Northrop N337

[BillRo]

Here is another Advanced Design project from Northrop I found in a briefing that was part of an after hours Configuration Design class that we used to give to interested engineers. The chart is dated 1985, but the design is earlier. The quality is not that good so I cannot tell what it was called.

BillRo

 

[Sundog]

It almost looks like a slightly more modern take on the F-15, and sort of looks like some of the F-X concepts, only with '80s tech. Like the single vertical tail and the TR/TN nozzles.

Thanks!

 

[Abraham Gubler]

Yeah but its also much smaller than an F-15. Kind of an F/A-18 shaped like an F-15. Still very interesting. If anyone has an image of the A-18(AW) competitor to the A-6F and what the Night Attack F/A-18D should have been that would take the cake.

 

[Pioneer]

A-18(AW) competitor to the A-6F

Never heard of this variant proposal before
Is there a topic on this forum??

Regards
Pioneer

 

[Abraham Gubler]

A-18(AW) competitor to the A-6F

Never heard of this variant proposal before
Is there a topic on this forum??

Regards
Pioneer

There is a thread but it is Tommy Thomason looking for imagery without success. He wrote a bit about it in the excellent "Strike from the Sea: U.S. Navy Attack Aircraft from Skyraider to Super Hornet, 1948-Present". I think there might also be some discussion about it in the Hornet thread. But mostly people like me bemoaning that we don't have a public picture.

 

[hesham]

A-18(AW) competitor to the A-6F

Never heard of this variant proposal before
Is there a topic on this forum??

Regards
Pioneer

My dear Pioneer,


here is two topics mention the A-18;
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,4757.msg43741.html#msg43741
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,14531.msg144839.html#msg144839

 

[Pioneer]

Thank you gents for your helpful and considerate reply

Regards
Pioneer

 

[BillRo]

As I was refiling the N337 drawings I found this General Arrangement. It adds sections and the additional information as to the name - Supercruise Fighter Air-to-Air baseline, the configurator, Tom W. and the date, which appears to be December 1978.

Concerning the A-18. As you know the designation F/A-18 recognizes it's capability in either role. If on an attack mission you are jumped by enemy fighters, you can jettison the bomb load, hit a switch and convert the avionics from A/G to A/A and become a fighter with two Sidewinders and a gun for self defense. An A-18 would have the same capabilities but be fitted with FLIR (Forward Looking Infra Red) and LST (Laser Spot Tracker) pods on the sides of the inlets as shown on the model.

How about the Night Fighter? A golf shirt from the (unsuccessful) Israeli sales mission.