This photo of an F-15E Strike Eagle generating a condensation cloud at low altitude is simply stunning

August 26, 2012 Military Aviation

David Cenciotti

Taken on Aug. 22 by Rob Birmingham, the following image shows a U.S. F-15E belonging from RAF Lakenheath as it generates a condensation cloud during a low level sortie in the famous Mach Loop.

The cloud is generated by a rapid decrease of pressure in the airflow around the aircraft at high speed and in moisty weather conditions.

Note the quite “heavy” configuration of the Strike Eagle.

A larger version of the same picture is available here.

Image credit: Rob Birmingham

As a side note: the British MoD has published an image of an “F15 Strike Eagle taking off from USS Enterprise” (obviously, it’s not an F-15E but an F/A-18F Super Hornet).

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About David Cenciotti

David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.