Starting from the Second World War, and it is possible that during the preceding armed conflicts, such as the wars in Spain and Abyssinia, the decisive role in the outcome of military operations of the aircraft became obvious. Air dominance determines success. Then there were Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq, the Middle East, again Iraq and many other local clashes, confirming the great importance of aircraft in the conduct of battle. Without the ability to effectively resist the actions of attack and bomber aircraft of the enemy, there is no chance of victory. And for this we need both air defense equipment and special type airplanes with a number of special qualities, such as speed, maneuverability and low vulnerability.
Perceptions of what the best fighter should be like have changed over the years. The metamorphoses of this type of military equipment were influenced by developing technologies and the experience gained at the cost of great sacrifices.
Thirties and forties, era of screw fighters
In the sky of Spain, the Soviet I-16 aircraft performed well. As of 1936, it was perhaps the best fighter in the world. In its design, the engineers of Polikarpov’s bureau applied the latest technical solutions, revolutionary for that time. It was the first production model with retractable chassis, a powerful engine and weapons (including the possibility of installing unguided rockets). But the reign of “Chatos” (“Snub-nosed” - as the Republicans called it for the wide profile of the hood) did not last long. The German Messerschmitt 109 appeared in the sky, which underwent several modifications throughout the Second World War. Only some planes close in class and engine power could compete with him, including the English Spitfire and the American Mustang developed a little later.
However, with all the outstanding technical characteristics, it is very difficult to choose a comprehensive criterion in order to determine the best aircraft. It turns out that a fighter can also be different, and it needs to be evaluated in many ways.
Fifties korea
In the postwar period, with the advent of jet engines , the countdown of fighter generations began. The first of them can be attributed to the initial development of engineers around the world, created back in the mid-forties. We had it MiG-9, which in its parameters was not far away from the Messerschmitt-262. Already during the Korean War, the Americans were shocked by their unpleasant surprise.
The swift, compact and highly maneuverable MiG-15 crushed the seemingly unshakable power of US strategic aviation. From this MiG originates the second generation. Then it was the best fighter in the world, and it took time to create him a worthy rival, which was the Saber.
Sixties, Vietnam and the Middle East
Then there was the Vietnam War. Two lifelong rivals, the Phantom and the MiG-21, circled in the “dog fights” in the sky. These aircraft were very different, and in size, and in weight, and in the degree of armament. The American F-4 weighed twice as much as the Soviet interceptor, was less maneuverable, but had several advantages in long-range combat.
It is difficult to determine which best fighter fought in the Vietnamese sky, but the overall score was in favor of the MiG. It should be borne in mind that in comparable prices the Soviet plane cost much (several times) cheaper, moreover, in the event of an unfavorable outcome of the battle, the Americans lost two pilots, and not one. Both of these aircraft belonged to the third generation of aircraft. In the meantime, progress continued, with increasingly stringent demands on interceptors.
Fourth generation since the seventies
Since 1970, the development of fighter aircraft went along new trunk lines. Avionics has become not just a tool to help the pilot in detecting enemies and solving navigational problems, she took on a number of control functions. The degree of visibility of the aircraft for enemy radars has become extremely important. The parameters of the engines changed, and the thrust vector became changeable, which forced a radical revision of the concept of maneuverability. It is not so easy to determine which best fighter belongs to the fourth generation; opinions on this subject are divided. The American F-15 has its supporters, especially in the West, and they have their own arguments, the main of which remains the successful experience of the combat use of the Eagle. Others believe that in the fourth generation the best fighter in the world is the Su-27 of Russian production.
Generation after generation
Generations of jet interceptors are separated from each other by several criteria: by development time, wing shape and type, information saturation, and some other criteria, but it is not always easy to draw a clear line between them, it remains conditional. For example, the deep modification of the MiG-21 has so improved its characteristics that it can be approximately considered a fourth-generation aircraft in almost all combat effectiveness indicators.
The direction of design thought
Fifth generation interceptors today form the basis of the air forces of Russia and other technologically advanced countries. They are able to carry out various combat missions, protect the airspace of their states, they are sold as part of military-technical cooperation to strategic partners. But work on new projects is ongoing. Promising examples of the latest aviation technology have some features that distinguish them from previous models, which gives reason to believe that the turn has come for the fifth generation. Its signs include low radar visibility, expressed in the desire to remove all types of weapons previously placed on external suspensions and the technology of radio-absorbing surfaces, which was called “Stells” with the light hand of the Americans. In addition, all the latest achievements in the field of aircraft engine manufacturing, rudders and control systems also indicate that the aircraft belongs to the latest generation. It is also important to use composite materials in the construction, which reduces weight, and again, increases stealth. That is what the best fighter in the world should be today. The photo of such an aircraft is recognizable, the outlines of the fuselage and planes are somewhat angular, the engines leave an imperceptible inversion trace, and the nozzles have a rather high angle of possible rotation.
"Raptor"
In some ways, they are elusively similar, although the general layout schemes and the technical parameters of fifth-generation interceptor aircraft vary significantly. These can be attributed primarily to the Raptor F-22. Specialists, mainly American, believe that this is the best fighter in the world. The main argument in favor of this opinion is the fact that the Raptor is the only machine in the world that is commercially available and adopted for armament and meets the requirements for the fifth generation interceptor. All other similar models, including Russian ones, are under development and refinement. There is also an important factor that allows one to doubt the correctness of such an opinion. The fact is that the F-22 has never participated in hostilities, and it is not known how it will behave in a real battle. At one time, the American military-industrial complex widely advertised the Bi-2 invisible bomber, and then it turned out that even outdated Soviet radars, which were in service with the army of Yugoslavia, could well detect it.
How about us?
In Russia, of course, the US attempts to achieve military hegemony are not ignored. We plan to create a plane that can fight the most perfect interceptor of a potential enemy. They planned to “put it on the wing” back in 2005, but they were prevented by difficulties mainly of an economic nature. In developed countries, the creation of a similar model and putting it into service usually takes a decade and a half, and the technical task of the Sukhoi Design Bureau was received in 1999. Simple calculations suggest that the date when the Russian Air Force will receive the best fighter in the world is 2014 or 2015.
Little is known about him. They called the project not just an airplane or an interceptor, but the Frontline Aviation Complex. (PAKFA - “P” stands for promising, “A” is aviation, some tautology is forgivable for aircraft designers.) Take-off weight is about 20 tons, like the American F-22 and the F-35 that has not yet been adopted for service. Tactical characteristics make it possible to use the machine with small VPD, the technology of low radio detectability is applied. Naturally, electronic equipment is the most modern. It is likely that it will be the best fighter in the world. T-50 is another name for the PAKFA platform, it is possible that these working codes will give way to the classic designation “Su” with some number.
China
For a long time, our Chinese friends did not bother with the task of developing their own aircraft. Usually in the PRC they chose a good Soviet model, which received good fame, bought technical documentation and produced under its own index, consisting of the letter Y (for civilians) or J (for the military) and number. However, the economic boom of recent decades, which has turned China into a universal universal workshop, has pushed the popular aviation industry to begin work on its own projects. Perhaps the J-10 is not the best fighter in the world, but all the well-known technical specifications of this aircraft indicate that it is a car on the verge of IV and V generations with the possibility of further modification. The original solution to the general layout scheme (the deltoid duck without the classic tail) eloquently says that this time the Chinese aircraft manufacturers did without external borrowing, taking their own approach.
Top hit parade
The history of world aviation is rich in outstanding achievements. Just listing the interceptors, which have become masterpieces of engineering, will take up too much space. How to choose the best fighter from them? Among the successful models, one cannot help but recall La-5 and La-7, the Aero Cobra, which was fought by I.N. Kozhedub and A.I. Pokryshkin, the French Mirage, the Swedish Saabs, the English Laiting and many other powerful and beautiful cars. The task is complicated by the fact that no matter how perfect the combat aircraft was, it was almost always a worthy opponent. Therefore, it makes sense to present the conditional rating of the most outstanding interceptors in pairs:
- Messerschmitt 109 and Spitfire. During World War II, Soviet aircraft were good, but they lacked powerful engines, so they were not on the top list.
- MiG-15 and Saber F-86. They fought with each other in Korea.
- Phantom F-4 and Mig-21. Vietnam, the Middle East and other military conflicts pointed to the strengths and weaknesses of these so different planes.
- Eagle F-15 vs Su-27. Eagle has a very good reputation due to its successful use in modern theaters of war. “Sukhoi” is not inferior to him in most technical and tactical indicators, but surpasses him in some, but his combat experience is not enough for an absolute victory in the competition for the title “the best fighter in the world”. 2014 was marked by the adoption of dozens of Su-35S aircraft, which are a deeply modernized version of the Su-27, into the combat units of the Russian Air Force.
- T-50 and Raptor. Opponents, apparently, are quite worthy. It would be better if they did not meet in air battles, but if this does happen in the future, there is a high probability that our car will not fail.
What will be the best fighter in the world of the 21st century? One can only guess to what new concepts the aircraft engineers of the future will come. The century has just begun, and by all indications, it will be stormy ...