US F/A-XX and F-X & NGAD - 6th Gen Aircraft News Thread
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
I realize now that "X-plane" is the wrong word to use. I mean "Y-plane", i.e. a tech demonstrator akin to the YF-22/YF-23. Like the J-20 #2001, for example.
Although the 36011 number does hint that the J-36 might be further in development than initially thought, we do not know for certain that the current J-36 and J-50 airframes are not YF-type tech demonstrators.
There have been rumors of multiple NGAD demonstrators being built.
This doesn't have the dihedral wings though, I'm sticking to my bird of prey with canards theory
It's been barely 24 hours since the F-47 was announced lol, you'll probably have to give it a few months
According to the , inclusive of projected figures for FY08 and FY09.
Adjusted for inflation, ~$154 million in 2008 is about ~$232 million in 2025 dollars, , especially as he was likely estimating the cost of the F-47 on the basis of the F-35A rather than the F-35B or F-35C.
However, considering the DoD's track record for cost overruns, it's hard to imagine the F-47 will stay <$250 million per airframe.
Probably another reason why Trump refrained from disclosing costs when he announced the Boeing F-47 as the winner of the NGAD PCA competition.
The F-22 officially entered the EMD phase in 1991, with the first EMD prototype publicly unveiled in 1997, and LRIP beginning in 2001. By the time LRIP began, Lockheed had built something like seven EMD prototypes, in addition to the two original YF-22 prototypes.
So unless multiple EMD prototypes rather than X-planes are already flying, it is highly unlikely that the F-47 will enter LRIP before Trump is due to leave office in January 2029, which appears to be what he is aspiring for.
Obviously had there been no "peace dividend" from the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the F-22 would have likely entered LRIP prior to 2001. Regardless, the USAF, Boeing and the many subcontractors involved in the F-47 program will have their work absolutely cut out for them if Trump seriously intends for the F-47 to enter LRIP before his term ends.
That's pretty likely with Northrop manufacturing B-21 bombers, Boeing winning the NGAD PCA competition, and either Boeing or Northrop getting the F/A-XX contract, assuming that entire program isn't canceled or merged into the NGAD program, which would make a reasonable amount of sense considering DoD budget considerations.
Without the NGAD PCA, what major 6th generation platform is there left for Lockheed to manufacture and monetize?!
If you're asking someone on an online forum to "verify" an aspect of the next-gen US fighter project - almost all of which remain unknown to the public - I'm afraid you're looking in the wrong places.
That said, it is interesting that USAF watching is slowly becoming like PLA watching.
"Our democratic canards are much more superior to those authoritarian canards of the Chicoms in every way!"
No, it's called a 6th-gen Minus.
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Man, what can I say...
Did they get ChatGPT to write this?
Thanks to the F-47 announcement, now we have the American version of "How does [insert any new/ground-breaking PLA development] relate to my 3000RMB monthly wage?" (关我月薪3000什么事):
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