That is very kind.
I can do anything I want in this, but am honestly trying to be reasonable in choices made.
The USN is going to bail on the F4D sky ray, and it is going to bail on the Demon, and they are going to buying in HUGE on the Phantom and Crusader; there is nothing I can do about that even in my own mind, there is just no logic against it.
There is a very narrow band of time where having 3-4 squadrons of an improved Tiger makes some sense if the costs are low enough and the reward high enough. That will grow need and usage later, but for the moment what is at stake is 3-4 squadrons, one in the Atlantic, two in the Pacific and one reserve operating off the steam cat Essex's. If my thinking is correct on the effects of the greater wing area and BLC on the viability of H-8 Essex's then this becomes a done deal: No matter USN desires to encourage more super carrier procurement the tactical flexibility of being able to use H-8 ships in case of war (especially after Cuba), overrides everything.
I don't think it would fully replace A-4, or F-8, but it could be used to seriously supplement each of them in Vietnam and for LOW cost.
I am thinking of getting this to at least a D model (A would be J-65 no radar, B J-79 with, C likely would be a land ONLY version, D could be TF-41), and may move the landing gear from the body to the wings as the FJ-4, they would need to be a little longer because of the wing placement but that is super doable, which would open up some interesting possibilities...
Think Lightning belly guns but using Vulcan's and BIG ammo drums...but that is probably my inner 9 year old talking..
It doesn't take long before you start getting toward something that looks and acts a lot like an early F-20 Tigershark or single engine F/A-18
