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Old 20th Aug 2012, 13:03
  #11 (permalink)  
SASless
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Downeast
Age: 75
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The F-4 back in 1959 got to just shy of a 100,000 feet....which is pretty interesting. But...the F-15 is no plow horse either.




The single-seat F15A on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, nicknamed "Streak Eagle," broke eight time-to-climb world records between Jan. 16 and Feb. 1, 1975. In setting the last of the eight records, it reached an altitude of 98,425 feet just 3 minutes, 27.8 seconds from brake release at takeoff and "coasted" to nearly 103,000 feet before descending. It was flown in its natural metal finish to reduce weight for the record-setting flights. To protect it from corrosion, McDonnell Douglas Corp. has since painted it in the gray color scheme of most operational F-15s.
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