F-19 Stealth Fighter (Monogram, Revell, and Testor's)

[Sauragnmon]

Not to mention the benefits that would come with extending the wings, namely that you could extend the wing tanks a little.  You could also include a better targetting/avionics package in the extended nose.  I was considering alterations to the nose, since I don't like the spike look of the extension in the nose.  My bondo and I were going to have a conversation about it.

[AeroplaneDriver]

I thought everyone knew the F-19 is actually based on a 22nd century space fighter that fell through a temporal rift to the mid 1980s.   

[GTX]

Lots of possibilities here:

• Stretched 2 seat model;
• VTOL version with lift fans either in the wings or fuselage; or
• UCAV

Regards,

Greg

[Sauragnmon]

Yeah, there'd be some problems with the VTOL idea though... they'd definately have to be forward lift fans, Yakovlev style, but the main engines would also need revision so their nozzles can aim downward.

UCAV would also work rather well for the concept, since it's a black bird to begin with.

Stretched 2-seater would be rather simple as well, with a simple nose extension.

[elmayerle]

Arii's two-seat "derivative" of the Testors/Italieri kit doesn't extend the fuselage to fit the second seat, but you'd need a canpoy that opens like that of the F-107.

[sotoolslinger]

AeroplaneDriver I take this opportunity to once again tell you how cool your F-19 based space fighter is
I GOT A PLAN
Since I acquired an F-19 at the DFW Supercon I am going to put the engines from an SR-71 on the wingtips and eliminate the fuselage engines
This will leave much more room in the fuselage for weaponry

[dy031101]

Before the F119 turbofans and the F-22, I once heard the idea of having four non-afterburning engines rather than two afterburning engines for unreheated supersonic performance.  Hum...... I don't know, which one would you think make more sense: two afterburning F404 or four non-afterburning F404/F412?

[elmayerle]

Well, four dry F404/F412/F414 class engines should prove adequate for supercruise, though I'd think you'd want to stay subsonic when trying to maximize the reduction in your observables.  As I remember, the beastie in that Loral add campaign from 225 years ago had four dry engines.

[dy031101]

Well, four dry F404/F412/F414 class engines should prove adequate for supercruise, though I'd think you'd want to stay subsonic when trying to maximize the reduction in your observables.

Did the F-117 or the proposed A-12 employ some kind of observability-reduction feature(s) at the engine nozzles?

(Well since the rumour was in place of the real F-117......)

As I remember, the beastie in that Loral add campaign from 225 years ago had four dry engines.

Is there an artist impression of the "beastie" plane?

[elmayerle]

Yes, both employed some carefully shaped exhaust nozzles, much as the B-2 does.

The Loral ad campaign had two pics, one was an external view and one was something of a cut away.  They did appear in AW&ST back in the day.  I think they came out in the eighties, probably 1984 or later.

[famvburg]

        If it's the black & white "F-19" that was similar to the Monogram kit, I know the ad was run in the summer of 1982 as that was the summer of "Firefox". Dunno why I relate the two.

Yes, both employed some carefully shaped exhaust nozzles, much as the B-2 does.

The Loral ad campaign had two pics, one was an external view and one was something of a cut away.  They did appear in AW&ST back in the day.  I think they came out in the eighties, probably 1984 or later.

[famvburg]

       I always thought it was best describing the Monogram / LORAL version. Didn't it mention its rounded wings with drooping tips or something? as to why it was called the 'frisbee'?

Did anyone else ever think that the stealth plan in "Red Storm Rising" was the Testor's version?

[famvburg]

      ISTR another design that was sold by Rick's Models as a display model & may have had a 3-view in an edition of Jane's ATWAC. It was unlike either the Monogram or Italeri versions. I'll see if I can round up a drawing somewhere.

[famvburg]

   I remember back in 1983, at least one mail-order catalog I subscribed to listed a Revell Germany 1/32 F-19 for release that summer, IIRC. I've never seen the '83 R/G catalog, but it had a pic & it was supposed to be baed on the LORAL design. Supposedly, the kit was cancelled at the request of the US DoD. Maybe that was the root of the eventual Monogram 1/72 & 1/48 F-19 kits. Anyone by chance have an '83 R/G catalog?

[dy031101]

I browsed through the related entries in the Secret Projects forum and found several pictures of the "Northrop/Loral F-19" (no cutaway, however) although the one pic that did specify the engines lists two F118 turbofans...... but hey~ it looks like the maximum afterburning thrust of the F404 is actually within the range of F118's dry thrust......

(Well, two engines have gotta be easier to maintain than four.)

Those pictures are followed by comments that this particular design has a few weaknesses (dorsal intakes, tailfins too small even for a twin-tailfin design) as a fighter and questions as to how stealthy the continuously-curved fuselage and wing leading/trailing edges really could be.

There's an interesting theory on the thread that the Testor's F-19 is actually based on verbal descriptions of the Have Blue tech. demonstrator heard over the phone...... maybe a hybrid of the Testor and Monogram kits if the weaknesses of the Northrop/Loral design are indeed the case?