F18 Super Hornet replaces F14 Tomcat
F35 replaces A6...which due to delay was replaced with regular F18 Hornet.
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Hi,
In the F18 C/D the flight parameters have already been established---. The predictability of what the aircraft is going to do is already known---. That was the most difficult part---.
Now the F18 E/F is a much larger aircraft---the navy calls it similar---the engineers claim it to be different but for the shape---. The structure is larger in all dimensions.
But to think that it is difficult is simply not knowing what the person is talking about---.
In a similar manner---for the J3---would not be any miracle if the fuselage structure be replaced with a single high performance engine---and the nose wings and tail adjusted in size to fit that fuselage.
That example is right in front of us---the Northrop F 5 and the F 20 Tigershark.
Now compare these two---it is a step down from a F-5 twin to a single engine F-20---.
There are a few differences---but that is because the F20 was a more modern aircraft---.
Down sizing is comparatively much easier---here comes physics---longer the lever arm---meaning bigger the structure---more flex to it---shorter the lever---more rigid it is---.
But if you are keeping it within the framework of a slightly larger fuselage for the JF17 like in case of the Gripen Ng---the chinese should be able to do it within a year and a half once the changes that need to be made are finalized---for first flight.
for the J31---I would say down sizing it to single engine---even less than two years will full commitment---for first flight.
Now I want to share something with you about TEJAS---the Tejas was a successful aircraft design---except the inidian air force never got satisfied with each step of the aircraft development and kept on adding more and more---HAL saw it as a cash cow and kept building on it more and more as the IAF demanded---.
In a similar manner---the indian Tank Arjun---nothing wrong with the setup of the tank---but army wanted more of this and more of that and the manufacturer recognized the cash cow and kept on milking it---.
The reason I gave these example that people think are failures---there is nothing impossible in modern day engineering---. The level of difficulty is in the mind only---some people climb the K2---other dive deep into the oceans---and then there are others.