Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!cbnews!military
From: sysmgr@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU (Doug Mohney)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: F-19 vs. F-117
Message-ID: <1990Jul23.203226.7601@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 23 Jul 90 20:32:26 GMT
References: <1990Jul18.040928.14461@cbnews.att.com>
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Organization: The U. of MD, CP, CAD lab
Lines: 35
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: sysmgr@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU (Doug Mohney)
In article <1990Jul18.040928.14461@cbnews.att.com>, geraldp@mentor.com (Gerald Page) writes:
>
>I've heard a lot about the F-117 being the first "stealth fighter", but 
>not much at all about the F-19.  I've read several military-type novels 
>about it, including Tom Clancy's "Red Storm Rising", but haven't seen 
>anything about it in the news or on this newsgroup.  

Actually, the F-117 *is* the F-19; rumors in the Av. press referred to a 
"stealth" fighter. Apparently, the AF, for reasons unknown, decided to fool
everyone (or engage in disinformation) and skip the F-19 designation....

>Clancy refers to it 
>as the "Frisbee", supposedly due to it's terrain following flying 
>characterstics.  

>[mod.note:  If memory serves, Clancy nicknamed his fictionalized
>F-19 the "Frisbee", not because of its flight characteristics, but
>because of its rounded appearance. - Bill ]

Clancy also has called it the "Wobbin' Goblin" for it's alleged poor handling
characteristics. Well, Tom based his guesses on the model makers guesses.
F-117 pilots say it has EXCELLENT handling characteristcs. If you've seen
the pics of the '117, there isn't one smooth curve on it!

>The novels I've read usually place it in a low altitude 
>bombing/attack role.  Does anybody have any facts about the F-19?

Ah. Another myth broken by Aviation Week. The F-117 flies at night, at
medium altitude, which allows for greater accuracy in placing bomb loads
than flying at low-level and doing a pop-up.

Now if we only knew what "self-defense" capability it had...