LOCKHEED MARTIN DRAGON

[Rafael]

Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, October 2026.

It was a good day, Capt. Barry "Baz" Howling thought. Nothing like a quiet flight in the Navy's most advanced fighter. Free of clouds, the sky promised an uneventful CAP, 400 Kilometers from Texas, the new CV-X Aircraft carrier Baz called home. Yesterday, in this same location, a group of Texas' Griffons destroyed a pair of Furisian Ursus Bombers on the lookout for the ship, wich was making itself a pain in the Royal behind of the Furisian Navy, coordinating and directing attacks from the dispersed, stealth Task Force.

Stealth, as his mount was. He was not radiating, but kept himself aware of the "big picture" composed from hundreds of ISR sources, from AWACS to satellites to ships to covert operatives in the Island of Furisia.

This sector proved clean, so far. A couple more hours of flight and he'd be full of paperwork, but able to relieve himself at the loo, wich he preferred to the "piss-in-a-can " system aboard, prone to leakage, the only bit of ancient tech in this bird.

-"Matchbox, Checkerboard, turn to 133 true, angels 18, You've got trade". Checkerboard was the callsign for the C4ISR bird controlling air intercepts today, he nudged his controls, started the turn, watching air, instruments and sea, and –"Checkerboard, Matchbox, my screen shows bogeys at 12 o'clock, 160 kilometers", Baz said.
-"Matchbox, Checkerboard, confirmed, Tophat says Intercept, max prejudice, Type Ursus-B's with cruise missiles".
–"Roger, Checkerboard, Matchbox, out!!!, Matchbox flight, form on me!!!". A series of digital clicks in the digital, eavesdrop-proof radio was the acknowledging signal, and all eight birds assumed position. Far away from each other, the stealth planes "formed" to engage the 16 designated targets from several approach vectors. In eight cockpits a choreography of switches thrown, seatbelts adjusted, and systems activation took place.
–"Matchbox, Six, weps free!"
-"Matchbox, Checkerboard, be warned, ISR confirms target ready for release!"
-"Matchbox four, fox one, fox one!"

Baz felt his blood freeze. This was not the way. They'd run out of missiles trying to shoot the bombers –"Matchbox flight, hold fire, hold fire. Wait until target's release, and go for the missiles!, repeat, go for the missiles!".
A series of clicks and an embarrassed Matchbox 4 silently cursing his luck in his cockpit.

And then there they were in the screen, 32 beautiful shiny green bat-shaped signs separating from 16 quickly turning bombers...15 now. Apparently Ian's AIM-120E splashed his target.

-"Matchbox flight, weapons free, go for it!"
31 AMRAAMS left their respective launch rails, a tribute to the weapons specialists and loaders aboard Texas. All guiding perfectly, in a matter of seconds impacted the 26 departing cruise missiles. Six of them failed to boost or transition to cruise.

-"Six, what about the bogeys?"
-"Cut the chatter, we call it a day, I don't want to chase those bombers with IR missiles only, let the southern Griffons catch them".

....Now, how long to the head?....


THE LOCKHEED/MARTIN DRAGON:

The Dragon was a project run in parallel with the Griffon. Whereas this last was a British-American joint venture, The Dragon incorporated more stealth features, and a new, powerful Tandem-Fan engine. It suffered the F-15's "only Air Superiority" design limitation but was quickly corrected and the program progressed on more solid grounds from the beginning.

Capable of Independent operation, like all its stealth ancestors were, it is a very manoeuverable and fast aircraft, able to carry a bigger payload than its counterpart in the fleet. Equipped with flexible mission-adaptive wings with no control surfaces, a powerful Radar and electronics, and the capacity to use offboard sensors.

The Dragon has a new Tandem-Fan GE Engine, wich drives an extra ultra-light compressor stage to produce an immense amount of fresh-air thrust, for STOVL operation. It can be disengaged and its blades feathered while not in use, so as not to disturb the rest of the engine's airflow on regular flight regimes.

A system of louvered Intakes on top and bottom of the aircraft provided ambient air for direct vertical thrust, and a similarly louvered rear exhaust directed flow in two dimensions to achieve a two-poster STOVL platform.



This is what I thought of a P.1216 aircraft, I love the airplane and, after almost ruining the build, a lucky find made me retake it to a different result.

I hope You like it.

And enjoy it as much as I enjoyed building it.

Thank You all.

Merry Christmas,

Rafa

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[PanzerWulff]

NIIIIIICE Job Rafa