Second-generation jet fighter

Second-generation jet fighters are jet fighter aircraft that were developed between the mid-1950s and the early 1960s.

English Electric Lightning

Development

The development of second-generation fighters was shaped by technological breakthroughs, lessons learned from the aerial battles of the Korean War, and a focus on conducting operations in a nuclear warfare environment. Technological advances in aerodynamics, propulsion and aerospace building materials (primarily aluminum alloys) permitted designers to experiment with aeronautical innovations, such as swept wings, delta wings, and area-ruled fuselages. Widespread use of after-burning turbojet engines made these the first production aircraft to break the sound barrier, and the ability to sustain supersonic speeds in level flight became a common capability amongst fighters of this generation.

Dassault Mirage III

Electronics

Fighter designs also took advantage of new electronics technologies that made effective radars small enough to be carried aboard smaller aircraft. Onboard radars permitted detection of enemy aircraft beyond visual range, thereby improving the handoff of targets by longer-ranged ground-based warning and tracking radars. Similarly, advances in guided missile development allowed air-to-air missiles to begin supplementing the gun as the primary offensive weapon for the first time in fighter history. During this period, passive Infrared homing became commonplace, but early IR missile sensors had poor sensitivity and a very narrow field of view (typically no more than 30°), which limited their effective use to only close-range, tail-chase engagements. Radar-guided (RF) missiles were introduced as well, but early examples proved unreliable. These semi-active radar homing (SARH) missiles could track and intercept an enemy aircraft "painted" by the launching aircraft's onboard radar. Medium- and long-range RF air-to-air missiles promised to open up a new dimension of "beyond-visual-range" (BVR) combat, and much effort was placed in further development of this technology.

MiG-21F interceptor

Weapons

The prospect of a potential third world war featuring large mechanized armies and nuclear weapon strikes led to a degree of specialization along two design approaches: interceptors (like the English Electric Lightning and Sukhoi Su-9) and fighter-bombers (such as the Republic F-105 Thunderchief and the Sukhoi Su-7). Dogfighting, per se, was deemphasized in both cases. The interceptor was an outgrowth of the vision that guided missiles would completely replace guns and combat would take place at beyond visual ranges. As a result, interceptors were designed with a large missile payload and a powerful radar, sacrificing agility in favour of high speed, altitude ceiling and rate of climb. With a primary air defence role, emphasis was placed on the ability to intercept strategic bombers flying at high altitudes. Specialized point-defence interceptors often had limited range and little, if any, ground-attack capabilities. Fighter-bombers could swing between air superiority and ground-attack roles, and were often designed for a high-speed, low-altitude dash to deliver their ordnance. Television- and IR-guided air-to-surface missiles were introduced to augment traditional gravity bombs, and some were also equipped to deliver a nuclear bomb.

Types

Aircraft	Origin	Number built	First flight	Service life	Length m	Wingspan m	Wing area sq. m	Empty weight	Max takeoff weight	Max Speed km/h	Range km	Ceiling m	Engine × thrust
Vought F-8 Crusader	United States	1,219	1955	1957–1999	16.53	10.87	34.80	7,956 kg	13,000 kg	1,975	2,795	17,700	1 × 47.6 kN/80.1 kN
Convair F-102 Delta Dagger	United States	1,000	1953	1956–1979	20.83	11.61	64.57	8,777 kg	14,300 kg	1,304	2,175	16,300	1 × 52.0 kN/76.5 kN
Convair F-106 Delta Dart	United States	342	1956	1959–1988	21.55	11.67	64.57	11,077 kg	15,670 kg	2,455	2,900	17,000	1 × 109.0 kN
Douglas F4D Skyray	United States	422	1951	1956–1964	13.80	10.21	52.00	7,268 kg	10,273 kg	1,162	1,100	17,000	1 × 45.0 kN/71.0 kN
Grumman F-11 Tiger	United States	200	1954	1956–1969	14.3	9.6	23.00	6,277 kg	10,663 kg	1,170	2,050	14,900	1 × 32.9 kN/46.7 kN
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter	United States	2,578	1954	1958–2004	16.66	6.36	18.22	6,350 kg	13,170 kg	2,137	2,623	15,000	1 × 48.0 kN/69.0 kN
McDonnell F-101 Voodoo	United States	807	1954	1957–1984	20.55	12.09	34.20	12,925 kg	23,770 kg	1,825	2,450	17,800	2 × 53.3 kN/75.2 kN
North American F-100 Super Sabre	United States	2,294	1953	1954–1988	15.20	11.81	37.00	9,500 kg	15,800 kg	1,390	3,320	15,000	1 × 45.0 kN/71.0 kN
F-5 Freedom Fighter	United States	2,246	1959	1962-1998	14.30	7.69	15.79	5,973 kg	9,008 kg	1,715	2,253	15,240	2 × 18.15 kN
Republic F-105 Thunderchief	United States	833	1955	1958–1984	19.63	11.25	35.76	12,470 kg	23,834 kg	2,208	3,550	14,800	1 × 63.74 kN/109.0 kN
English Electric Lightning	United Kingdom	337	1954	1959–1988	16.80	10.60	44.08	14,092 kg	20,752 kg	2,400	1,370	18,240	2 × 55.74 kN/71.17 kN
Folland Gnat	United Kingdom	449	1955	1959–1991	8.74	6.73	12.69	2,175 kg	4,100 kg	1,120	800	14,630	1 × 20.9 kN
Supermarine Scimitar	United Kingdom	76	1956	1957–1969	16.84	11.33	45.06	10,869 kg	15,513 kg	1,185	2,289	14,000	2 × 50.1 kN
Dassault Super Mystère	France	180	1955	1957–1977	14.13	10.51	32.00	6,390 kg	10,000 kg	1,195	1,175	17,000	1 × 33.3 kN/44.1 kN
Dassault Étendard IV	France	90	1958	1962–1991	14.40	9.60	29.00	5,900 kg	10,200 kg	1,099	3,300	15,500	1 × 43.16 kN
Dassault Mirage III	France	1,422	1956	1961–present	15.03	8.22	34.85	7,050 kg	13,700 kg	2,350	4,000	17,000	1 × 41.97 kN/60.8 kN
Dassault Mirage 5	France	582	1967	1969–present	15.03	8.22	34.85	7,050 kg	13,700 kg	2,350	4,000	18,000	1 × 41.97 kN/60.8 kN
Fiat G.91	Italy	770	1956	1958–1995	10.03	8.56	16.4	3,100 kg	5,500 kg	1,075	1,150	13,100	1 × 22.2 kN
IAI Nesher	Israel	61	1971	1972–2012	15.65	8.22	34.80	6,600 kg	13,500 kg	2,230	1,300	17,680	1 × 41.97 kN/60.8 kN
Saab 35 Draken	Sweden	651	1955	1960–2005	15.35	9.42	49.22	7,865 kg	11,400 kg	2,124	3,250	18,000	1 × 56.5 kN/78.4 kN
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19	Soviet Union	2,172	1953	1955–present	12.54	9.00	25.00	5,447 kg	7,560 kg	1,455	2,200	17,500	2 × 25.5 kN/31.8 kN
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21	Soviet Union	11,496	1955	1959–present	15.00	7.15	23.00	5,339 kg	8,725 kg	2,237	1,210	17,800	1 × 40.21 kN/69.62 kN
Sukhoi Su-7	Soviet Union	1,847	1955	1959–1990	16.80	9.31	34.00	8,937 kg	15,210 kg	2,150	1,650	17,600	1 × 66.6 kN/94.1 kN
Sukhoi Su-9	Soviet Union	1,150	1956	1959-1970s	17.37	8.43	34.00	8,620 kg	12,250 kg	2,135	1,125	16,760	1 × 67.1 kN/98.1 kN
Shenyang J-6	People's Republic of China	3,000	1958	1961–2002	12.54	9.20	25.00	5,447 kg	7,560 kg	1,540	2,200	17,900	2 × 29.0 kN/36.78 kN
Chengdu J-7	People's Republic of China	2,400	1966	1960s–present	14.88	8.32	24.88	5,292 kg	9,100 kg	2,200	2,200	17,500	1 × 44.1 kN/64.7 kN
HAL HF-24 Marut	India	147	1961	1964–1985	15.87	9.00	28.00	6,195 kg	10,908 kg	1,112		13,750	2 × 21.57 kN

Note: Thrust Dry/Afterburner (in some cases only data for one of the two might be available)

This generational era also saw the introduction of VTOL aircraft such as:

Aircraft	Primary Builder	Number built	First flight	Service life	Length m	Wingspan m	Wing area sq. m	Empty weight	Max takeoff weight	Max Speed km/h	Range km	Ceiling m	Engines × Thrust
Hawker Siddeley Harrier	United Kingdom	278	1967	1969–2006	14.27	7.70	18.68	6,140 kg	11,430 kg	1,176	3,425	15,600	1 × 95.6 kN
Yakovlev Yak-38	Soviet Union	231	1971	1976–1991	16.37	7.32	18.50	7,385 kg	11,300 kg	1,280	1,300	11,000	1 × 66.7 kN 2 × 31.9 kN

Canceled Aircraft

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

•  Argentina
  • FMA I.Ae. 37 Ala Delta
•  Canada
  • Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow (maiden flight on 25 March 1958)
•  Egypt
  • Helwan HA-300 (maiden flight on 7 March 1964)

References