What is a nth Generation fighter?

"BUFDRVR" wrote in message
...
Could anyone tell me examples of 1st..5th? generation fighters and
other planes and what seperates them? (Apart from time)


Good question, and one I asked an intel officer shortly after becoming
mission
qualified in the BUFF. Here's the way he layed it out:

1st Generation (early jet fighter) - MiG-15,17,19 or F-84, F-86

I believe you'd want to move the Mig-19 to the next category--it was IIRC
"early supersonic" on the Soviet side, generally comparable to the F-100.


2nd Generation (early supersonic)- MiG-21 or Century Series

3rd Generation (advanced supersonic) - MiG-23 or F-4

4th Generation ("next generation") - MiG-25, 29, 31, Su-27 or F-14,15,16

5th Generation (???) - MiG 1.42, Su-30 series or FA/22, F-35

Not sure how universaly accepted that is. I thought there was a lot of
hoopla a couple of years back about the JAS-39 being (at least claimed to
be) the "first" fourth generation fighter to enter service, with the F/A-22,
F-35, Rafael, and Eurofighter being lumped into that category as well?

Brooks




BUFDRVR

"Stay on the bomb run boys, I'm gonna get those bomb doors open if it
harelips
everyone on Bear Creek"

Not sure how universaly accepted that is. I thought there was a lot of
hoopla a couple of years back about the JAS-39 being (at least claimed to
be) the "first" fourth generation fighter to enter service, with the F/A-22,
F-35, Rafael, and Eurofighter being lumped into that category as well?

Well, everytime someone argues in favor of more FA-22s, they argue about the
proliferation of Russian *5th Generation* fighters such as the Su-30
family.....or am I (a "second generation" bomber guy) not hearing too well?


BUFDRVR

"Stay on the bomb run boys, I'm gonna get those bomb doors open if it harelips
everyone on Bear Creek"

"BUFDRVR" wrote in message
...
Not sure how universaly accepted that is. I thought there was a lot of
hoopla a couple of years back about the JAS-39 being (at least claimed to
be) the "first" fourth generation fighter to enter service, with the
F/A-22,
F-35, Rafael, and Eurofighter being lumped into that category as well?

Well, everytime someone argues in favor of more FA-22s, they argue about
the
proliferation of Russian *5th Generation* fighters such as the Su-30
family.....or am I (a "second generation" bomber guy) not hearing too
well?

I fear the F/A-22 and Su-30 ram fanatics' spew bears little resemblence to
anything real. The Su-30 is a wet dream and the F/A-22 doesn't look like a
good bet either. As a marketing ploy, I can see how calling the airplanes a
new generation would have value.

On Sun, 14 Dec 2003 21:25:16 GMT, Kevin Brooks wrote:

Not sure how universaly accepted that is. I thought there was a lot of
hoopla a couple of years back about the JAS-39 being (at least claimed to
be) the "first" fourth generation fighter to enter service, with the F/A-22,
F-35, Rafael, and Eurofighter being lumped into that category as well?

Gripen, Rafale, and Typhoon should certainly belong to the same
generation, due to their similarities, especially all being
dynamically unstable and relying on the computer to fly the plane.

--
"It's easier to find people online who openly support the KKK than
people who openly support the RIAA" -- comment on Wikipedia
(Email: , but first subtract 275 and reverse
the last two letters).

"phil hunt" wrote in message
. ..
On Sun, 14 Dec 2003 21:25:16 GMT, Kevin Brooks
wrote:

Not sure how universaly accepted that is. I thought there was a lot of
hoopla a couple of years back about the JAS-39 being (at least claimed to
be) the "first" fourth generation fighter to enter service, with the
F/A-22,
F-35, Rafael, and Eurofighter being lumped into that category as well?

Gripen, Rafale, and Typhoon should certainly belong to the same
generation, due to their similarities, especially all being
dynamically unstable and relying on the computer to fly the plane.

Yep. The point however being that there appear to be two differing
conventions (very loosely used term in this case) for defining these
generations. One claims that the latest crop of products are fourth
generation, another claims that they (or some of them, like the F/A-22) are
fifth generation. Saab and Lockheed Martin seem to have settled on the four
generation model at present, from what I have read.

Brooks