taildragger
You can count on me - I won a contest
- Joined
- 2 November 2008
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Or, perhaps it's a TFX predecessor rather than a F-111 development. The bare metal livery screams late 50's or very early 60's to me. By the time TFX got going, bare metal was getting scarce and most new USN and USAF warplanes, and illustrations thereof, were getting variations on grey/white schemes.
My understanding of the TFX story is that it combined an existing USAF interdictor requirement with a USN requirement for a fleet defense interceptor. Early work on the standalone USAF requirement probably wouldn't have had side-by-side seating (the Navy required this to improve crew interaction) or the big radome (required for the long range AWG-9 radar for the Phoenix, not needed for an interdictor's TFR) and probably would have been longer without the requirement for elevator compatibility.
My understanding of the TFX story is that it combined an existing USAF interdictor requirement with a USN requirement for a fleet defense interceptor. Early work on the standalone USAF requirement probably wouldn't have had side-by-side seating (the Navy required this to improve crew interaction) or the big radome (required for the long range AWG-9 radar for the Phoenix, not needed for an interdictor's TFR) and probably would have been longer without the requirement for elevator compatibility.