So you think CFT's on a Super Hornet is the death knell of the F-35. Yes, you could be right and the f-35 will be cancelled. I recall when the f-15 got conformal fuel tanks. That was forecasted as the end of the F-22 development too. They were right. You may know they didn't build as many as they were going to.
It may in fact be why the US didn't put conformal tanks on the F-16. Or the F-35 would have never started.
I think I see a pattern here. Perhaps they should start with a conformal fuel tank and build the FX-XX plane around it. It will save a lot of time and money. With conformal tanks from the begining, it will never need replacing.
Given that the euro designed planes don't have conformal tanks fitted. It could explain their limited sales. You have opened my eyes and it's all starting to make sense.
Last edited by golder; 4th Mar 2018 at 19:15.