Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!cbnews!military
From: Scott.Johnson@p0.f7.n391.z1.fidonet.org (Scott Johnson)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Us Fighter Designations
Message-ID: <1990Aug5.042437.28195@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 5 Aug 90 04:24:37 GMT
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:391/7.0 - The Ozark Connectio, Fayetteville AR
Lines: 50
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: Scott.Johnson@p0.f7.n391.z1.fidonet.org (Scott Johnson)


 AI> ***     Also the plane that Richard Bong flew. He was the US
 AI> top Ace of WWII.

     It was also the aircraft that first started getting close to the sound
barrier. It killed several pilots and scared the hell out of more until it
was fixed during the -J model, I think.

 AI> P61: Black Widow, Northrop.

 AI> ***     Know why it was called the Black Widow? it was so hard
 AI> to fly. I think ***     it was an attempt at a night fighter.

 AI>         [mod.note:  I've heard that the maneuverability of this
 AI>  aircraft was phenomenal, comparable to (for the time) modern
 AI>  single-engine fighters.  Can anyone confirm or deny this ? -
 AI>  Bill ]
     The first aircraft designed to be an exclusive night fighter. VERY
heavily armed (4 .50cal in one dorsal turret, 4 20mm fixed in the belly) and
armored. The plane itself had armor plating designed to deflect bullets. It
was about the size of a B-25, but could indeed manuver with most of the
single engined fighters of its time, thanks to one of the first applications
of top-wing spoilers. Unfortunately, radar technology advanced past this
wonderful plane-- it became far more practicle to mount the radar on
existing fighters than to build special birds. Anybody know any good books
on the subject?

 AI> F100: Super Sabre, North American.  Nasty airplane at first but
 AI> once         the bugs were worked out, our first fighter to go
 AI> supersonic         in level flight became a very good aircraft.

 AI> ***     Another well made jet for the Thunderbirds. They knew
 AI> how to use ***     this one to its best advantage.

     In his first book, Chuck Yeager has some choice comments about why the
airplane was nasty at first.

 AI> F104: Starfighter, Lockheed.  Thank You again, Kelly Johnson.
 AI> Known         as the "missile with the man in it"  While never
 AI> achieving         great acceptance with the USAF, foreign

 AI> ***     Also had a 25 foot wingspan! "Rocket with a man in it"
 AI> indeed...
     The leading edge of that wing was so sharp it was covered on the ground
to prevent injury to the ground crew. Lockeed's sales tactics with the 104
have been widely criticised in the last 20 years over this bird.