12 Sep 2018, 19:30
IIRC LtCol Mau's background is 2k hrs F-15E, so I have no issue believing that if she says F-15 in a comparison she means the one she knows. You're thoughts may differ. That's fine I suppose.
Here's what I can say on the topic of the F-15E vs the F-15C. When identically loaded in terms of what is on the pylons and F-15E weighs 20,000lb more due to increased structural weight, CFT weight, and CFT fuel weight.
Looking at the F-15E-1...
With full CFTs, two wing bags, four AAMs, targeting pods, and a GBU-28 is going to weigh 77,000lbs of take-off with a drag index of 88, Drag area of approximately 17.1 ft^2, wing loading of 126.5, lift loading of 77.1, fuel fraction of 0.38. (assuming 1550lb fuel burned before climb)
Opt cruise is a mere 0.05nm/lbf burned at around 31,000ft. It will take 2,750lb to reach that altitude and 75nm. If we assume 50% of total fuel used to reach the target (after which time there is allowance for AB use etc) then the end of this optimum "I have no threats to react to or avoid" ingress has the F-15E burning ~0.06 (I'm rounding up in the Mudhens favor) at 34,000ft. It cannot efficiently fly higher because it weighs too much. So, with 10,980lb of fuel in cruise burning an average of 0.055 nm/lb this gives a cruise leg of 604nm. Add the Climb section of 75nm for a total optimum range with this load of 679nm.
How would an F-35 do? We don't know and I don't even have an estimated model yet. What we have been told is in the F-35A "If the pilot took off with full fuel 2 amraams and 2 2000lbs bombs flew 590nm and came back with a 10 min weapon deployment time they would land with around 7,000-8,000lbs still in the tank. " So, the F-35 can reach 679nm with two one-ton bombs inside and still have fuel to spare. What if two one-tonners isn't the same as one two-point-five-tonner due to the nature of the target? With a minor increase in weight and a currently unkown increase in drag Stubby could theoretically carry a single GBU-28. How much of that spare gas will it eat? I don't know. It is plausible it could do it. Depends on asymmetry limits.
All we can do at this point is make educated guesses.
"Spurts"
-Pilot
-Aerospace Engineer
-Army Medic
-FMS Systems Engineer