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Originally Posted by Telenator
The F104 Starfighter is an all time favorite as is the F4 Phantom.
Funny that the F117 has the "F" designation though as it doesn't meet the criteria. In order for a plane to brandish the "F" designation it must be super sonic and it must armed with guns. It is neither. The F117 is a small bomber. Perhaps they had to designate it "F" in order to get the funding for it. .
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I've read, in a real book, not on the internet, that the F-117 designation was pure subterfuge, based upon fact.
In the old USAF scheme of numbering fighters, F-117 was up next. The F-4 actually started out as the F-110. The F-111 snuck through. The F-15 and F-16 took up a few of those numbers, and they were at F-117 and used it.
F-19 was also up at the time, so it could have easily had that designation.
You are correct though, it isn't much of fighter.
