Let’s not forget the origins of T-50 Golden Eagle originate from F-CK-1. The twin F125 powered layout is technically more friendly to develop being that foreign nations have been offered licensing rights to manufacture F125. Two of the more recent F125 is on par if not more powerful than a single F404 and near peer to F414. This is without all the bells and whistles of the F414’s 10:1 to 12:1 twr’s. Digital controls however have long since been assimilated into F125, which boosts the safety record yet further than single-engine deigns.

My only wonder is why not design from the onset for future conformal packs to bolster mission profiles. Modular pack design could offer fuel, internal bays, reconn packs, ECM-jammers, etc.

The complexity of the tanks suggest all future fighters should focus on near CoG conformal or over-sized internal carriage considering the drag will always be there. No sense staying chained to underwing bottles that severely restrict your maneuvers and add tremendous wave-drag penalties in comparison.

Pentagon F-16 Upgrade Hesitation Roils The Market

Better to buy 150 new ones than modernize 300 that already work and add meager capability.

I don’t know why anyone would rejoice over that.

Stacked engines provided consistency for airflow between the two engines with a single, less problematic shock cone than what was possible by using side by side engines. Jet fighter designs were in their infancy and the engineering limitations were quickly evolving by the next decade.

Too bad they never figured out how to squeeze rb199’s into them while stringing out their useful lives.

Laser guided maverick. Who’d thunk of that? /rolls eyes

It’s almost like Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld moved chess pieces on the whim of lobbyists. /whistles as he looks away

halloweene, i appreciate you entertaining JSR. But his original comment attacked Rafale for being low volume when the trend with Sukhoi aircraft is rapid change during production runs. Export customers are sustaining Russian fighter production. The weapon suites keep changing every few years so a multi year production run means multiple subtleties. The supply of missiles for export is hit or miss. Never mind I was talking about a steady supply of proven western missiles whereas he was talking how PAKFA was somehow high volume….

Can we all please click the complaint form to get the ones derailing the discussion with outlandish OT rambling a vacation? Such is derailing the thread. 😛

My guess is the same as frank’s.

Perhaps a LAU-10 ZUNI launcher?

Bingo. It’s pretty clearly the lau-10.