Article 14280 of rec.aviation.military:
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From: jfb@usgp1.ih.att.com (Joe Baugher)
Subject: New Fighter Series--McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle (17 of 26)
Message-ID: <D4Dv11.By7@ssbunews.ih.att.com>
Summary: IFFC/Firefly III F-15
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Date: Wed, 22 Feb 1995 03:58:13 GMT
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In 1981, a late production F-15B (serial number 77-0166) was modified 
as the test vehicle for the Integrated Flight Fire Control 
(IFFC)/Firefly III program.  The IFFC program was undertaken by 
McDonnell under a contract from the Air Force for the development of a 
system which would modify the Eagle's fire control and flight control 
systems to accept control inputs from both the pilot and the IFFC 
flight control system and to tailor flight control response to the 
various weapons delivery modes.  The parallel Firefly III program was 
conducted by General Electric under an Air Force contract for further 
development of the fire control system.  

The coupling of IFFC with Firefly III allows for automatic positioning 
of the aircraft in order to attack targets that are detected by an 
electro-optical target designation pod.  As part of the program, the 
F-15B carried a Martin Marietta ATLIS (Automatic Tracking Laser 
Illumination System) II designation pod in the port forward missile 
well, linked to the aircraft's fly-by-wire system via a computer.  The 
designation pod enabled the aircraft to release air-to-ground weapons 
while maneuvering along a three-dimensional flight path, avoiding 
having to fly directly over the target and thus exposing itself to 
enemy ground fire.  

The IFFC/Firefly III system was never adopted for production F-15s.  
However, the work done on the system was helpful in development of the 
LANTIRN navigation and targeting system which was adopted for the 
F-15E Strike Eagle.  

Sources:

   McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920, Volume II, Rene J.
   Francillon, Naval Institute Press, 1990.

   Combat Aircraft F-15, Michael J. Gething and Paul Crickmore,
   Crescent Books, 1992.
   
   The American Fighter, Enzo Angelucci and Peter Bowers, 
   Orion, 1987.

   The World's Great Interceptor Aircraft, Gallery Books, 1989. 

   F-15 Eagle, Robert F. Dorr, World Airpower Journal, Volume 9,
   Summer 1992.


Joe Baugher			  **************************************
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