Forum: Modern Military Aircraft

Everyone's going 5th gen. Here's some first looks at South Korea's proposed domestic, "stealth," fighter dubbed the KF-X. I'm far from an expert, but aside from a few planform design elements (especially head on), this proposed fighter just doesn't strike me as all that stealthy looking.

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-d ... n-unv.html

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I'm not seeing a weapons bay. Sad

Yeah, I didn't see one either. Another reason it doesn't seem all that stealthy. Who knows, all they've got as far as we know are a few sketches they've released to the public. A lot can change. I was honestly expecting to see something from Japan since they've previously announced their intentions to build a fifth gen fighter. Apparently China has put the pressure on in the region and the ROK wants to stay in the game.

Looks like a wild-child born from a Super Hornet mated with an F-35?

Not bad looking, looks practical and simple enough if the objective is to keep it simple as possible and not go too extreme and too exotic.

As an aside, maybe it's time that LM and Boeing hook up and talk about how to jointly design and develop an actually sustainable and affordable next-gen platform produced in modest numbers?

LM & Boeing did.. they came up with the F-32 & F-35 respectively. The F-35 won. Done, next.

Seems like this is just a new light fighter with "steatlh" tacked onto the name as a marketing gimmick.

Shep1978, everyone has to start somewhere, even the US's first jet engine was "British" until they had the know how to design & build "their own." But yes, a lot of countries are catching this "5th Gen" marketing gimmick bug. *yawn*

The actual final designs will most certainly be very different from the artists impressions shown from the link via Flight Global. Seoul will probably need some outside help with getting this KF-X up and running so choosing a fighter for their FX-III aircraft would be an important decision to make for it's - and their future industry. On the other hand, with (apparantly) the highest I.Q. per average person higher than any other country in the world, they might come out with it quite well despite the optimistic programme cost. Interesting times.

Yes of course everyone has to start somewhere but a so-called stealth fighter with external weapons smacks of gimmicky marketing.

Didn't Lockheed Martin release images of the F-35 & F-22 with external stores way back when showing what they could carry when stealth wasn't a priority? Probably what South Korea were doing with their images.

I heard this doesn't have a weapons bay at all though, hence me saying its a gimmick.
If it did have one though i'd certainly agree with you.

Perhaps an optimal future doctrine might include all-aspect VLO UCAV with internal bays, teamed with a LO manned fighter with LO semi-recessed AAM, or a LO weapon pod, or LO stand-off ordnance on a LO pylon?? That would seem to be an overall cost-effective and feasible balance.

The S. Koreans want a fighter that is made with predominantly indigenous technology but they do seem quite ambitious with their designs considering the rise in air power around them. The model pictured does seem to lack internal weapons bays and Stephen Trimble does say that they aren't in the requirements. The requirements could change though and some of the other designs offered do seem to have provisions for internal weapons carriage. That and the requirements could change so they might go with an internal bay if they absolutely need one.

Forum: Modern Military Aircraft

The South Korean KF-X