What if Aircraft

U

unknauthr

Junior Member
Franklin said:
The IAI Lavi. Another cancelled plane that is still stirring emotions today. From Israeli generals to Israeli fanboys still lament the cancellation of this plane.
Click to expand...

This is a program that continues to be the subject of controversy. There was an extensive book on this program released earlier this year:
LaviSmallerCover.jpg
Over 400 pages long - for a program cancelled over 28 years earlier. The author of the book also published a brief, technical survey of the aircraft online:
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


More recently, in commemoration of the 29th anniversary of the program's cancellation, there was an interview published on the Israel Air Force website with Maj Gen (Ret) David Ivri, and Moshe Arens - both supporters of the program at the time:
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
 
Jeff Head

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
This aircraft went up against the F-4 Phantom in competition and won every major performance category (faster, higher, more maneuverable, won in every combat scenario), but lost the competition in 1958-1959

The Vought F-8U3

The Navy wanted a two engine aircraft with two pilots. Vought, who had been designing successful aircraft for the Navy for decades designed something better with one engine and one pilot...and lost.

In 1958:

Top speed: Mach 2.5
Altitude: 70,000 ft.

F8U3-02.jpg
F8U3-03.jpg

She was a great :"what if" aircraft.
 
siegecrossbow

siegecrossbow

General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Jeff Head said:
This aircraft went up against the F-4 Phantom in competition and won every major performance category (faster, higher, more maneuverable, won in every combat scenario), but lost the competition in 1958-1959

The Vought F-8U3

The Navy wanted a two engine aircraft with two pilots. Vought, who had been designing successful aircraft for the Navy for decades designed something better with one engine and one pilot...and lost.

In 1958:

Top speed: Mach 2.5
Altitude: 70,000 ft.

View attachment 31457
View attachment 31458

She was a great :"what if" aircraft.
Click to expand...

Those are some of the biggest ventral fins I've ever seen! Not as good of a looker as the F-4. I wonder if that factored in to the final decision making.
 
Jeff Head

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
siegecrossbow said:
Those are some of the biggest ventral fins I've ever seen! Not as good of a looker as the F-4. I wonder if that factored in to the final decision making.
Click to expand...
Nope...it was two engines and two pilots...plain and simple. Despite the fact that the performance was much better.

2-3 prototypes were given to NASA in Florida and for years the NASA pilots who were testing them (most of whom were former Navy pilots) and the Naval base there locally would arrange to have fly offs and do basic dog-fights. The F-8U3 won almost every time.

Ultimately, some Admiral ordered them to stop the fly-offs.

Do not get me wrong, the F-4 was a GREAT jet aircraft, and ended up being a good attack bird too..but the F-8U3is the jet aircraft that might have been.
 
Miragedriver

Miragedriver

Brigadier
The Rutan Killer Bee would have made a great CAS aircraft


General characteristics
Performance
Armament
 
TerraN_EmpirE

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
Jeff Head said:
The Yak-141 was an aircraft that the Soviets would have gone on to complete...but they went bankrupt instead.

it along with many other ambitious projects were cancelled in 1991, never to see the light of day again.

This fighter, though not stealthy, would have given the Soviet and then later Russian airwngs something very credible to fly off of their four Kiev class carriers:

View attachment 31322
Click to expand...
And It's American cousin
Convair ( General Dynamics) Model 200 series Which may have been the F35 two decades before the F35.
Powerplant: JTF22A-3-A with thrust of 14,000lb and 2 lift engines of 10,500lb each.
Performance: Mach 2 class
MTOW: about 30,000lb
Span: 27 ft 10.5 in (8.49m)
Length: 51 ft 1.5 in (15.58m)
Height: 18ft (5.49m)

Convair Model 201 CTOL variant, single and two seat variants, for VFR and all-weather operations, 74% common by weight with the Model 200 V/STOL version.
convair_200-4.jpg convair-200-2.jpg convair-200-3.jpg
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
 
siegecrossbow

siegecrossbow

General
Staff member
Super Moderator
TerraN_EmpirE said:
And It's American cousin
Convair ( General Dynamics) Model 200 series Which may have been the F35 two decades before the F35.
Powerplant: JTF22A-3-A with thrust of 14,000lb and 2 lift engines of 10,500lb each.
Performance: Mach 2 class
MTOW: about 30,000lb
Span: 27 ft 10.5 in (8.49m)
Length: 51 ft 1.5 in (15.58m)
Height: 18ft (5.49m)

Convair Model 201 CTOL variant, single and two seat variants, for VFR and all-weather operations, 74% common by weight with the Model 200 V/STOL version.
View attachment 31513 View attachment 31514 View attachment 31515
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
Click to expand...

Kinda reminds me of the Gripen.
 
TerraN_EmpirE

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
So we have done a lot of fighters Lets spread out a bit
The Sikorsky Blackhawk.... The Original Sikorsky blackhawk
The American Hind D
S67-3A.jpg S67-4A.jpg S67-6A.jpg

Normal Gross Weight 18,500 lbs
Maximum Takeoff Gross Weight 22,000 lbs.
Empty Weight 12,525 lbs.
Engines General Electric T58-GE-5

Take-off Power (5 minutes) 1500hp

Military Power (30 minutes) 1400 hp

Continuous Power 1250 hp

Max. Continuous Cruise Speed 175 knots

Normal Cruise Speed 145 knots

Max Rate of Climb, Two Engines 2000 fpm

Max Rate of Climb, One Engine 315 fpm

Hover Ceiling, In Ground Effect 9700 ft.

Hover Ceiling, w/o Ground Effect 6500 ft.

Fuel Consumption in Cruise 1265 lbs/hr

Range, Internal Tanks 282 nm.

Rotor Diameter 62 ft.

No. of Main Rotor Blades 5

Blade Chord 18.25 ins.

crew of 2 with 8 passengers normally but could cram in 15.
had a multi barrel 20mm turret mounted cannon and 4 hard points that could carry up to 16 TOW missiles
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top