Fairchild Hiller (Republic Aviation) FX fighter project (rival to the F-15)

Fairchild Hiller (Republic Division) TF-15 fuselage (alternate lowered canopy)
(29 May 69 plan currently on eBay):
 

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"FX-8" from
AD0512542 INVESTIGATION OF AIRFRAME-INLET INTERACTION FOR SUPERSONIC TACTICAL FIGHTER AIRCRAFT
Constant Prokop, Robert J. Sanator Fairchild Hiller - Republic Aviation Division
TECHNICAL REPORT AFFDL-TR- 70-66 January 1970

https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/AD0512542.pdf
fx-8-jpg.166570

319554-62b3707c630075ecffe3b457144cd96f.jpg
 
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Company Submits Cost Data To Support F-15 Design Bid

The volumes of documented cost data which support Fairchild Hiller’s bid to design and build the new F-15 air superiority fighter have been delivered to the Air Force. This is the second major step in Air Force procedures for processing and evaluating contractor proposals for the new' fighter system.
By end of the year, according to the Air Force, evaluation of the contract definition phase proposal will be completed and a contractor will be named for what will probably be one of the biggest military; aircraft contracts of the 1970s.

At this point, according to the authoritative magazine Space/Aeronautics, initial Air Force production is planned at about 530 aircraft with possible additional orders to add up to a 1,000 plane fleet. The magazine said that although a number of other new military weapons systems arc subject to intense debate w'ithin the Pentagon and the Congress on Capitol Hill, “the case for the F-15, however, seems most clear. The U.S. lag in new fighter development was made obvious in Vietnam, where the MIG-21 has proved an excellent match for the F-4 and in the Soviet Union, where a dozen new fighters
have been developed since the mid-50s.”

The Air Force recently disclosed that it is seeking an improved “dogfight” missile for the F-15 weapon mix which will include short and intermediate-range missiles and a new rapid-fire internal cannon. The Air Force is aiming at a 1975 initial operational capability for the new F-15 system. General McNickle said.
Click to expand...
, Fairchild Hiller News, 1 September 1969
 
My Dad worked on this project, was sent to Ohio, and we recently found these images of wind-tunnel testing, They brought fixed and variable wing models--
 

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motiheal said:
My Dad worked on this project, was sent to Ohio, and we recently found these images of wind-tunnel testing, They brought fixed and variable wing models--
Click to expand...

Welcome aboard Motiheal,and it's very nice pictures, we hope
to get all Fairchild FX series.
 
motiheal said:
My Dad worked on this project, was sent to Ohio, and we recently found these images of wind-tunnel testing, They brought fixed and variable wing models--
Click to expand...
Any text with the drawings?

It goes without saying, I would appreciate any more stuff, and if your dad has any memories or stories of working at Republic (on this F-15 project in particular) I'd love to hear.
 
overscan (PaulMM) said:
Any text with the drawings?

It goes without saying, I would appreciate any more stuff, and if your dad has any memories or stories of working at Republic (on this F-15 project in particular) I'd love to hear.
Click to expand...
My Dad is passed but I would love to share what I know. He has some info, pics, etc from 1960 to Republic's closing in 1986. It was a good run. He worked on the F-105, Ryan XV-5A, the A-10, FX, and the T-46 projects, then after Republic closing, the Omac Laser in Georgia, and Bromon in Puerto Rico for a short time. I will look through the info.
 
Cheers - sorry to hear you dad passed. In addition to the FX stuff, I know someone who would be interested in any interesting T-46 material.

If you ever wanted to send this stuff to a good home, the Cradle of Aviation museum in New York has a good collection of Republic items.
 
overscan (PaulMM) said:
Cheers - sorry to hear you dad passed. In addition to the FX stuff, I know someone who would be interested in any interesting T-46 material.

If you ever wanted to send this stuff to a good home, the Cradle of Aviation museum in New York has a good collection of Republic items.
Click to expand...
Thanks. Yes we have T-46 info. This all belongs to my son who is also in aerospace (Pivotal Helix E-VTOL). I am sorting through it (just added some AX pictures to this site) and will probably share with museums digitally for now. I live on Long island NY and we also have the American Airpower Museum at Republic Airport, and the airport terminal itself has a display of Republic models and info. :) John
 
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overscan (PaulMM) said:
fx-aam-jpg.783845

Sparrows look closer to the fuselage but the shadow suggests they aren't actually conformal.
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What are those small missiles on the fuselage aft of the Sparrows?

It's obvious that there are Sidewinders on the wings, and Sparrows on the fuselage forward.

But I've never seen "half-rows" before. Wing shape isn't correct for Falcons, though size is.
 
Huh. Seems I forgot the last time I asked this.

AIM-82s or -95s do seem to have the same kind of range as 1970s Sidewinders, though. Not like the UK Taildog with a ~2km range at best but that had the sensor FOV to guarantee a hit if the seeker locked on.
 
No.

AIM-82 was explicitly a USAF-only dogfight missile, much smaller than Sidewinder and not intended to have a complex and expensive seeker, akin in concept to Taildog or R-60. It was expected to lack high-off boresight seeker and TVC as it was supposed to be a near-term development.

AIM-95 was significantly larger, longer ranged, much more capable than AIM-82.

AIM-82 was cancelled pretty early on to save money in favour of just using Sidewinder and letting the Navy fund AIM-95.
 
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Faichild Hiller F-15 advert slightly reveals the Fairchild Hiller design in the image on the helmet. November 1969.
 

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