Post by ukron on Apr 22, 2023 14:29:11 GMT
I came across this little gem dating from 1995-96 and designed as a "concept-art" for the future South Korean F-X program (the latter started in 2002 and will lead to Seoul's purchase of F-15K Slams and F-35s) by McDonnell Douglas and Pratt & Whitney, both to meet Seoul's demand for a (relatively) stealthy and inexpensive 4th generation fighter, and also to distance itself from the F-22 program (which at the time was clearly a concern for McDonnell Douglas).
By "replacing" the dual tailplane of the "classic" F-15 with that of a YF-23, the engineers were obviously aiming for a STOL aircraft (it should be noted that according to one of the sources I found, the MANX could have been equipped with vectored thrust turbines) while avoiding the additional costs if they had developed a new aircraft.
Planned for a first flight around 1998, the F-15 MANX will be forgotten.
By "replacing" the dual tailplane of the "classic" F-15 with that of a YF-23, the engineers were obviously aiming for a STOL aircraft (it should be noted that according to one of the sources I found, the MANX could have been equipped with vectored thrust turbines) while avoiding the additional costs if they had developed a new aircraft.
Planned for a first flight around 1998, the F-15 MANX will be forgotten.
