A stupid question, I suppose…

The United States went through all the sturm und drang of a fly-off between the YF-22 and the YF-23. Of course, the F-22 won, and the YF-23 has dropped into obscurity. However, in several forums and blogs, I’ve seen notes that indicate the YF-23 was actually the stealthier and more maneuverable design.

At the same time, I note that the F-5Es and other aircraft of that ilk are turning into “hand-me-downs” as nations try to keep up with the technology revolution.

My stupid question: Why doesn’t somebody build an F-5X, using the airframe design – suitably scaled down – of the YF-23 and mating it with the innards of the F-5E?

At one fell swoop, you would have a lightweight fighter with improved stealth characteristics and the dependability, technology base and training/experience base of the F-5! Small nations who might not be able to – technologically, politically or financially – make the jump to higher-dollar, higher-performance aircraft would be able to make a quantam leap in capability while retaining their logistics, training and experience base.

Maybe I’m dumb or something, but it’s like those bolt-on body kits for old Volkswagen Beetles: Changing sheet metal for improved performance sure seems a lot less expensive than buying a new Ferrari and hoping the dealer will give you a lot on your trade-in…

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