Sir Tainly, I agree the reason the USSR built the MIG 25 was to counter the B-70. I was talking about the USAF's reason for the F-15, or at least the publicly stated reason was to counter the MIG 25. The fight your fight comment comes from Robert S. Johnson an American ace in WWII (27 or 28 kills) RSJ flew a P-47 against the ME 109 & FW(forgot the #), both German planes could out turn and out manuver the P-47. RSJ got his kills from using his advantages and not alowing the German pilots to use theirs. RSJ in his book "Thunderbolt" says that nothing in the air (that the Germans had at that time) could roll or dive with the P-47.
"Thunderbolt" is an interesting book if you like war bio's. RSJ tells of a time his P-47 was damaged and he was trying to get back to England a ME 109 saw him and thought he had an easy kill. The ME 109 got RSJ in his sights and fired a couple of brusts into the P-47. RSJ cuold feel the 20mm canon shells hitting the armour plate behind his seat. After the bursts the German pilot flew beside RSJ and looked at the damaged P-47 shook his head then lined up for another shot at RSJ. The German pilot repeated this shoot then fly in formation to look at what was holding the P-47 in the air until his guns were empty. The German pilot escorted RSJ over the coast of France at low altitude, and over the teeth of the German AA guns. I guess the German pilot figured that if he couldn't shoot RSJ down He wasn't going to let anyone else do it. Over the English Channel the German tipped his wings, shook his head, waved good bye, and headed back to his base.
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"the memories of a man in his old age,
are deeds of a man in his prime"