{"id":62251,"date":"2025-12-05T22:05:26","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T21:05:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/?p=62251"},"modified":"2025-12-15T20:18:29","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T19:18:29","slug":"a-difficult-choice-regarding-the-best-fighter-in-the-history-of-the-spanish-air-force","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2025\/12\/05\/a-difficult-choice-regarding-the-best-fighter-in-the-history-of-the-spanish-air-force\/","title":{"rendered":"A difficult choice regarding the best fighter in the history of the Spanish Air Force"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Spanish Air Force was created on October 7, 1939 as an independent service branch within the Armed Forces.<\/p>\n

A Spanish F-104 Starfighter pilot shows us this exceptional supersonic fighter<\/a><\/rel>
\nThe Spanish F-4 Phantom II fighters, their tanker aircraft and the sad end of many of them<\/a><\/rel><\/p>\n

Since that date, the Spanish Air Force has operated the following fighter jets<\/strong>. The code assigned by the Air Force to these aircraft as fighters is in parentheses, and after the colon, the years of service of these aircraft in Spain are indicated. The list also includes some aircraft that simultaneously served as fighters, attack aircraft, and\/or trainers. For those unfamiliar with the aircraft in question<\/strong>, I have included a link within each model's name for further information:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Fiat CR.32 \"Chirri\"<\/a> (C.1):<\/strong> 1936-1953.<\/li>\n
  2. Polikarpov I-15<\/a> (C.9):<\/strong> 1936-1955.<\/li>\n
  3. Polikarpov I-16<\/a> (C.8):<\/strong> 1936-1953.<\/li>\n
  4. IMAM Romeo RO.41<\/a> (C.7):<\/strong> 1937-1950.<\/li>\n
  5. Messerschmitt Bf 109<\/a> (C.4):<\/strong><\/strong> 1937-1953.<\/li>\n
  6. Heinkel He-112<\/a> (C.3):<\/strong> 1938-1952.<\/li>\n
  7. Fiat G.50<\/a> (C.6):<\/strong> 1939-1950.<\/li>\n
  8. Hispano Aviaci\u00f3n HA-1109 \/ HA-1112 \"Buch\u00f3n\"<\/a> (C.4E \/ C.4J\/K):<\/strong> 1951-1965.<\/li>\n
  9. North American F-86 Sabre<\/a> (C.5):<\/strong> 1955-1971.<\/li>\n
  10. Lockheed F-104 Starfighter<\/a> (C.8):<\/strong> 1965-1972.<\/li>\n
  11. Northrop SF-5A Freedom Fighter<\/a> (C.9):<\/strong> 1970-1982.<\/li>\n
  12. Dassault Mirage III<\/a> (C.11):<\/strong> 1970-1992.<\/li>\n
  13. McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II<\/a> (C.12):<\/strong> 1971-1989.<\/li>\n
  14. Hispano Aviaci\u00f3n HA-220 Super Saeta<\/a> (C.10C):<\/strong> 1973-1981.<\/li>\n
  15. Dassault Mirage F1<\/a> (C.14):<\/strong> 1975-2013.<\/li>\n
  16. McDonnell Douglas EF-18 Hornet<\/a> (C.15):<\/strong> since 1986.<\/li>\n
  17. Eurofighter Typhoon<\/a> (C.16):<\/strong> since 2003.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    <\/div>\n
    The F-4C Phantom II C.12-37 (12-29), preserved at the Cuatro Vientos Air Museum in Madrid. Behind it we see the RF-4C CR.12-42 (12-51), from the 123 Squadron (Photo: Elentir<\/a>).<\/div>\n

    This afternoon, while reading a tweet from BlogNaval<\/a> about which would be the best fighter jet the Spanish Air Force has ever had, it occurred to me to conduct a small poll<\/strong>. Obviously, if I were to ask about the best fighter jet in terms of performance, the most modern ones would have the advantage, so I'm going to pose another question: which was the best fighter jet in the Spanish Air Force relative to its era?<\/strong> Obviously, an EF-18 is more modern than an F-4 Phantom II, but at the time, Spain was one of the privileged few to use the latter aircraft, and it was a very advanced plane for its time. You can answer the poll here:<\/p>\n

    Which was the best fighter jet in the Spanish Air Force in relation to its era?<\/big><\/p>\n