In the 1939, the first jet aircraft limped into the air on a meagre 4.41 kN (992 lbf) of push. Sixty years later the most powerful jet fighters had over eighty times more thrust. Here is a paean to the awe-inspiring power that turns heavy slabs of plastic and metal into supersonic (and often balletic) flying machines. These are the 20 top places for the fighters with the most grunt, filled by 24 truly thunderous fighter aircraft! 

20. Dassault Rafale 

Max thrust: 150 kN (33,720 lbf)

19. MiG-35 ‘Fulcrum’

Max thrust: 176.6kN  (38,800 lbf)

18. Eurofighter Typhoon

40,500Ib 180 kN

17. McDonnell Douglas/IAI F-4E Kurnass 2000

Maximum thrust: 183.12 kN (41,170Ib)

16. Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II

Maximum thrust: 190 kN (43,000IB)

15. Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet 44/Dassault Mirage 4000

Maximum thrust: 197.9 kN (44,000lbf)

14. Lavochkin La-250

Maximum Thrust: 196.0 kN (44,100Ib)

13. Tupolev Tu-28 ‘Fiddler’

Maximum Thrust: 198.2 kN (44,600 lbf)

12. Mikoyan MiG-25 ‘Foxbat‘

Maximum Thrust: 200.2 kN (45,000 lbf)

11. Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow

Maximum Thrust: 210 kN (47,000 lbf)

10. McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle

Maximum Thrust: 212.8 kN (47,840 lbf)

9. Sukhoi Su-27SK ‘Flanker‘

Maximum Thrust: 245.2 kN (55,200lbf)

8. Grumman F-14D Tomcat

Maximum thrust: 250 kN (56,400lbf)

7.  Boeing F-15 Eagle (229 powered variants)

Maximum thrust: 259.4 kN (58,320 lbf)

6. Lockheed YF-12

Maximum thrust: 280kN (63,000Ibf)

5. Sukhoi Su-35

Maximum Thrust: 284kN (64,000 lbf) with afterburner

4.  Sukhoi Su-57 PAK FA

Maximum Thrust: 294.4kN (66,200lb)

3. Mikoyan MiG-31 & Sukhoi Su-47 (S-37) Berkut

Maximum thrust: 306 kN (68,000 lbf)

2. Joint 2nd place. Lockheed Martin Raptor & Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23

Maximum thrust: 312kN (70,000lbf)

1. Chengdu J-20 & Mikoyan MiG-1.44 

Maximum thrust: 360kN (80,000Ibs)

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