AviationBanter - View Single Post - start making the ST21, AST21, ASF-14 and A-12 Flying Dorito!

**John Dallman** · January 2nd 07, 08:51 PM posted to rec.aviation.military.naval

In article ,
(Paul J. Adam) wrote:
writes

(4) If we drop JSF STOVL and force only one configuration CTOL and
then slide the whole program to include a decade or so development

In half a sentence you lose most of the customers. The STOVL variant
was added because there was a user requirement (US-led and then
others bought in) and if you "slide a decade" then you lose your
export sales, who didn't sign up for an extra ten-year gap.

Just to agree some mo that route for the JSF programme also wastes a
large fraction of the money that's been spent so far, and leaves the
USMC with no Harrier replacement. Frankly, it gives BAe, Boeing and
Rolls-Royce a fine chance to produce a better Harrier, which is
perfectly possible, given enough market to pay for the engine
development - and there might be stuff to be lifted from JSF for that.

Maybe this isn't such a bad idea after all, actually... if you're
someone other than the USA.

--
John Dallman, , HTML mail is treated as probable spam.