After acquiring the initial batch of combat-ready F-15s in late 1974, the leaders of the United States Air Force realized that the quickest way to make a big impression with the new fighter would be to break aviation records. In just under two months since its introduction, by January 1975, the aircraft was shattering previous world records with ease.
The main goal was not to outdo its predecessor, the F-4 Phantom, but rather to surpass the perennial rival of the Cold War era, the Soviet Union. More specifically, the F-15 aimed to outperform the MiG-25 Foxbat – a fighter capable of reaching speeds of 3.2 Mach, designed to hunt down the legendary SR-71 Blackbird. The Soviet warplane posed a significant threat to the best U.S. fighters at the time, so the F-15 was upgraded to match the capabilities of the MiG.
However, since a direct confrontation was not possible, the next best option to showcase the newly introduced ‘Strike Eagle’ was to set new records that would be recognized globally, regardless of political affiliation. Thus, the race began for the next challenge: time-to-altitude climb. The U.S. Air Force and McDonnell Douglas collaborated to present an impressive display with a specially modified F-15, known as the ‘Streak Eagle,’ which managed to break five world records in a single day and eight over a span of two weeks and three days.
Three pilots from the U.S. Air Force were selected to regain the title for their country between January 16 and February 1, 1975, at the Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. They took turns flying the modified aircraft and shattered previous records at supersonic speeds with full afterburner. The aircraft used for the record-breaking attempts was essentially a stripped-down preproduction version of the combat-ready F-15.
To reduce unnecessary weight, everything non-essential was removed, including the paint, 20-mm Vulcan rotary cannon and ammunition, radars, radios, and other equipment. A pitot boom was installed on the nose, and high-precision instruments were added to accurately measure speed and acceleration. With its impressive thrust-to-weight ratio of nearly 1.5:1, the specially prepared F-15 managed to set eight records during the 17-day testing period.
On January 16, the F-15 successfully broke five records previously held by the F-4 Phantom II during three separate attempts. Major Roger Smith improved the ‘Time to 3,000 m (9,843 feet)’ record by a significant 20%, reducing the time from 34.52 seconds to 27.57 seconds. The Streak Eagle was equipped with a hold-back system, which allowed it to accelerate to full throttle before being released. The short takeoff distance of 400 m (1,220 feet) left little time for the pilot to retract the landing gear before executing a 5G vertical climb.
Due to this detail, several attempts had to be aborted as the aircraft approached the maximum allowable speed for the landing gear, forcing it to slow down and compromising the trial. However, the pilot eventually mastered the technique and shattered the existing record.
In a remarkable display of aerial prowess, Major Willard Macfarlane shattered three records in a single day aboard the Streak Eagle. The aircraft’s rapid ascent obliterated the previous bests for reaching altitudes of 6,000 meters, 9,000 meters, and 12,000 meters. The old records, which stood at 48.79 seconds, 61.68 seconds, and 77.14 seconds, were easily surpassed by the F-15’s impressive times of 39.33 seconds, 48.86 seconds, and 59.38 seconds.
Later in the day, the Streak Eagle took to the skies once more, this time aiming for a ceiling of 15,000 meters. It shaved an impressive 37 seconds, or 33%, off the previous record of 114.50 seconds. The twin-engine fighter completed the feat in a mere 77.02 seconds, surpassing the time it took for the Saturn V Moon rocket by approximately 10 seconds. For a detailed and accurate account of these extraordinary events, please refer to the attached video.
After dethroning the aging F-4, the F-15 set its sights on the Soviet fighter and accelerated towards its target. On January 19, Roger Smith achieved a remarkable feat by surpassing the record for reaching 20,000 meters. The MiG-25’s previous time of 169.80 seconds was easily surpassed by the Streak Eagle’s impressive performance of 122.94 seconds.
Seven days later, Major Dave Peterson donned a high-pressure suit to tackle the high-speed, high-altitude challenge. Any attempts above 15,000 meters required this specialized equipment. Peterson managed to break the three-minute mark, surpassing the Soviet aircraft’s time of 192.60 seconds with an impressive performance of 161.02 seconds.
Finally, on February 1, 1975, Major Roger Smith, the pioneer of these record-breaking achievements, embarked on his final flight with the aim of setting an absolute record. The F-15 outperformed the MiG-25 by over half a minute in reaching 30,000 meters. Smith’s time of 207.80 seconds far surpassed the MiG’s time of 243.86 seconds. To prevent overheating and irreparable damage to the engines, Maj. Smith shut down the twin jets after smashing the record.
Following its record-breaking flight, the Streak Eagle continued its trajectory, coasting silently until it reached an altitude of 103,000 feet (33,792 meters). The extremely thin atmosphere failed to dissipate the engines’ heat quickly enough, causing the aircraft to act as a glider, moving solely on inertia at a speed of just 55 knots (63 miles per hour, 102 kilometers per hour). The pilot then initiated a 55-degree dive until reaching a safe altitude of 55,000 feet (16,764 meters). Maj. Smith reignited the engines, and the F-15 Streak Eagle safely returned to land at Grand Forks.
The record-setting F-15 was an early version of the standard fighter, measuring 63 feet, 9.0 inches (19.4 meters) in length and boasting a wingspan of 42 feet, 9.7 inches (13 meters). It had a height of 18 feet, 5.4 inches (5.6 meters). The regular F-15 had an empty weight of 25,870 lbs (11,734 kilograms) and a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 44,497 lbs (20,184 kilograms).
However, the Streak Eagle weighed 1,800 pounds (817 kilograms) less than a standard F-15A. Additionally, its twin engines were only given the precise amount of fuel needed for the record-breaking attempts. The two Pratt&Whitney afterburning turbofan engines have a Maximum Continuous Power rating of 12,410 pounds of thrust (55.2 kilonewtons), a 30-minute limit of 14,690 pounds (65.34 kN), and a 5-minute limit of 23,840 pounds (106 kN).
An F-15A Eagle can maintain a speed of 502 knots (578 mph / 930 kph) during cruising, reaching a maximum speed of 893 knots (1,028 mph / 1,654 kph) at an altitude of 10,000 feet (3,048 meters). This supersonic aircraft can reach a speed of 1,434 knots (1,650 mph / 2,656 kph) at an altitude of 45,000 feet (13,716 meters), and its highest operational ceiling is 63,050 feet (19,218 meters) when using maximum thrust. The regular F-15s had a thrust-to-weight ratio of 1.15:1, allowing them to climb at a rate of 67,250 feet per minute (342 meters per second) from sea level.
The F-15 Streak Eagle, which set the record, was gifted to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in 1980 and placed on public display. To protect its bare-metal body, a layer of camouflage grey paint was applied to the historic aircraft. For over four decades, the fighter sported this iconic appearance, but it has recently been restored to its original exposed aluminum finish. It is currently stored in a hangar at the Museum.
According to the Source autoevolution.com