Type: Technology demonstrator
Primary Contractor: McDonnell Douglas
First Flight: September 7, 1988
Year Deployed: 1988
Entered Active Service: 1988
Unit cost: Unknown
Crew: 2
-Length: 19.7 m (64 ft) -Wingspan: 13 m (42.8 ft) -Height: 5.64 m (18.5 ft) -Internal Fuel Capacity: Unknown - Wing Area: 58.2 m² (626 ft²)
-Empty Weight: 12,232 kg (26,966 lb) -Loaded Weight: 20,159 kg (44,442 lb) -Payload: Unknown -Max. Takeoff Weight: 31,930 kg (70,400 lb)
Max. Load to Wing Area: Unknown Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-200 reversible, pitch vectoring (with ±20 degrees deflection) afterburning turbofans Dry Thrust: 63.88 kiloNewtons (14,360 lbf) each engine Afterburning Thrust: 105.8 kiloNewtons (23,780 lbf) each engine Thrust/Weight (with 100% fuel): Unknown
-Max Speed: Mach 2.1 (2,650 km/h, 1,650 mph) -Cruise Speed: Unknown
-Combat Radius (flying while fully armed): no armament -Ferry Range (Optional fuel tanks, no ordnance): 4,405 km (2,378 nautical miles, 2,737 miles) -Max. Flying Height (“Ceiling”): 17,750 m (58,220 ft)
-Durability: Unknown -Max. Alpha: 85 degrees
The only existing F-15 S/MTD, which belonged to McDonnell Douglas, passed to NASA in 1993 and was converted to the F-15 ACTIVE (Advanced Control Technology for Integrated VEhicles).
The F-15 S/MTD (Short takeoff and landing/Maneuver Technology Demonstrator) is actually a conversion of the first F-15B (the pre-production TF-15A).
It was developed by McDonnell Douglas as a maneuverability and thrust vectoring research platform, and used to study the methods for short takeoffs from damaged runways.
The S/MDT could take off from incredibly low speeds, starting from 68 km/h (42 mph), take off after using only 75% of the usual runway length other F-15s use to take off, thrust reverse during flight for immediate deceleration, land on only 500 m (1,650 ft) length of runways (while the regular F-15B needed 2,300 m (7,500 ft) of runway to land), reach an angle of attack (“Alpha”) of up to 85 degrees and perform maneuvers and stunts impossible for other F-15s, such as Pugachev’s Cobra maneuver. In August 12, 1991 it finally retired, than passed on to NASA in 1993 for more research. NASA made some of its own configurations and turned it into the F-15 ACTIVE (Advanced Control Technology for Integrated VEhicles).
In 1999 it was reconfigured again and used (still by NASA) as the F-15 IFCS (Intelligent Flight Control System), which serves even today. The converted first F-15B (number 71-0290), which is the pre-model of the F-15 S/MTD, ACTIVE, and IFCS, is the oldest flying F-15.