Aug 022021
 

A Grumman design from the 80’s  (looks like 1980) for an advanced fighter. This was clearly from the era where fighters did not need to prioritize stealth over all else, though also clearly stealth aspects are included. The aircraft had missiles integrated onto the back surface, an unusual location; it appears that these are unpowered bombs, using wings to generate lift to fling themselves upwards. It’s not immediately clear what the purpose here is; chances are that these might be nukes, so flinging the bombs upwards would give the jet a few moments to gain some distance before the bombs glide down to the ground. Or it might be a low-observability feature… launching from the top would allow the aircraft to fly at a stupid-low altitude to avoid anti-aircraft systems.

 Posted by at 7:43 pm

  2 Responses to “Grumman ATF artists concept”

  1. What book is this from? I remember reading it when I was a kid. The book had the boeing X plane with a switchblade wing on one page. And also the Loral spaceplane concept.

  2. This is a Rockwell design LLWDS Low Level Weapons Delivery System from 1981-82

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