BEST FIGHTER FOR CANADA

Douglas A-4 Skyhawk Imagine a military combat aircraft that first flew in 1954 and is still flying today.  No, it's not the B-52 .  This aircraft has played major roles in the air over Vietnam, the Falklands, and the Yom Kippur War.  It replaced the F-4 Phantom as the jet of choice for the USN's Blue Angels  demonstration team.  This aircraft even played a supporting role in Top Gun . Now...  What if I told you that the first 500 examples of this aircraft cost $7.5 million each, adjusted for inflation? The Douglas (soon to be McDonnell Douglas, then Boeing) A-4 Skyhawk was designed from the outset to be a small, light, simple, inexpensive attack aircraft that could be operated from the USN's aircraft carrier fleet.  It's chief designer, Ed Heinemann , really knocked it out of the park.  The A-4 weighed about half of the USN's desired specs.  Unlike most carrier based aircraft, the A-4 doesn't need folding wings.  The Skyhawk earn...

Everybody likes a team-up! For those of you that have missed it, big news happened the other day.  After a few months of dropping hints  and some wild speculation , Boeing and Saab have officially announced that they are forming a joint partnership to develop a contender for the USAF's T-X program . Both companies could use the boost.  Boeing hasn't had the best of luck selling fighters lately.  Meanwhile, Saab seems to really have trouble locking down Gripen sales.  With T-X numbers expected to run anywhere from 350-1000, it's likely to keep both companies in the fighter 'business for the foreseeable future. Saab Gripen used for the Empire Test Pilot's School (ETPS) Surprisingly, Boeing and Saab have announced that their T-X bid will be an all new, "clean sheet" design.  Many, including myself, Guessed that Saab and Boeing would merely offer a stripped down Gripen.  This would have the benefit of offering a proven, low cost design...

For the record:  I predicted Saab's involvement in the T-X program way back in May. Due for replacement, the T-38 Talon. USAF's long delayed T-X program to replace the T-38 Talon trainer may find itself with another challenger soon, thanks to a possible collaberation between American aerospace giant Boeing and that scrappy Swedish company, Saab. BAE Hawk KAI T-50 "Golden Eagle" Alenia Aermacchi M-346 "Master" Other contenders have suggested updated and "Americanized" versions of existing designs.  Lockheed has proposed a version of the South Korean KAI T-50 "Golden Eagle".  Northrop Grumman has partnered with BAE to offer the Hawk T2/128.  Meanwhile, Italian manufacturer Alenia Aermacchi has offered up its M-346 "Master". Boeing had initially intended to field an all-new design on its own, recent buzz indicates that it may be in the stages of partnering with Saab to develop a T-X contender. This cou...