Light-Weight Fighter Question

[KJ_Lesnick]

I'm wondering if it was possible or feasible to have designed, in lieu of the F-16, a LWF that had the following capability

• YF-16 instantaneous and sustained agility subsonic
  
• Subsonic acceleration rate equal to the YF-16 or F-104 (whichever is higher)
  
• Supersonic instantaneous agility similar to or equal to the F-104/YF-16 (whichever is higher)
  
• Supersonic sustained agility similar to or equal to the F-104 or YF-16 (whichever is higher)
  
• Supersonic endurance equal to the F-104 or YF-16 (whichever is higher)
  

[Scooterman]

Wouldn't that be all of the other designs that competed with the F-16 for the LWF comp?

Google time KJ.

[maxmwill]

The concept of the LWF was touched upon by James Perry Stevenson in his book, "The Pentagon Papers", which was a chronicle of the development of what became the F18,but also the concept of the LWF and how it was ultimately over ridden by, what he termed, "The Fighter Mafia".


http://www.amazon.com/Pentagon-Paradox-Development-F-18-Hornet/dp/0788156411

One of the casualties of the Fighter Mafia's influence was the F20, which was one of the embodiments of the LWF concept.

[maxmwill]

The Fighter Mafia was instrumental in championing the LWF concept.

There is s lot more to it than just that, so, here is a Wiki article on them, along with some explanations about not only the F16, but the F15 and Yf17, and why the F16 was chosen over the 17.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighter_Mafia

[KJ_Lesnick]

Scooterman

Wouldn't that be all of the other designs that competed with the F-16 for the LWF comp?

I don't recall them all being built around F-104 speed with the agility targets specified: I'm pretty sure Lockheed was based around retaining the higher speed envelope of the F-104 with the lower speed requirements however.

Northrop's P-530(?) included some half-cone inlet designs like the F-104, but I don't know what speeds they were aiming for


maxmwill

The Fighter Mafia was instrumental in championing the LWF concept.

I know that... but from what it would appear you said that they extensively altered the original LWF design... I was curious how.

I've begun reading the book and there's some very interesting information, but there's also a lot of mistakes and misinformation in there: For example it said that early in 1965 there were no kills with the Sparrow.  

That's wrong, June 17, 1965, two F-4's off the USS Midway knocked down three MiG-17's and damaged another, ironically they did this with two missiles: There are other errors as well probably.