Best Service Air Superiority Fighter

[Afterburner]

What do you guys think of as the best service aircraft? That is any aircraft that is currently in the aresenal of any country. The only rule is that it has to be in service NOW. So you can't say "The P-51 in it's time." or something like that.

I personally find it an obvious answer but I wonder if any others do or if they have some other insight and ideas. I think the F/A-22 wins hand down. A combination of supercruise, stealth, thrust vectoring, and technoglical superiority gives it a tremendous advantge. Of course if you put an idiot in an F-22 and the best pilot int he world into a Mig-15 the Mig will probaly win but the F-22 evens things up tremendously and even makes it possible for a mediocre pilots to down a moderatly better pilot flying an inferior machine. There was one mock dogfight where the F-22 acheived a 144 to zero kill ratio against a bunch of U.S. aircraft(F-16, F/A-18, etc.) simulating Migs.

I have to give a nod to the Typhoon though. Consider how much cheaper it is then the F/A-22 it is still a really, really good aircraft and can no doubt be deadly in the right hands.

[Crazy Wolf]

I'm thinking the Raptor. After that, stuff like the Sukhoi Super Flanker.

[Roaming East]

I concur. Late model Flankers are probably the next best thing going for dedicated Air dominance fighters after the Raptor

[MrFancypants]

As far as cost-effectiveness is concerned Russian planes usually do quite well, but the US have superior technology with the F-22.

[Roaming East]

Originally Posted by MrFancypants

As far as cost-effectiveness is concerned Russian planes usually do quite well, but the US have superior technology with the F-22.

Short term anyway which is what they were designed for. Russian planes come back to bite their user in the butts when they factor in the cost to maintain them over a decade or so and the lack of expandibility in the airframe. An F16 will generally cost more than a comparable MiG29 when first bought, but the Airframe is easy to upgrade, can perform multi mission tasking well and the cost to fly per hour is significantly cheaper do to longevity of components and ease of repair and replacement.

[Anlushac11]

While the F/A-22 is certainly a very capable design it hasnt had a chance to show its stuff yet.

Therefore I vote for the F-15C/D air superiority fighter version.

It is getting old but its combat record is still very impressive.

[Mihail]

the MiG-29 modernized, easily made, and will out beat the production of any other fighter, rugged and yet still be effective enough to take out the enemy.

[[130pz.]Kading]

if i had to trust my life to one i would go with the F-22. but for sexiness the Rafale cant be beat.

[Roaming East]

Originally Posted by Mihail

the MiG-29 modernized, easily made, and will out beat the production of any other fighter, rugged and yet still be effective enough to take out the enemy.

Except for the fact that every single time a Mig-29 has gone up against any western fighter it has lost. Combat stats like that dont sell aircraft.

[Akula971]

Could be the crew capability and weapons load it carried? Lets face it there has not been a war for over twenty years where modern industrialised nations have fought each other (bad for the economy) last one was the Falklands.