Britains V/STOL F-16?

Could this have been Britains V/STOL rival to the F-16? It certainly bears similarities and was proposed a year before the F-16A was accepted by the USAF.

The export potential could have been huge, not to mention that it would have made a better '80's gen V/STOL type than the AV-8B.

Any thoughts?



[edit on 15-9-2004 by waynos]

Yep it could have been, but it was't which is a bi*h

that under carrage bit looks familar to one american plane but i cani mind which one, is rather good looking. nice find

From the side view it kinda resembles the X-32. But the forward view looks like a mirror of the F-16 (except for the air inlet).

Originally posted by Murcielago
From the side view it kinda resembles the X-32. But the forward view looks like a mirror of the F-16 (except for the air inlet).

yeah that is kinda freaky. mabye the aircraft are related somehow? or mabye a coincedence.

The thing is the UK can and will design stuff but never build them!
This is a good example and tsr2 is another and the pre build of the typhoon is another one.

You can find more info about the Hawker Siddeley HS.1205 project at this link:
www.secretprojects.co.uk...

The P.1205 was one of several design studies by Hawker Siddeley in the 1970s for a supersonic derivative of the Harrier, but Hawker Siddeley didn't have the air intake placed below the fuselage to make the P.1205 look like an F-16 because the jet engine was not fully accommodated in the fuselage and tail empennage, unlike in the F-16.