Can fighter aircraft accomodate more than one pilot who flys the plane?
I mean similar to pilot, copilot.
In general if Yes or No, Is it useful to have more than one pilot in a fighter plane?
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5$\begingroup$ Prashant Akerkar, you are asking a very basic question again, which isn't received well by the community. The most important thing missing from you questions is research effort. Linking a Wikipedia article or a Google search is not research effort. You should try to find an answer or at least gain some understanding first, and then come back here and ask specific questions about the things that are still unclear. $\endgroup$– BianfableCommented Nov 21, 2020 at 11:09
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2$\begingroup$ This has been explained to you before under this question on Electronics.SE. It also doesn't help that you have been blocked on other sites because you are accused of trolling. Please show more research effort before asking. $\endgroup$– BianfableCommented Nov 21, 2020 at 11:12
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1 Answer
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Sometimes.
Some fighters were designed with two seats from the start, such as the F-4 and the F-14. These planes had complicated radar systems and they needed a specialist operator. While flying them, pilots have found that having a person in the back seat who can look out for enemy fighters is very handy.
Most single seat fighters, such as the F-15 and F-16 have double seat versions. These double seat versions are used for training and for bombing. For instance, the basic F-15A has a single seat. The F-15B has two seats and is mostly used for training. The F-15C is an upgraded version of the F-15A and still has one seat. The F-15D is an upgraded version of the F-15B and still has two seats. The F-15E is an all-weather strike aircraft with two seats.
In most two-seat fighters, the pilots sit one in front of the other. In some, such as the F-111, the crew sit side by side. Putting the crew one in front of the other allows the plane to have a smaller, lighter body, but the person at the back has a very bad view forwards this way.
As a general rule of thumb, smaller, lighter fighters tend to have one seat and larger, heavier ones have two.
answered Nov 21, 2020 at 4:54
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4$\begingroup$ The second person in the F-14, F-15E, and F-111 isn't a pilot but a WSO (Weapons System Officer) or RIO (Radar Intercept Officer) - not a pilot but a navigator (Air Force) or Naval Flight Officer (Navy - same thing, different title). In the F-15 and F-16 B and D models, the second person typically would be a second pilot, either in student/instructor roles, or for a checkride. Though those aircraft can be flown single-pilot solo, or with an observer in the back seat. $\endgroup$– Ralph J ♦Commented Nov 21, 2020 at 9:10