17 May 2024

The unidentified crew of McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle 89-0487, named “Lucky,” exit the aircraftat an undisclosed location in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, May 17, 2024. (U.S. Air Force 240517-F-SR682-1304)

17 May 2024: McDonnell Douglas F-15E-47-MC Strike Eagle 89-0487 reached 15,000 flight hours while “deployed within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.”

A U.S. Air Force 335th Expeditionary Fighter Generation Squadron crew chief places a “15,000” sticker on an F-15E Strike Eagle, at an undisclosed location in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, May 17, 2024. The dual-role fighter achieved a major milestone for a fighter aircraft with 15,000 flights hours, which equates to 624 days flying since its production in 1989. (U.S. Air Force 2405176-F-SR682-1273)

On 14 January 1991, 89-0487 “shot down” an Iraqi Mil Mi-24 Hind attack helicopter by dropping a laser-guided bomb on it.¹ Then on 13 January 2012, -0487 became the first Strike Eagle to reach 10,000 flight hours.²

The prototype McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle (modified from F-15B-4-MC 71-0291) is parked on the ramp at the McDonnell Douglas facility at St. Louis. (U.S. Air Force)

The Strike Eagle was begun as a private venture by McDonnell Douglas. Designed to be operated by a pilot and a weapons system officer (WSO), the airplane can carry bombs, missiles and guns for a ground attack role, while maintaining its capability as an air superiority fighter. It’s airframe was a strengthened and its service life doubled to 16,000 flight hours. The Strike Eagle became an Air Force project in March 1981, and went into production as the F-15E. The first production model, 86-0183, made its first flight 11 December 1986.

The McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle is a two-place twin-engine multi-role fighter. It is 63 feet, 9 inches (19.431 meters) long with a wingspan of 42 feet, 9¾ inches (13.049 meters) and height of 18 feet, 5½ inches (5.626 meters). It weighs 31,700 pounds (14,379 kilograms) empty and has a maximum takeoff weight of 81,000 pounds (36,741 kilograms).

The F-15E is powered by two Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 turbofan engines which produce 17,800 pounds of thrust (79.178 kilonewtons) each, or 29,100 pounds (129.443 kilonewtons) with afterburner. The F-100-PW-229 is a two-spool afterburning turbofasn engine. It has 3 fan stages, 10 high-pressure compressor stages, 2 high-pressure and 2 low pressure turbine stages. The engine is 3 feet, 10.5 inches (1.181 meters) in diameter, 17 feet, 4 inches (5.283 meters) long, and weighs 3,705 pounds (1,681 kilograms).

The Strike Eagle has a maximum speed of Mach 2.54 (1,676 miles per hour, (2,697 kilometers per hour) at 40,000 feet (12,192 meters) and is capable of sustained speed at Mach 2.3 (1,520 miles per hour, 2,446 kilometers per hour). Its service ceiling is 60,000 feet (18,288 meters). The fighter-bomber has a combat radius of 790 miles (1,271 kilometers) and a maximum ferry range of 2,765 miles (4,450 kilometers).

The prototype McDonnell-Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle showing a weapons load. (U.S. Air Force)

Though optimized as a fighter-bomber, the F-15E Strike Eagle retains an air-to-air combat capability. The F-15E is armed with one 20mm M61A1 Vulcan 6-barrel rotary cannon with 512 rounds of ammunition, and can carry four AIM-9M Sidewinder heat-seeking missiles and four AIM-7M Sparrow radar-guided missiles, or a combination of Sidewinders, Sparrows and AIM-120 AMRAAM long range missiles. It can carry a maximum load of 24,500 pounds (11,113 kilograms) of bombs and missiles for ground attack.

This McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle is carrying AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, 2,000-pound laser guided bombs, targeting designators and jettisonable fuel tanks. (U.S. Air Force)

¹ This Day in Aviation, 14 February 1991: https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/14-february-1991/

² This Day in Aviation, 13 January 2012: https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/13-january-2012/

© 2025, Bryan R. Swopes

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About Bryan Swopes

Bryan R. Swopes grew up in Southern California in the 1950s–60s, near the center of America's aerospace industry. He has had a life-long interest in aviation and space flight. Bryan is a retired commercial helicopter pilot and flight instructor.