F-19?

Too bad this never *really flew. That...and that they insist upon labeling it "Aurora"

An airframe like this would have cast a cool shadow...

m.youtube.com...

a reply to: CrownCartwheelCreed

That would have been pretty cool to see.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: mightmight

Sure it sucks. Ok. Except I've actually seen a Dash One that referenced it. It was buried down the page where if you read too fast you'd skip right over it.

I may or may not know where you're coming from, but i dont think we can discuss this on the merits.

Northrops XST looks very interesting, the rival to the stealth fighter when competing for the contract.

originally posted by: Rhombus101
Northrops XST looks very interesting, the rival to the stealth fighter when competing for the contract.

A few thoughts-

There were other studies/programs around the same time focusing on IR/RCS reduction- besides XST.

DARPA may have had a low rcs fighter program which predated (and perhaps led to) the XST/Have Blue program.. and there are the Quiet Bird, Quiet attack, Silent Night and and other projects.

Also- interesting to note that, at that time, there were more bigaerospace companies than now.

Many of those companies are no longer in existence.

If you look at the early low rcs designs of some of those companies..and the designs of the companies that bought said companie- and put those together....

a reply to: CrownCartwheelCreed

I already have

I mentioned one of them earlier in a post, i think that Teledyne Ryan were big contributors hence the northrop buy out/merge.

originally posted by: TStoops88
ibb.co...

Is this a real picture?

It’s allegedly the F-19.

Some (more) fake pics for the OP including a refueling pic. No..not THAT picture...

www.infomercantile.com...

This is a old fake as well but still look very real. The details of the jet in this image is just amasing. I found this on the nett in the late 90s.

originally posted by: spy66
This is a old fake as well but still look very real. The details of the jet in this image is just amasing. I found this on the nett in the late 90s.

That's from the February 1983 Popular Science cover. Cool image. :-)

Pretty sizable cockpit, wonder what role that concept would have fulfilled.

I knew an ex military member that claimed to have flown missions on a plane called an F-19.

For various reasons unnamed, I will state that I believe him.

However, images in the first few posts of this thread resemble a YF-23, to me.

Looks like Black Widow and Ghost.

a reply to: Archivalist

Nice looking craft those yf-23s, apparently, so impressive that we may see further 'very' similar designs. It was a close call between those and the f-22.... I think cost was all that sealed the deal for the f-22 over the yf-23.

Im a firm believer in the f-19s existence, i think it would of slipped nicely into operational roles performed around 'its' time. The information found around the net just leaves you wondering with more questions.

I wonder if with the release of the F-117 and a lack of a stealth fighter for protection they hand built a number of articles based on the F-23 / F-22 to support the bombers until the winner went into production?

a reply to: Forensick

I had the same thoughts regarding these, im told...... However, that they came a bit later so unfortunately they were never a 'companion' to the f-117.

a reply to: Catch_a_Fire

What "time" are you talking on here when it comes to these number of articles based on F-22/YF-23 that supported the bombers until the winner went into production?

You have a PM on a different matter, BTW.

If you don't mind me asking, where did you get number ten from ? It's quiet

a reply to: SpeedFanatic

Id wondered myself if the yf-23 could have possibly been the companion to the f-117 and mentioned it in this thread or another. I suspected these as they first (officially) flew around that time 1990/91.... but i was then told these were a bit too late and the 'companion' came from an earlier program.....

a reply to: Catch_a_Fire

The YF-23 would have been way to late for the speculated companion as first flight was in 1990 and they would be unlikely to risk a prototype airframe with a prototype turbine.

PAV-2 was taken from the Western museum of flight in 2004 and was MIA for 6 years. It returned in 2010. I viewed the airframe in 2014 and there were no signs of any significant modification to the airframe but again too late

I'm skeptical of the companion and If it indeed existed I would lean more towards a Tacit Blue air frame more than anything else

a reply to: FredT

Something's gotta help plow the road.

originally posted by: FredT
a reply to: Catch_a_Fire

I'm skeptical of the companion and If it indeed existed I would lean more towards a Tacit Blue air frame more than anything else

www.abovetopsecret.com...