Who or what is the oldest serving line of fighter jets serving anywhere in the world? Does anyone still fly the F-104? F-4?
Are there still Mig-21's being flown?
GUNNER
Are there still Mig-21's being flown?
GUNNER
Oldest serving airframes (fighters)
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 Gunnersmate04 |
Oldest serving airframes (fighters) |
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Posts: 206 (24-Jun-2008 18:34:33) |
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Desertfox |
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Posts: 72 (24-Jun-2008 18:51:11) |
Alot of countries still fly the Mig-15/17 family. And while not a fighter, there are quite a few T-33s in service around the world. I'm not sure if there
are any remaining active Starfighters, but F-4s and Mig-21s are still frontline equipment for quite a few major air forces.
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Ichigo Kurosaki |
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Posts: 42 (24-Jun-2008 20:26:26) |
I don't think anyone currently flies the F-104. I think Germany and Italy were the last to have any in active service. I know the Mirage III is still in
use in Israel. I think Israel still uses the A-4 Skyhawk.
http://www.aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/fighter/f104/ Apparently, the SAAB Drakken is still in use by Austria, until replaced by Eurofighters. The Greeks and Turks might still be using the F-102. Several nations may still be using the Northrop F-5 Tiger. I don't believe anyone is using the Mig-15/17, but the 19 remains in use in a few places, although many are probably the Chinese copy, the J-6.
I will NEVER give up!!
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AegisFC |
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Posts: 255 (24-Jun-2008 22:03:46) |
The F-4 recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, the Greeks, Turkey, Japan and Germany still fly the plane.
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AegisFC |
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Posts: 257 (24-Jun-2008 22:08:45) |
Ichigo Kurosaki wrote: F-102 Delta Dagger? A quick check of the plane says that both were withdrawn from service from both Greek and Turkish in 1979.
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Desertfox |
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Posts: 74 (24-Jun-2008 22:14:14) |
The Israelis are still using the Mirage III? Where did that come from? The A-4s still remain as trainers. And you can add Israel as a current F-4 user.
The F-102 is long gone. China still flies Mig-15s (trainers) and Albania, China, North Korea, Pakistan, and Sudan still use the Mig-17. |
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Nightwatch2 |
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Posts: 3700 (24-Jun-2008 22:17:20) |
Ichigo Kurosaki wrote:
Republican; because not everyone can be on welfare.
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Alexius55 |
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Posts: 328 (24-Jun-2008 22:45:10) |
The BBMF Spitfires and Hurricanes are technically "serving", but I doubt that's what you're looking for- although Britain still has to
declare the BBMF Lancaster as a "long-range strategic bomber" for arms limitation treaties!
Another oddity is that there is a Gloster Meteor which is owned by Martin-Baker but has an RAF number and roundels, and still flies regularly (takes off with 2 pilots, lands with 1). It depends what you're looking for- oldest aircraft or oldest design, and does it count if it's not used as a fighter. In frontline fleets, MiG-21s are everywhere. North Korea still have some (Chinese-made) MiG-19s, and some (Russian) Su-7s. Brazil still use A-4s on their carrier. France's F-8s went in 2000. As for the Mirage IIIs, Israel's are gone but many countries still use them, including South Africa and Pakistan. |
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wabpilot |
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Posts: 2088 (25-Jun-2008 04:21:24) |
Gunnersmate04 wrote: You cannot call it a fighter, but it is a turboprop, the Basler Turbo DC-3. Originally produced in the 1940s is still going strong some sixty years later.
A few piston DC-3s are flying that were built in the 1930s making them 70+ years old. There are more than 1000 1947 Beech Bonanzas still listed on various
registries, I would guess that a lot of them are still flyable.
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Nightwatch2 |
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Posts: 3711 (25-Jun-2008 20:47:28) |
"I am sure our Japanese friend is current in the Wright Flyer and has three lunar landings."
and test pilot for the Mars Lander!!
Republican; because not everyone can be on welfare.
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emc |
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Posts: 3880 (25-Jun-2008 22:59:06) |
wabpilot wrote: Wabpilot said: I am sure our Japanese friend is current in the Wright Flyer and has three lunar landings.Four; he was command pilot for the Apollo XVIII flight. He also owned a photo recon Mosquito and a GIV or GV. He may also have worked on WMD intel prior to the Iraq War, the prosecution of Sacco and Vanzetti, and solved the Black Dahlia case and is a personal friend of Judge Crater. He's a schmoo. I'm wondering if the question should be phrased "fighters in service" or "fighters in service in combat roles." iirc, several air forces operated fighters in non-combat roles, such as target tow, far past their use in combat roles, e.g., NASA had an F-106 on flight status as late as 1998 (see here) As for old aircraft, I know that there still Beech 17's (Staggerwings) flying, Stearmans (my cousin's ex owns or owned one), and, I believe Avro 504's. Cole Palen's Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome has some rather elderly aircraft, some of which are flyable. |
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jhack |
Of Phantoms Dragons Tigers and Typhoons | ||
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Posts: 106 (26-Jun-2008 05:24:50) |
There are about 800 F-4s still serving in Japan, Germany, South Korea, Turkey, Greece, Iran, the U.S. I may have missed someone. Austria retired the SAAB
Draken in 2005 and is leasing F-5Es from Switzerland. They've taken delivery of some typhoons and they are supposed to return the Tiger IIs this summer.
China, North Korea and Vietnam still have Mig-15s and Mig-17s, but I believe they are using them as trainers.
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wabpilot |
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Posts: 2089 (27-Jun-2008 00:54:42) |
emc wrote: Every year in the fall the Staggerwings gather in Tullahoma, TN for a flyin at the Staggerwing Museum. It is a wonderful thing to see those beautiful old airplanes! I've gone a couple of times. The Twin Beech owners also have their flyin at the same time. |
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emc |
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Posts: 3887 (27-Jun-2008 03:42:52) |
wabpilot wrote: I got to visit Tullahoma quite a few years ago, but, alas, not at any time near when the Staggerwing fly-in is held. I got to hang around AEDC playing
with my employer's jet engine at the altitude test facility. Very impressive facility. They were also doing tests of the turbofan used for the long-range
cruise missile. Armed guard in front of that control room, but they kind of spoiled the secrecy by having a big poster with a bikini-clad model holding the
engine in her lap.
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Razor |
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Posts: 419 (28-Jun-2008 18:28:30) |
Do we include the "Confederate Airforce" amonst the airforces of the world ?
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emc |
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Posts: 3893 (28-Jun-2008 19:56:21) |
Razor wrote: The Confederate Air Force no longer exists; they changed their name to Commemorative Air Force on Jan 1, 2002. If we include CAF aircraft, we have to include all the other aircraft in private hands. I believe there are flyable combat aircraft from the Great War, including an S.E.5a, a Sopwith Pup, and others in the Shuttleworth Collection. |
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pascaly |
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Posts: 1507 (30-Jun-2008 04:44:28) |
Perhaps the defining criteria here should be; could the aircraft be reasonbly expected to be called upon for combat/combat support duties?
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AegisFC |
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Posts: 259 (30-Jun-2008 07:00:24) |
Probably the F-4's from Japan, Turkey, Greece and Germany.
Greece did recently have a 50th anniversary celebration of the 1st flight of an F-4. |
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Alexius55 |
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Posts: 332 (30-Jun-2008 12:50:00) |
AegisFC wrote: A-4s are older, as are Su-7s (North Korea) and, if you count bombers, Tu-16s (China). However, I don't know how old the specific airframes are in each case. |
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Admiral Beez |
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Posts: 4576 (20-Jul-2008 05:55:51) |
Alexius55 wrote: |
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seasick |
A-4 can it do more???? | ||
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Posts: 4872 (20-Jul-2008 06:09:30) |
With a 20mm cannon, 4 AIM-9L and a E-2 or E-3 to give them some guidance I estimate it would be an acceptable day fighter in a CAP roll. |
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