In the 1960s the USAF and Navy were looking for big, heavy fighters such as the F-4 Phantom II and the F-111 Aardvark, which could fit large payloads and radar systems, and proposed that the future lies in beyond visual range (BVR) engagements with long range systems.
We now have the capabilities and the proof to know that they were (at least partially) correct, but at the time, some saw this as an aberration. During the Vietnam War, specific rules of engagement and unreliable communication systems showed that the big “Missile Boat” the US had been proposing was not ready for the tasks at hand. Phantoms had a great run in Vietnam, but they could be picked off and surprised by the smaller, cheaper and more maneuverable MiG 21s.
Pilot John Boyd and mathematician Thomas P. Christie, the first “mobsters”, developed the Energy-Maneuverability Theory, which modeled aircraft capabilities in different situations. It related the thrust, wing area, aerodynamic drag, weight and other characteristics in one model that allowed for the comparison of different aircraft. This represents an aircraft’s specific excess power. The bigger this power is, the easier it is for an aircraft to modify one of the flight parameters during a given maneuver.
Using this model, the F-111 Aardvark was found to be not suitable for the intended air superiority role, and so, the development of what would eventually become the F-15 began. The project had been ongoing for a few years, but due to Boyd’s work, changes were made: weight was decreased, a sweep wing design was dropped, and the top speed went from Mach 2.7 to 2.4. After the Mig-25 debacle of 1967, the Air Force went all in with the development of the F-15. Boyd, however, was still not satisfied. Boyd was joined by defense analysts Tom Christie, Pierre Sprey and Chuck Myers, test pilot Everest Riccioni and aeronautical engineer Harry Hillaker, in pushing for a lightweight air fighter jet.
These six were the main core of “The Fighter Mafia”, a term coined by Riccioni due to his Italian heritage and a joke referencing “The Bomber Mafia” of WW2”. He also named himself “The Godfather”.
The Mafia defended some of the following beliefs:
- Multi-role capability compromises the performance of an aircraft in specific missions. Their motto said, “Not a pound for air-to-ground”.
- The development and use of high technology solutions increases costs with diminishing returns.
- Air Force bureaucracies were inherently corrupt, as testing was not conducted properly before buying new systems.
- Air Force generals ignored historical engagements when establishing criteria for their effectiveness.
They promoted the “Red Bird” concept, a strictly only air-to-air day fighter jet without an active radar, less speed and less range but incredible maneuverability and inexpensive to make. In 1969, since the Navy was trying to develop a lightweight fighter jet, a grant of 149,000$ was given to Riccioni to fund a study that was divided between Northrop and General Dynamics, using Boyd’s theory. Northrop designed the YF-17 and General Dynamics designed the YF-16. Then came the Nixon Administration…
Due to reports of high costs by Senator William Proxmire, stating that the F-15 and F-14 programs were too expensive, Deputy Defense Secretary David Packard started promoting budgets to keep on developing lightweight fighter jets. This resulted in a competition held by the Air Force between the YF-16 and YF-17. The design by General Dynamics ended up becoming the F-16. The design by Northrop was modified, presented to the Navy, and later became the F/A-18.
In the end, the Fighter Mafia’s ideas did influence the development of US fighter jets, but one could argue that the planes they worked on were successful only because the designs moved away from the Mafia’s plans. All of them ended up as multi-role aircraft with advanced avionics.
Harry Hillaker, who was the chief designer of the F-16, stated “If I had realized at the time that the airplane would have been used as a multi-mission, primarily an air-to-surface airplane as it is used now, I would have designed it differently”. The Mafia’s legacy quickly became controversial. Some of them were characterized as charlatans and dilettantes at the time, since they had no experience. The Fighter Mafia now serves as a warning tale, one that us EUROAVIAns should know, not to hear those without actual experience and loud opinions, and not to be stuck in the past.