On Wed, 6 May 2009 08:59:17 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

"It's Boeing's latest artist's conception of the
U.S. Navy's proposed F/A-XX replacement for
the F/A-18E/F, notionally needed on carrier
decks around 2025. It's described as "6th
generation", but quite what that means I'm not
sure - expect that it's tailless for all-aspect
broadband stealth, like that other F/A-XX
candidate, Northrop Grumman's N-UCAS."

Source:

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs...d-4e6c642d4f0e

"6th generation" was actually the YF-23, but it was too unconventional
looking to be approved. Likewise the F-32 when viewed from the top
(the intake could have been split for better aesthetics).

Or, baring those, the "Bird of Prey" demonstrator.

Just like the gas turbine cars we were all supposed to be driving by
now. Just a tease of what we could produce were we brave enough and
free of nay sayers...

One wonders how much cheaper the F-23 would have been and how many
copies we would have by now.

TL