I don't see how LOMAC even gets close to the Dash-1 in performance. It's off in it's climb capability in MIL power. This is a little experiment I've been running comparing the -1 to LOMAC's F-15 in a 40,000Lb aircraft, clean (except the unremovable pylons), standard day.
Takeoff Procedure: YOU MUST USE FLAPS FOR TAKEOFF. Run Engines up to 80%, while holding brakes, release brakes, throttles to MIL, rotate @ 120KCAS to 10degrees, Gear/Flaps up when airborne, hold to capture 350KCAS in climb, maintain until M0.9, then climb @ M0.9.
I've also included statistical analysis for the numbers. The flight was flown 5 times, averaged, and compared to the Dash-1 numbers, to include deviation. If the Dash-1 number falls within the 95% Confidence interval, then there's only a 1 in 20 chance of the number being out of that range (p<0.05) which would be a statistically significant deviation from the Dash-1.
NOTES:
1. Time is from brake release to indicated altitude, Distance is from brake release, Fuel is from 350KCAS.
2. Fuel under Dash-1 is fuel from 350KCAS, fuel depicted below that includes, run-up, takeoff, and climb to 350KCAS, thus the apparent discrepancy.
3. If the Dash 1 number falls between the numbers, then there's no statistically significant difference between LOMAC and the Dash-1. If it doesn't... well then, obviously there's only a 1 in 20 chance that LOMAC is correct.
Finally, the real F-15 is capable of reaching 45,000ft at 40,000 Lbs. The LOMAC F-15 is incapable of reaching this altitude in MIL power at M0.9. It reaches it's combat ceiling at 43,600ft and it's absolute ceiling at 44,250ft.
Conclusion: To reject the null hypothesis that the LOMAC F-15 conforms to the F-15 Dash-1, The numbers derived from the Dash-1 should be between the numbers below the 95% Conf column. It does this at 25,000ft with respect to time to climb to this altitude. But as you can see, the LOMAC F-15 actually outperforms the Dash-1 below about 12,000ft then significantly slows/flattens it's climb profile. The slope rapidly decreases to nearly tangential at 45,000ft, which explains the large variations in leveloff time and distance.
With respect to distance, the LOMAC F-15 flys a flatter slope than the Dash-1 says the F-15 flys, above 12,000ft. The numbers begin to diverge significantly enough to notice, then become quite large in it's variance from that expected from the Dash-1. This also conforms to the large variance in time to climb to the higher altitudes.
With respect to fuel flow, the LOMAC F-15 appears to use less JP-8 than the real thing.
The final conclusion is that the LOMAC F-15 at 40,000Lbs in MIL power does NOT conform to the Dash-1. It significantly underperforms the Dash-1 at moderate to high altitudes, and outperforms the F-15 at low to medium altitude.
Finally, any errors in experimental technique are caused by two major areas. Pilot variations in manipulating the aircraft for the climb profile might cause small variations in time and distance to climb, expecially at the beginnning and end of the profile. Again, this is due to the underpowering of the LOMAC F-15 and the proximity of the combat, service, and absolute service ceiling of the LOMAC F-15 to 40,000 ft. Secondly, throttle setting could possibly be off and not fully in MIL power. Care was taken to maintain the closest throttle position without going into afterburner.
The other major source of error is in reading the tables in the Dash-1. This error is significant because some parameters must be approximated, such as drag corrections, and approximating positions on the chart near the low altitude portion of the charts.
Other sources of error are in assumptions about the atmospheric modeling of LOMAC. Is there an adiabatic lapse rate? Does it affect the engine thrust? How is engine thrust determined from altitude, speed, temperature?
This experiment will be repeated with a 30,000Lb aircraft, and a 50,000Lb aircraft to determine if the same results are obtained.
I wanted to include the track I flew, but it's too large since it ends at the absolute ceiling.