Wit 1940ies avionics and a service ability that was unacceptable by any standards.
Apart from that you need to ask yourself what would possible users demand from a new fighter plane.
Apart from North Korea very few countries face a threat which could see a huge fleet of complex enemy fighters attacking your key cities.
For me the missions are light fighter needs to be able to handle are.
1. air policing
2. light strike support to ground forces
3. air defence
4. strike missions
5. recce
Very few countries would need stealth or rocket like climb rates to fulfill those basic missions. Many however would need range and loiter time. Most would want decent avionics, weapons load and all would want cheap operating costs.
Now I have no idea how you would try to fulfill those needs and keep the costs below an armed Turboprop trainer while using rocket engines, turbofans and stealth features. Not to speak of the operational costs of rocket engines, which are not designed for many use cycles.
Okay here is fitted for one single 29 kN PW307A…for just those missions !
It is just as long a FJ-1. Not quite as “FAT”.
Darn the frontal area also grew to 1.594 m2.
Sign In
