More info on the Rockwell entries for NGT and VTX from one of the designers (Darold Cummings):
"It is interesting to observe how many people worked on the Rockwell VTX (Navy trainer competition to replace the T-2 and TA-4). Dave Hall worked on the Columbus version, and if you read the Raymer book, he did the "only" Los Angeles version. However, while I was on the NGT program in Los Angeles, I was asked by Columbus to apply the "conformal nacelle" concept to a modified T-2 as a possible T-2 update/competitor that would look much more modern. It turns out the T-2 structure is divided horizontally, with the lower portion containing the inlets and engines. I took the stock T-2 and sliced the whole bottom off and faired it over, and it looked much sleeker. I then added two JT-15D engines in NOVA-style "conformal nacelles". In digging through my boxes I actually found a perspective sketch done by Jim Costopolus in September of 1980 (see enclosure). It is even called out as a "T-2C with conformal nacelles". Another interesting note is the #585 on the tail. The D585 series is the code number for all the NGT NOVA drawings! So there were at least three Rockwell/NAA VTX concepts that made it to the artwork stage!"
"The real reason the VTX award went to the Hawk was strictly because of politics! NAA did not team with BAe on the Hawk because they knew from experience it would be too expensive to modify the Hawk for cat ops. McD only teamed with BAe to have a back-up for their all new design. Reagan was just elected president, and was getting a lot of pressure from the British government to buy something from the Brits, since the UK was spending so much money on US missiles and other equipment. Same old story as NGT, would the Hawk work? "Yes. but......" So when the announcement was made that McD won, all the engineers were excited, but when they learned it was the modified Hawk, not their new design, they were "in the dumps". (Note: both McD and Rockwell submitted two proposals for VTX; new aircraft and modded aircraft). The Hawk took many painful years for all the issues to be resolved for use as a cat op aircraft. The Hawk lived through the pain because it was an existing aircraft, and the end was in sight. The NGT was the very next trainer award by the U.S military, but the T-46 was so bad, it could not live through all the issues as a "new build" and was cancelled."