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Old December 2nd 03, 04:00 AM
Peter Stickney
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In article ,
"Tarver Engineering" writes:

"Vicente Vazquez" wrote in message
...
"Dweezil Dwarftosser" escreveu na mensagem
...
The successful failu the F-16.


Is it correct to say that the F-16 is also implicated on the failure of

the
F-20 Tigershark project ??

In brief :

- F-20 should be an aircraft cleared for export for non-NATO countries
(F-16 weren't cleared for that)
- F-16 were cleared for export (Seems like General Dynamics was in deep
financial trouble)
- F-20 program went down the drain

Does that kind of affirmation have some veridical background or is it just
another BS that can be found in some "not very reliable" books and
magazines?


Northrop developed the F-20 on speculation and all aviation is politics.
Some have lamented the F-16 being made available, as some sort of conspiracy
against Northrop, but export law changes were a part of the times for the
entire arospace industry.


Dangit, John!
I'll say this for you, when you're wrong, you're wrong, but when
you're right, you're right.
Northrop certainly was gambling on selling the F-5G/F-20 to the same
customers who'd bought the F-5A/E - nations that coulsn't get approval
to purchase the Fighter of Choice (F-104 or F-4, in the F-5's day), or
who couldn't affort to fly/maintain the more sophisticated jets.
Unfortunately for Northrop, the world had changed. The export
restrictions were loosened, and a lot of smaller countries realiezed
that they could keep F-16s running.
Sometimes you guess right, and sometimes you guess wrong.

--
Pete Stickney
A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many
bad measures. -- Daniel Webster