In article ,
(BUFDRVR) writes:
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

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

It's just my opinion, mind you, but I categorize things a littke
differently.

For jets:
1st Generation - Low Transonic. usually straight wings, underpowered,
and severe Mach limits. Example would be:
Me 262, Meteor, Vampire, Venom, Attacker, Sea Hawk, F-80, plank-winged
F-84s, F-94A,B, T-33, T-37, Ouragan, MiG-9.

2nd Generation - Generally swept wing, still underpowered, better high
mach performance. Usually with powered controls and, at usually, flying
tails. Examples:
F-86, swept-wing F-84s, MiG-15, MiG-17, Hunter, Javelin, the various
Mysteres. the SAAB Lansen

3rd Generation - Century Series sorts of stuff. Generally supersonic,
fully powered, and somewhat adaptive controls, with aircraft systems
taking a major role in navigation and weapons delivery, as apposed to
calibrated eyeballs and TLAR aiming. More power, but more flight
limits than the 2nd Generation jets. Examples:
F-100 -F-106, F11F, F8U, the F-4 series, the F-5 series, Lightning,
Super Mystere, Mirage III/V, MiG-19, MiG-21, MiG-23, Mig-25, the
CF-105, the Draken, possibly the Viggen.
This ones' kind of fuzzy. I
suppose that some could be bunched with the 2nd Gen - the F-100,
MiG-19, and SMB.2, for example, since from a weapons and systems
standpoint they aren't much different, and the rest as Bisonic
(However you want to take that) aircraft with an emphasis on onboard
systems and not-so-carefree handling.

4th Generation - The Teenfighters and their equivalents. Not much in
the way of performance limits, compared to the Bisonics (Fly by wire,
& all that), and much better Human Factors stuff in the cockpits,
making the systems work better for the crew. Maintenance is usually
better, too.
The F-14-18. of course, the Mirage 2000, the Eurofighter, the Rafale,
the Gripen, the MiG-29, and the Su-27, and various flavors thereof.

Again, this gets fuzzy.

5th generation - Stealty Stuff with sensor fusion, and perfoemance
that changes just how the airplane ends up getting used. The F-22, so
far, and I'm sure the Russians have some ideas, if only somebody could
find some money. Of course, where things fall kind of depend on how
you bend the line - You could, I suppose, lump the Eurofighter,
Rafale, and Gripen in there.

--
Pete Stickney
A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many
bad measures. -- Daniel Webster