Notes: This Vietnam War veteran was no longer used by the US by the time of the Twilight War, but was still used by Israel as a ground attack aircraft and bomber, and also used by Iran, South Korea, Japan, Egypt, Greece, Spain, and Turkey. It is a basic fighter with some advanced features, but is not known for its dogfighting capability. On most models, the two rear fuselage hardpoints may only carry AIM-7 missiles; the two front fuselage hardpoints may only carry these missiles or electronics pods.

The first production model was the F-4B. It was built as a naval interceptor, and in a controversial decision, was designed without an internal gun. It could attack any target without having to come under ground control, and had computer-controlled air intakes for optimum flow to the engines. It was this aircraft type that scored the first kill of the Vietnam War (though the crew was shot down minutes later by friendly fire).

The F-4C was the first USAF Phantom II; it removed the ECM suite, but added more powerful radar. Controls were added for the weapon system operator in the back seat. It was otherwise almost identical to the F-4B, even retaining the arrestor hook, folding wings, and heavy-duty undercarriage.

The F-4D was an improved F-4C. It was very different internally, however, with miniaturized avionics. The FLIR was deleted, and the F-4D was unable (at first) to use the Sidewinder missile, using the Falcon instead. The F-4D was the first model of the Phantom II that regularly carried a Vulcan cannon pod.

The F-4E was considered one of the supreme dogfighters of the Vietnam War. It was the first Phantom II to receive leading-edge combat slats to improve maneuverability. These slats were not fitted until 1972, and earlier F-4Es use the Maneuverability ratings of the F-4D. From the pilots’ standpoint, one of the best improvements was the addition of an internal Vulcan cannon in the nose. This meant that the large antenna on earlier phantoms could not be fitted, and a new radar set had to be designed to compensate.

The F-4EJ was the Japanese variant of the F-4E. As delivered, they did not have a strike capability or the capability to be refueled in air; however, this was added later. They also did not have the slatted wings. There were many equivalent, but Japanese-built, electronics replacing American-built avionics. These aircraft were later upgraded to the F-4EJ Kai standard; this refurbished most of the avionics with modernized versions. The result is a much less costly aircraft.

The Germans were interested in the F-4E in the early 1970s; however, they simply couldn’t afford the high cost. Therefore a stripped down F-4E was built for them. This was the F-4F. The biggest change was the removal of the ability to fire radar-homing missiles and the associated equipment. The expensive Visual Augmentation System was also removed. The resulting aircraft was lighter and less expensive than the standard F-4E.

The F-4F/ICE is a substantially updated variant of the F-4F used by Germany. Though these were being partially replaced by the interceptor variant of the Tornado, in the Twilight War many were still flying in a ground support role, and many more were recalled to duty during the Twilight War as interceptors to replace Tornado losses. The F-4F/ICE is a great improvement over the previous F-4F, which did not have the capability to use radar homing missiles and did not have as comprehensive an electronics suite. The hardpoint restrictions of the F-4E apply to the F-4F/ICE, except that the F-4F/ICE may use AIM-120 missiles on all its fuselage hardpoints and Flare/Chaff Dispensers on its front fuselage hardpoints in addition to missiles and electronics pods.

The F-4G is a Wild Weasel, used to take down SAM and AAA installations. To this end, the electronic warfare capabilities were greatly increased, as the expense of air-to-air capability. Additional radar and ECM were added.

The F-4J was the second model for the Navy and Marines and addressed many of the deficiencies of the F-4B. The radar set was a powerful one with a range of over 60 kilometers.

The F-4K was a version used by the British. It used different radar to allow the use of Skyflash missiles. The engines were also replaced by more powerful British-made engines. This was to allow safe operation from the smaller British aircraft carriers, but also meant that the fuselage had to be enlarged and reshaped and that there was less room for avionics. The F-4M differed only slightly from the F-4K, primarily in the radar set and navigation gear.

The F-4N is an F-4B that has gone through a refurbishing and modernization program. Avionics were upgraded and equipment modernized.

The F-4S is an F-4J that has been modernized. The chief modification was the engines; the engines of previous Phantom IIs tended to smoke heavily at military power, leaving a substantial trail in the sky that enemy aircraft could follow. The F-4S used engines that did not smoke anywhere near as much.

The Kurnass 2000, also known as the F-4-2000, was a modernization project by the Israeli Air Force for the F-4E. Upgrades included a glass cockpit, new refueling gear, better radar, avionics, and computers, a HOTAS system, and new engines.

Notes: This was the best naval fighter of World War 2, literally built around its massive Double Wasp engine and the huge propeller necessary to harness its power. The Corsair has 10 hardpoints, but 8 of these hardpoints are only for air-to-ground rockets, and two of them are for bombs or drop tanks. If even one of the rocket hardpoints on a wing are used, the bomb hardpoint may not be used, or vice versa.

The choice of a Double Wasp engine, and the massive propeller required to properly harness its power, proved to be a problem. The landing gear had to be very long for the propeller to clear the ground. This made it difficult for the pilot to see the ground when landing. Compounding this were the reports that the chosen armament, two .30 caliber machineguns and two .50 caliber machineguns, was too light for modern aerial combat. This meant that the nose-mounted .30 caliber machineguns were replaced with .50 calibers and moved to the wing (two more were added before production began). Most of the wing fuel therefore had to be moved to the fuselage; this meant lengthening the fuselage, moving back the cockpit, making it even harder for the pilot to see over the nose on landing. This meant that the Corsair was not certified for carrier landings for over two years. To help this, the Corsair had the bent gull wings.

The F4U-1 was the first model. The later production versions were significantly different from other F4U-1s, in that the cockpit was raised 18 centimeters to give the pilot better visibility, and the canopy was replaced with a bulged Malcolm Hood. They also had an uprated engine. These were the F-4U-1As. The F4U-1C had the machineguns replaced by four 20mm autocannons, and were used primarily for ground support. The F4U-1D was an F4U-1A with one wet hardpoint on the center fuselage and two on the wings.

The F4U-2 was a night fighter with a radar set under the right wing. One of the machineguns and ammunition were removed from that wing so as to not unbalance the aircraft. This primitive radar could be very fragile, so dogfighting or even tight turning was avoided as much as possible.

The F4U-4 introduced a more powerful engine, giving more speed and better high-altitude performance. The F4U-4B and 4C were version with autocannons substituted for the machineguns.

The first post-World War 2 model was the F4U-5. It continued the trend of increasing engine power. The fuselage was lengthened by 127mm, and the engine was angled down about 2 degrees to increase the stability. The controls were given hydraulic boost, and the cockpit heater was improved. The -5N was a night fighter with the radar under the right wing.

The AU-1 was a ground attack version built for the US Marines. It has greatly increased armor, more ammunition for its cannons, and, unfortunately, more sloppy handling. It was considered distinctly difficult to fly, but capable of wreaking great havoc.

The F-4U-7 was built for the French Navy. The pilot was seated a bit higher for better visibility, but it was otherwise similar to the F4U-4C. They remained in service until 1964, the last Corsairs in active service.

Twilight 2000 Notes: By 2000, some 35 of these planes remained airworthy, and 6 were reactivated during the war, mostly in the US, but there were some French Corsairs flying in Europe, and at least one in El Salvador. These aircraft were either used as reconnaissance and observation aircraft, or rearmed and flown as ground support aircraft, something they excelled at as late as the Korean War.

Notes: This was the predecessor of the F-5E, and was also used by a large amount of world air forces. It differs primarily in its lack of maneuvering slats and less powerful engines, as well as having virtually no modern avionics. It was designed to be cheap and easy to fly while still giving decent performance, and is very much a "no-frills" design. As with the Tiger, the Freedom Fighter’s wingtip hardpoints may only be used for heat-seeking air-to-air missiles, Sidearm antiradar missiles, or small, 350-liter drop tanks. The F-5A may not be refueled in the air; the F-5C adds a refueling probe.

The F-5A is just about as basic as a "modern" fighter can get. It cannot be refueled in the air. The F-5C was a model for the Aggressor Squadrons of the USAF and US Navy; they have a refueling probe.

The Canadians had a special version of the F-5A built for them, calling them CF-5s. They had different Canadian engines than their US-built counterparts, engines with more power. They were equipped with a radar warning receiver and a refueling probe. The nose wheel was lengthened slightly; this increased the angle of attack, shortening takeoff and landing distances by 25%.

Eventually, Canada (and especially the Trudeau government) decided that the defense budget needed to be cut. It was also decided that the CF-5 was best used as a transition trainer rather than a combat aircraft, and that Canada would not need nearly as many CF-5s as they thought. Some were kept in service, but many were mothballed or sold. Some of those CF-5s were sold to the Netherlands. The Netherlands refurbished them, updating equipment, correcting fatigue-related deficiencies, and in some cases, adding new equipment. These were the NF-5s. Some of the improvements include flare and chaff dispensers and leading edge combat slats.

Notes: This is possibly the most successful fighter ever produced, used by the US (for its Aggressor squadrons), Botswana, Brazil, Greece, Morocco, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, Venezuela, Yemen, Bahrain, Chile, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, Sudan, Switzerland, Taiwan, and Tunisia. It is a light, no-frills fighter that cannot match more advanced aircraft, but is agile and better than nothing. The pilot has an ejection seat, and it is capable of in-flight refueling. The two wingtip hardpoints may only be used by air-to-air missiles or small, 350-liter maximum drop tanks. The Tiger may not use radar-homing missiles.

Taiwanese F-5Es have a laser designator added.

Notes: The Tomcat was originally designed as a fleet interceptor. It was to carry the large Phoenix air-to-air missile and still is the only aircraft that can carry the Phoenix), and be used to down the heavy maritime bombers of the Russians.

The F-14A was designed almost totally for this role. It is, however, a very agile aircraft for its size, capable of dogfighting with much smaller aircraft. The Tomcat uses a swing wing that is controlled by a computer optimizing the degree of sweep for the speed and tactical situation. It also controls glove vanes above the intakes that further enhance lift and maneuverability. It features what were very advanced avionics and weapon systems for its time (and still is very sophisticated). It does not, however, have the systems required for air-to-ground combat, except for strafing at opportunity targets with its cannon. If the centerline hardpoint is loaded, the hardpoint at the rear of the fuselage, the small centerline hardpoint, and the two hardpoints on the fuselage forward of the tail are not useable (and vice versa). If the two hard points on the fuselage forward of the tail are loaded, the small centerline hardpoint and the rear fuselage hardpoint are not useable (and vice versa). If the two forward outside fuselage hardpoints are loaded with Phoenix missiles, the small centerline fuselage hardpoint is not useable (and vice versa). The Iranians were also sold the F-14A, when they were still ruled by the Shah’s government; however, theirs were not equipped with ECM, nor was the radar as powerful as US F-14As.

From the beginning, it was felt that the F-14A was underpowered. The F-14A+ was re-engined with turbofans taken from the abortive F-14B program, and modified further.

The F-14D, dubbed the Super Tomcat, was a major upgrade for the F-14. The previously analog systems were almost completely replaced by digital electronics. New, more powerful engines were installed. Finally, the Tomcat was given air-to-ground capability, able to carry bombs and air-to-surface missiles.

Notes: The F-15A was one of the few aircraft designed on a computer and then ordered straight off the drawing board, without a prototype having been flown. (It went straight into "YF," or service test status.) The service test period was interesting, including the "Streak Eagle" special edition used to set speed and altitude records, and even an incident in which an Eagle was hit by a live Sidewinder missile and still landed safely! Very few problems were encountered (though the wingtips were reshaped due to flutter problems) and the aircraft passed into active service very quickly. This is when the problems with maintenance, especially of the engines, were discovered; the F-15A required mountains of very meticulous maintenance to keep it in operating order. An upgrade program was quickly placed into operation.

The F-15B is a two-seat trainer version of the F-15A.

The F-15C is the current version of the F-15 air superiority fighter. It is also a capable strike aircraft, though not so much as its cousin, the Strike Eagle. In the Israeli air force, the F-15C has a 40-to-1 kill ratio. The F-15C can carry conformal FAST packs; these packs can carry up to 3214 liters of fuel or the equivalent in sensors, ECM/IRCM devices, or reconnaissance gear.

Twilight 2000 Notes: The F-15C is responsible for more air-to-air kills than any other US aircraft in the Twilight War.

Notes: In Vietnam, US pilots often looked at the nimble aircraft of the North Vietnamese with envy. The US fighter pilots were qualitatively superior, but their aircraft were in most cases not built for dogfighting, but instead for speed and missile-carrying ability. They wanted something that could "turn and burn" with their adversaries; they wanted a flying hot rod. General Dynamics responded with the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

The F-16A was designed to be a daylight light fighter. It was meant to be a point defense air superiority fighter. It was quickly discovered that the F-16A was a pretty decent "bomb truck," too, and the F-16 has been used more as an attack aircraft than a fighter by the US Air Force (one general even suggested its designation be changed to F/A-16).

The F-16 was built in "blocks." These are production sets with graduated improvements (most of which have no effect in game terms, and will not be listed). Blocks 1-5 were the original F-16As, and their two-seat counterparts, the F-16Bs. Block 15 introduced track while scan capability, changed the radios for greater range, additional wing strengthening for added carrying capability, and the ability to carry a wider array of ordnance. Block 15 ADF (Air Defense Fighter) was made to some F-16As and Bs to allow better use in air patrols of US cities. The Block 15 ADF is able to carry radar homing missiles (something the F-16A cannot normally do), and also has a spotlight mounted on its nose in a conformal installation. They are equipped with an advanced IFF system that is able to directly probe the OS of a commercial airliner’s computers in order to detect any spoofing of identification. Ammunition for the cannon is slightly decreased by the spotlight installation. The Block 20 introduced radar-homing AAM capability to the F-16A; these F-16As are not used by the US, but are used by many export customers, including most countries using the F-16A in Europe. The Block 20s radar has a 25% greater range.

The F-16C is the updated version of the F-16 fighter-bomber. It is both a very agile air superiority fighter and a good ground attack platform. The F-16C version has larger tail control surfaces for more positive control and better maneuvering characteristics. It also makes the F-16 all-weather capable. The F-16C comes standard with radar-homing AAM capability. The first version of the F-16C (and D, the two-seater) is the Block 25. The Block 30/32 has different, more powerful engines (different in each case). The Block 40/42 is known as the Night Falcon; it is the first Fighting Falcon to address the F-16s deficiencies in night air-to-ground combat. These modifications include LANTIRN pods semi-permanently attached to the chin pylons. Block 50/52 is the current production model; it has a more powerful engine, but does not have the LANTIRN capability of the Block 40/42. However, it does have updated antiradar ability.

The pilot has an ejection seat, and the aircraft is capable of in-flight refueling. The two wingtip pylons and the two fuselage pylons beside the air intakes may only be used for air-to-air missiles. Three of the hardpoints may be used for drop tanks (two wing, one fuselage).