Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!cbnews!military From: shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov (OFV) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: variable geometry wings Message-ID: <15410@cbnews.ATT.COM> Date: 10 Apr 90 16:44:37 GMT Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM Lines: 51 Approved: military@att.att.com From: Mary Shafer (OFV) >From: jons@osc.edu (Jon Steinbach ) >Newsgroups: sci.military >Subject: Re: variable geometry wings >Date: 7 Apr 90 05:13:59 GMT >Organization: Ohio SuperComputer Center, Columbus, OH, USA >From: jons@osc.edu (Jon Steinbach ) >In article <15314@cbnews.ATT.COM> xrtnt@amarna.gsfc.nasa.gov (Nigel Tzeng) writes: >> >>question: Is that an F-5 or an F-20 in the background of the Chuck Yeager car >>commercial? Never got a good look at it...F-5s seem to be one of the more >>common fighters seen in movies/TV. Don't get to see many F-15s. >> > It is an F-20 Tigershark. Chuck Yeager was a test pilot for the F-20 > before the program was scratched. It's true that Yeager flew the F-20, but he was _not_ a test pilot on the program. The F-20 was supplied for the commercials because Northrop wanted publicity for the program. There was a certain amount of amusement (and a little annoyance) among the Northrop test force members when these commercials came out. You'll notice that Chuck also sold himself to Northrop as a good spokesman for those feel-good-about-Northrop commercials with the B-2. Apparently the company got the restricting order lifted, since we're seeing these again. Another reason that you see a lot of F-5s in ads is that there's a privately owned F-5 that can be hired very reasonably. I know one of the owners and he says that the ads cover most of the operating costs of the plane, which is a real relief to him. > I have seen T-38s and F-4s in movies alot. I think there was an F-105 > in "Apocalypse Now", but my memory could be wrong. The napalm drop was by Philipines Air Force F-5s. I don't remember seeing a Thud (F-105) and the Philipines AF doesn't fly them, so it's unlikely. -- Mary Shafer shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov ames!skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov!shafer NASA Ames Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA Of course I don't speak for NASA