How hard would it be to build a P.1216 today?

[Bgray]

Assuming some rich company or nation wanted to try and design and field the P.1216 concept (obviously there was never a flying prototype so you couldn't copy that ) as a cheaper alternative to the F-35 how hard woudl it be to accomplish today?

 

[Thorvic]

Very hard to be honest, most of those involved in the project will have retired, the airframe would need to be updated although systems could come from the Eurofighter. The game changer however would be the engine and the flight control system, the former was never developed so the technology would have to be proved and vetted first and creating the new flight control software to todays standards would take a great amount of programming hours as can be seen by the F-35 development.
It's a nice concept and probably should have been done as a separate programme between the UK and the USMC leaving the F-35 to be focused on the USAF/USN demands without being handicapped with the STOVL element. With maybe some of the sensors and sensor fusion in common.

 

[zen]

Chunks of it are quite 'do-able' in that you can lift various bits off the Typhoon for this machine. You will need to fund the airframe, and the engine (though that is essentially a scaled up Eurojet).


You will have to fund a LOT of work to get the PCB element of the propulsion working and the funding of ideally a minimum of two prototypes.


Question is why?

 

[Hobbes]

You might be able to do without PCB these days and use an arrangement as on the X-32B.

 

[Bgray]

Thanks all. I'm finishing up the first outline for a mil-thriller that was going to involve a fairly large PMC, and well... interesting tech sells these sorts of stories.

 

[mrmalaya]

Well in that case the P125 has to be the way to go then?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Aerospace_P.125

 

[kitnut617]

I sort of went this way, figured an F-15 wing scaled down would be an easy way to go and use a low bypass turbofan modified so it could be used for the lift ducts.

The model has parts from five different kits, F-15 (1/72 & 1/100), F-18, Tornado and Harrier. The idea is that MacDonnell Douglas went their own way and developed it from various systems they already produced.

 

[Hood]

I really like that, a Western analog (although had it been a real design no doubt they would have accused YaK of copying! )

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Some similarities to these actual McDonnell-Douglas STOVL studies:

 

[kitnut617]

Thanks, I've seen the top pic before (I think you posted it on the What-If Forum) but this is the first time I've seen the bottom one Paul.

One thing that wasn't avoidable, was the bulkiness of the fuselage, big engine needs big space ---

I'll get my two Hawker projects built so I can compare them to this, got a P.1214 and a P.1216 in 1/72

 

[sferrin]

Some similarities to these actual McDonnell-Douglas STOVL studies:

That bottom one is pretty interesting. Would it have used 2 3-bearing nozzles for the main engines or valves? ???

 

[helmutkohl]

Rather than create a new topic
I'll post it here..
rather than today

What if they built the P.1216 back in the 80s?
when would it enter service? how would it affect the JSF program? what export potential would there be? how would it affect UK naval planning?

 

[zen]

Rather than create a new topic
I'll post it here..
rather than today

What if they built the P.1216 back in the 80s?
when would it enter service? how would it affect the JSF program? what export potential would there be? how would it affect UK naval planning?

Cough.....

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/p1216-scenarios.14517/

 

[helmutkohl]

Rather than create a new topic
I'll post it here..
rather than today

What if they built the P.1216 back in the 80s?
when would it enter service? how would it affect the JSF program? what export potential would there be? how would it affect UK naval planning?

Cough.....

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/p1216-scenarios.14517/

woops, im blind! thanks for the link