Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 4:07:07-4:08:58

What an F-15N design study establishes

The F-15N example distinguishes a company's offer to study an aircraft from completed engineering for carrier operations.

Aircraft CarriersAircraft DesignF-15 EagleNaval AviationNaval Procurement
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Question

Does the F-15N design study show that a naval F-15 was a practical conversion?

Short answer

A study alone does not establish that; repeated carrier landings would require extensive airframe redesign.

Notes

Converting the F-15 for carrier service would require rebuilding its airframe around the loads of deck landings. Even a purpose-built carrier aircraft experiences severe structural wear during those landings. A company can advertise a naval version before completing the engineering needed to make it practical, using the proposal to seek development funding. The criticism of the F-15N proposal concerns how much engineering lay behind the offer: a brochure establishes less than a detailed design study.