In the movie *Top Gun* we see pilot Maverick with his offsider Goose.
The F-14 clearly needs a second man; but the A-4 does not, nor does the ~~Mig-28~~ *F-5E.*
The F-15 and F-18 comes in both one and two man variants, but I don’t think I’ve seen a two man F-16.
Modern MiG’s and Sukhoi’s seem to be one man fighters.
In: Technology
The aft seat in a Tomcat is for the Radar Intercept Officer. They’re responsible for communications such as satellite linkage etc., and jamming enemy radar as well as operating their own radar. They may also handle the weapons systems.
Offloading some of these duties to a second person allows the pilot to put more focus into what they’re doing. It is also helpful to have a second pair of eyes to establish and maintain visual on an enemy craft.
A lot of modern craft that have tandem seats also have multi-function displays that allow cockpit customization, and each crew member can optimize what displays they have to play to their individual strengths.
Latest Answers