I need you to make a decision for me

[Growler117]

100 Years ago Roland Garros scored the first air to air kill with a dedicated fighter plane. To commemorate a century of fighter aircrafts and pilots I plan to do a drawing of two planes parked next to eachother.

one of them will be a WWI fokker eindecker, but for the modern jet, you'll have to help me decide.

Which aircraft should represent modern air combat?

Put your suggestions down, I will of coarse share my work once it's done.

[KerbMav]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_superiority_fighter

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panavia_Tornado

Although I strongly favor the (yeah, 1974 is rather old) F16, just love the design.

Edited November 2, 2015 by KerbMav

[Growler117]

Yeah so many beautiful designs.....

[Columbia]

F-86?

Yeah, it's pretty old as well..

[cantab]

I think the F-teen range have the biggest reputation, but they're a bit old now. The F-35 isn't in service yet.

So I'd say for an American aircraft the F-22, arguably the pinnacle of fighter development, or for a European aircraft the Typhoon, I reckon it looks good and it can dogfight with the best of them; those of a more cynical persuasion might also see it as epitomising government beurocracy. (I especially love that the left and right wings of a Eurofighter are built by two different companies )

Really, though, air warfare in the 21st century isn't represented by any of those fighter jets, but by this:

[Nibb31]

one of them will be a WWI fokker eindecker,

Why is that ? If you are commemorating Roland Garros, you should be depicting the plane that he used, a Morane-Saulnier Type-L

I don't think drones are representative of air-to-air combat. If you want to represent an air-superiority fighter, which is what the Roland Garros anniversary is about, the state of the art is probably the F-22.

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or for a European aircraft the Typhoon,

The Rafale is probably better in most aspects than the Eurofighter.

Edited November 2, 2015 by Nibb31

[pTrevTrevs]

Do an F-15, it's the primary land based fighter used by the Air Force, since the F-22 is so expensive

[Nibb31]

The F-15 isn't really state of the art in 2015. It would be representing the 60 year anniversary of Roland Garros' dogfight, not a 100 years.

Edited November 2, 2015 by Nibb31

[Torgo]

I'd echo using the F-22 as the representative of '100 years later', if that's the point of the piece. There have been a lot of great fighters in between, too, but their time has passed.

[razark]

Which aircraft should represent modern air combat?

What's the most recent fighter aircraft to get an air-to-air kill?

[Endersmens]

What's the most recent fighter aircraft to get an air-to-air kill?

Here's what I could find:

According to U.S and Iraqi sources, in February 2009 a USAF F-16 intercepted and shot down an Iranian UAV that had violated Iraqi airspace.

[Sampa]

If you want modern dogfighter, it is better for pure dogfighter. F-15. None of this multi-purpose crap that the us military seems to like going with. If not that, then the. A-10 Thunderbolt II aka Warthog

[Flymetothemun]

I'd have to say the Lockheed U-2. One of the fastest aircraft in modern history and also one of the highest-flying aircraft, which means it would represent just how far we've come and how much we can achieve with aviation. Also, it represents a transition into new kind of air combat. Not a dogfight-style one like most people think and dream about, but a technological one. After all, isn't it better to know exactly what your enemy is doing and have a strong plan to counter them rather than not know what they're doing and come up with many average plans to counter them? The dogfight is still present, it'll be present as long as there are planes and guns, but the emphasis seems to be on technological and "smart fighting", if you want to call it that. The U-2 WAS the espionage satellite before espionage satellites were even in orbit.

Also, the sucker's just plan graceful.

UPDATE::

After a memory jogging I retract the "Lockheed U-2" and replace it with "Lockheed SR-71".

Edited November 2, 2015 by Flymetothemun

[SemiaCloud]

Why is that ? If you are commemorating Roland Garros, you should be depicting the plane that he used, a Morane-Saulnier Type-L

http://www.avionslegendaires.net/wp-content/uploads/images/avion_militaire/Gtype-l-index.jpg

I don't think drones are representative of air-to-air combat. If you want to represent an air-superiority fighter, which is what the Roland Garros anniversary is about, the state of the art is probably the F-22.

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The Rafale is probably better in most aspects than the Eurofighter.

Listen to the monkey!

[Fluburtur]

Since im french I would say the Rafale. I saw this plane for real a few years ago, I even got to walk on it (I will be posting pics if I find them)

It has some lovely curves and it can easily beat a F-16 and maybe even a F-22 since his body absorbs radar waves and it has an optical locking system in adition to the radar, it's also very versatile and such but I could go on for hours talking about this plane.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dassault_Rafale

Edited November 2, 2015 by Fluburtur

[razark]

Here's what I could find:

Thank you.

Well, there you are then. F-16 should be the second one.

I'd have to say the Lockheed U-2. One of the fastest aircraft in modern history and also one of the highest-flying aircraft...

Are you sure you don't mean the SR-71?

[Jovus]

Definitely the Rafale. A good plane, and in my opinion the prettiest to boot.

And I'm American.

[Fatal_Gam3er]

Su-27? *Not Russian* *Is a Murican'*

[FishInferno]

Definitely the F-22 for modern combat, it is the most sophisticated and advanced aircraft ever flown, and even though it has not gotten an air-to-air kill doesn't mean it is less capable.

[Flymetothemun]

Thank you.

Well, there you are then. F-16 should be the second one.

Are you sure you don't mean the SR-71?

Yep. I get the two mixed up all the time.

[Bill Phil]

How about the first jet to have a jet-to-jet kill?

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Yep. I get the two mixed up all the time.

Actually the U-2 is pretty good...

[Flymetothemun]

Since im french I would say the Rafale. I saw this plane for real a few years ago, I even got to walk on it (I will be posting pics if I find them)

It has some lovely curves and it can easily beat a F-16 and maybe even a F-22 since his body absorbs radar waves and it has an optical locking system in adition to the radar, it's also very versatile and such but I could go on for hours talking about this plane.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dassault_Rafale

I don't mean to offend you, and I try to refrain from using stereotypes, but MAN are you French people fancy. Here's the logo you guys have for the Rafale:

Probably the coolest government "logo" us Americans have is the DoC, DoE, NCC, or the Navy logo:

[Fluburtur]

It's because it wasn't made by a government but by a company, fun fact Mr.Dassault said about the Rafale "un bel avion est un bon avion" which means something like "a beautiful aircraft is a good aircraft" and I find it quite works in KSP

[Guest]

My suggestions are the Su-27, Su-37, Su-47, Mig-35 or maybe even the PAK-FA.

If you want to "show how much things evolved", do a F-22. Or the PAK-FA.

Russian aircraft are gorgeous.

[Flymetothemun]

It's because it wasn't made by a government but by a company, fun fact Mr.Dassault said about the Rafale "un bel avion est un bon avion" which means something like "a beautiful aircraft is a good aircraft" and I find it quite works in KSP

Mmkay, thanks! Sometimes "wikipedia-ese" is hard to decipher.

But I found this official French government logo that still proves my point: