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Old 07-15-2022, 01:46 PM
dragoon500ly dragoon500ly is offline
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Default The F6D Missileer

A proposed entry for the USN’s carrier-based fleet defense fighter. It was designed to be able to loiter for extended periods at a relatively long distance from the Navy's aircraft carriers, engaging hostile aircraft 100 miles (160 km) away with its powerful radar and long-range, nuclear-armed, air-to-air-missiles. Since the enemy would be fired on long before they reached visual range, the aircraft had little dogfighting capability and was strictly subsonic. When doubts were expressed about the Missileer's ability to defend itself after firing its missiles, the value of the project was questioned, leading to its cancellation. Some of the Missileer's systems, primarily the engines, radar, and missiles, continued development in spite of the cancellation, eventually emerging on the ill-fated General Dynamics–Grumman F-111B and successful Grumman F-14 Tomcat years later.

In 1957, the USN began the formal process of designing what was termed as the fleet defense fighter. This would be a large aircraft with loiter times on the order of six hours, supported by a dedicated radar aircraft providing early warning. In order to get the loiter times they wanted, the aircraft had to carry a large fuel load and was thus very large. The complex radar required dedicated operators, which resulted in a three-man crew. Additionally, they specified a side-by-side layout so both the pilot and co-pilot could concentrate on a single centered radar display, avoiding duplication of equipment and helping reduce communications errors that could occur if they were looking at different screens. Since dogfighting was out of the question, the aircraft was strictly subsonic and did not require all-round visibility.
The first part of the design began in 1958 with the proposed development of the AAM-N-10 Eagle air-to-air missile (later developmental funding stopped due to budgetary reasons). The Eagle was to be capable of a speed of Mach 4.5, with a range of 110nmi (powered)-160nmi (aerodynamic). It would be capable of inertial guidance with radio correction midcourse and active radar or home-on-jam terminal guidance. While never completed, the Eagle was presumed to fitted with a nuclear warhead.

Westinghouse was contracted to develop the AN/APQ-81 radar for the aircraft. This was an advanced pulse-Doppler radar with a maximum detection range against “bomber” sized targets of 120mi and able to track eight targets at a time when switched to ‘track-while-scan’ mode with a range of up to 80mi.

In order to support the Missileer, Grumman was developing the W2F Hawkeye (fore runner of the E-2 Hawkeye II) airborne early warning aircraft with a search range of up to 200mi.

In order for the F6D to work, a large number of technologies had to work at the same time. Among these were the new engines, radar, missiles, and supporting early warning aircraft. Development of the F6D itself was highly likely to be successful and low cost, but the system as a whole was very risky and expensive. And the F6D was dropped before any airframe was fully developed.
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