Your favourite what-if fighter

[ST-21]

Originally Posted by Biggus

This thread seems to be heading off the specific fighter what-if into a more general direction. But I agree, the A-6F would have been a fantastic strike aircraft. Did any every fly?

I wonder what stopped the A-4AR program from the F404?

Five A-6Fs were built. Three flew, but the last two were mothballed without ever flying, because the program was canceled. It was thought that the A-12 Advanced Tactical Aircraft would be arriving not that long after the A-6F's IOC, and it was decided that the A-12 would be the better way to go.
As we know, the A-12 got canceled and the Navy had to settle for the Super Hornet. The A-6F would have been a more effective strike aircraft than the Super Hornet, although the Super Hornet would be more agile. Then again, if the A-6F had gone forward, maybe the F-14D would not have been canceled It was a much better fighter than the Super Hornet, and at least as good in strike.


Regarding why the F404 didn't go in the A-4AR, it was probably a question of how much money Argentina wanted to spend. Also, although the A-4SU with its F404 outperforms the A-4AR in most areas, it has noticeably less range, and that might have been a consideration for Argentina.

[Rogerout]

What about a F/A-18 Hornet XL, the old hornet with delta wings, F414 engines and Super Hornet avionics?

It could be attractive for many airforces in the world and possibly a good F-15 replacement when the F-22 is to expensive or not available.

[Distiller]

One of the more realistic "what-ifs" - LTV A-7F.
Think it would have been a very useful machine.

[Wanshan]

Originally Posted by Doug97

In many ways similar to the Westland Wyvern

[Z1pp0]

Originally Posted by Distiller

One of the more realistic "what-ifs" - LTV A-7F.
Think it would have been a very useful machine.
...

Ad a pointed nose with a A/A radar and you have the ultimate last gunfighter!! :P

btw YF-23 is my favorite. I would like to see a very similar aircraft in F-5 size with better roll rates

\Dan

[Doug97]

Originally Posted by Wanshan

In many ways similar to the Westland Wyvern

I suppose, but much much faster and without a turboprop. Designed as a fighter rather than a strike aircraft.

[robban]

The "Snabel-Viggen" would have been interesting. Saab was seeking collaboration with MBB in building a test aircraft from the Viggen in order to test high AoA performance. The Viggen was supposed to be fitted with vectored thrust, down sloping intakes and fully moveable canards. IIRC MBB was all for it but Saab thought it would be too costly in the end. The X-31 was born in stead.

[Scooter]

Originally Posted by robban

The "Snabel-Viggen" would have been interesting. Saab was seeking collaboration with MBB in building a test aircraft from the Viggen in order to test high AoA performance. The Viggen was supposed to be fitted with vectored thrust, down sloping intakes and fully moveable canards. IIRC MBB was all for it but Saab thought it would be too costly in the end. The X-31 was born in stead.

Interesting...............more power too!

[Hyperwarp]

my turn...

Actual production variant of a modified F-15 ACTIVE
http://www.richard-seaman.com/Wallpa...15Climbing.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...-15-vector.jpg

The old MiG-35
http://www.aeronautics.ru/archive/vv.../mig35_001.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...-29_mirror.png

Yak 141:
http://files.turbosquid.com/Preview/...31f93Large.jpg
http://members.at.infoseek.co.jp/aoz.../Yak-141_2.jpg
http://prototypes.free.fr/vtol/nouv1/yak141_3.jpg

Ahhh..............never get fed up of this one
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...3_top_view.jpg
http://www.aviationexplorer.com/Asso..._YF-23_jpg.jpg

NATF:
http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question...2/f22-natf.jpg

And off-course, production variant of this one:

[mixman]

From the Tintin Comics come the Carreidas 160. Wikipedia enty on the Carreidas 160 states that there were radio controlled and free flight models which were flown which demonstrated the soundness of the design. As for the marquette/model of the Carreidas 160.

http://www.pastjoys.nl/TINTIN/tinleblon1.html

How about some designs (very sci-fi) from the Anime world,starting with something from Sentou Yousei Yukikaze or Supersylph Yukikaze

http://cafe.daum.net/ProjectE5

and from the Gainax classic, 'Wings of Honneamise : Royal Space Force

http://www.hlj.com/product/WAVGN-01

[Schorsch]

Originally Posted by Levsha

I always thought that the key to the Super Crusader's performance (top speed etc,) was in fact,due to it being fitted with a pure turbojet, the J-75, rather than being fitted with a "modern" turbofan...

The turbojet together with intake provides supersonic speeds in excess of Mach 2. Basically, givven correct intake, you can push most turbojet Mach 2 fighter in the vicinity of M2.5+ (then lateral stability becomes a huge issue). But turbojets suck for subsonic cruise and have less thrust relative to engine weight. The Crusader III would have been a VERY challenging aircraft for the pilot, as he basically would have been required to do the job of the two people in an F-4. Neither the Navy nor the USAF would have been really be lucky with the Crusader III.

Originally Posted by Distiller

One of the more realistic "what-ifs" - LTV A-7F.
Think it would have been a very useful machine.

Never liked the idea of pressing a subsonic aircraft "over the wall" with naked thrust.

My favorite What Ifs (already mentioned several times):

1. The F-20A as a German/American collaboration optimized for daylight fighter duties, basically a simplified F-16.
2. Something like the SuperPhantom: An F-4 stuffed with more fuel and dedicated a2g avionics, turbofan engines and ECM, something like the F-15E for a Phantom.
3. An F-104 with canards and fly-by-wire controls, making it carefree handling (which would be major task).

Two that were not mentioned (and are real what-ifs):
A single engine "MiG-29" using an engine like the Suchoi 27 with design gross weight in the vicinity of 10t and some compromise on agility and high AOA performance and without cumbersome weapon system. Pretty much the Russian F-20, thus making a useful MiG-21 successor.

A mid 1960ies NATO standard daylight fighter based on the Saab Draken with J79 engine and wing tip missiles, able to carry 4 missiles plus fuel or some basic a2g weapons. A good supplement for the F-104G as (nuclear) striker. Built for short, improvised runways, reasonably simple in design, having some quite useful air to air characteristics. Would take on the MiG-21 and MiG-17.