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By: 25th August 2010 at 17:43 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-A cool futher-development of the F-16XL was the the F-16X "Falcon 2000" concept which did not have a veritcal stabilizer and with 3D thrust vectoring.
Never left the drawing board though.
By: 25th August 2010 at 18:25 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-I never liked the F-16, but the XL was (and still is) a stunner!!
By: 25th August 2010 at 21:40 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-The XL would have smoked anything in the air-air- arena until the EF and SU 35 came out....
By: 25th August 2010 at 22:35 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-An aerodynamic jewel.
Maybe, it'll be the necessity (funds), that will eventually drive it into production.
In any case, one can't go wrong with XL, be it at present configuration, or some possible upgrade (GE -132, radar, DAS, etc...).
By: 25th August 2010 at 23:01 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Wow. That was a long time ago when I wasn't wrinkled and gray.
SCAMP was a marvel of "black aluminum" engineering. It was designed before we learned how to get pylon loads to turn the corner into the gr/ep wing skins. As a result, the weapons pylons were limited to 500lb bombs. The only heavy pylons were where extensive aluminum rib substructure was located.
It had other issues too such as narrow landing gear track and lack of heavyweight gear and brakes. Integrated combat turns were not quick, as each weapons had to be loaded seperately and in a specific sequence.
By: 26th August 2010 at 10:20 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Lockheed proposed an aircraft like this for the Block 60 F16 but it was rejected by the UAE.
By: 26th August 2010 at 10:43 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Was it not the other way around, UAE wanted the XL airframe and USG/LM didn't want to give them that.
By: 26th August 2010 at 11:41 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-It's a shame that not both went into production,i also like the configuration with the 2 small wings under the air intake,isn't it possible to integrate those during a new MLU update for the F-16?
Posts: 87
By: Balu the Bear - 25th August 2010 at 17:37
Source for text, pictures and graphics
nice video![/CENTER]
Considering the nowadays engines and avionics, which could have been incorporated, even today a competitve fighter......
AirForce Magazine November 1983
For me, there is no doubt about it, that this aircraft would be a better basis for upcoming F 16 versions...
Imagine the F 16 I Sufa on this platform.......:D