Boeing has come up with a novel way of extending the production life one of the most successful warplanes ever flown. Under the name of “Project Monty”, Boeing came up with the idea of the Silent Eagle to capture orders abroad, to countries like South Korea, Israel, Japan, Singapore, & Saudi Arabia, by adding what it is calling “inexpensive modifications” to the F-15. Boeing unveiled on 3/17/2009 a so called “Silent Eagle”, it is a V-Tailed version of the F-15 equipped with a new Conformal Fuel Tank (CFT) and has been optimized to reduce the planes head-on radar cross section. The CFT is what adds part of the stealth equation to the Silent Eagle, the CFT is designed to be carried under either wing and contains internal weapons storage bays. The CFT will be able to carry either AIM-120, AIM-9X, 2 Small Diameter Bombs or one 500 JDAM in top storage bay, and all of these or a 1000 pound JDAM.
The Silent Eagle has been designed for the air to air role rather than bombing runs deep into enemy territory. Not designed to be as stealthy as say, an F-22 Raptor, it is to be on offer to countries other than the US. Sort of a poor mans F-35 JSF. But could the US Air Force be interested in obtaining a small number of these to fill in as an interim between the(still quite capable) legacy aircraft and the Fifth Gen planes coming out? Could this help influence India’s decision in its huge fighter contract?
Whomever the customer ends up being, this bird is sure to keep the plant at St Louis operating well into the future.
I have already seen it somethere…
AlexAxe
AlexAxe
April 20, 2009
Thank you! I would now go on this blog every day!
Charlie
April 23, 2009
Anyone know how to do things like this?
JamesDX
February 15, 2010