoff under combat conditions, the F-22A should in theory win 100% of the time.

The F-22A is in a class by itself which unfortunately even the F-35 does not approach.

A better question is how would the F-15C do against the Su-30 which is why along with the "possible permanent" grounding of some 400 to 500 F-15s that the USAF should increase its acquisition of the stealth supersonic cruise F-22A jet fighter aircraft whose acquisition numbers are trying to be minimized by Congress.

The Su-30 is a match for the F-15C depending upon pilot training and circumstances of any potential air to air combat which Congress chooses to ignore.

Just as Congress refuses, currently, to plan to acquire more F-22A aircraft.

Answer 3

Assuming equal pilot skills, the optimal AMRAAM launch would decide the winner. I dont think that these fighters meeting in A2A combat will ever get to the knife fight situation where energy and maneuverability would make the difference. So I go for the one with the smallest RCS and that would be the Superbug.

The F/A-18 would see it through by virtue of its avionics and reduced RCS.

BTW, for the answerer above, I've seen a Su-30 roll during a tail slide (means negative velocity) and I've seen them flip about the pitch axis (a.k.a Kulbit), somthing the F-22 will be hard pressed to execute. Furthermore, the R-73 can be launched anywhere around the aircraft (360 degrees weapon coverage) courtesy of the nifty HMD, forward and rearward radar integration. That is off-boresight!!! It would be some time before the Raptor will have the capability to do a standalone rear hemisphere weapon launch.

Answer 4

F-18 or F-15

Answer 5

F-15C if you want to go with combat record. F-16's are capable, but don't have the raw power of the Eagle. The Super Hornets are maneuverable as well, but their reduced power is a concern. The F-14 is good for BVR combat with the AGM-64, but now that they've been retired, I guess it doesn't matter. I'd put my money on the F-15 any day.

Answer 6

all four aircraft are excellent dog fighters, an each has its advantage. the F14 and F15 are hard to beat in BVR combat, especially the F14 with its phoenix missile system. the F14 does have one advantage over the F15, and that is its variable geometry wings. given equal pilots who know both planes, i think that in a knife fight the F14 has the advantage

the F16 and the F18 are both very good in the ground attack, and in the dog fighting role. the F16 is a lighter plane than the F18, and tends to climb in a fight where as the F18 loses altitude. between these two i feel the F16 has a slight advantage.

since we are now down to the F14 and the F16, in BVR the tomcat wins, in a knife fight, the lighter weight of the F16 is hard to overcome, and wins over the tomcat.

overall i would give the edge to the F16.