Japanese F-2

[batman527]

I was just looking at some pictures of Japan's Mitsubishi F-2. It looks to me to be an inch-for-inch replica of our F-16. Anybody know what the deal is here? Did we sell the design to them to allow them to build it? If so, why didn't we just build it for them and make money that way?

Picture:
Mitsubishi F-2

 

[xmid]

Links not working

Try this:
http://www.studenten.net/customasp/axl/plane.asp?cat_id=0&ple_id=384&page=0

Its probably a licensed deal. They pay for the tooling and the licensing, kind of like how the chinese build their own migs.

 

[xmid]

When I really started looking at it I could see some real subtle differences. Notice that the canopy divides like an F-18 where as an F-16's canopy is solid from front to back. I wonder why they would do that. Looking at the profile from beneath it looks a little different. Its lines almost appear a little more crude.

 

[Blutonski816]

The F-2 is the JASDF's next Frontline Multi-role aircraft. Lockheed Martin does have a hand in the production of the aircraft, so the obvious resmblance is a question easily answered. Hell, F-16.net even counts it as an F-16 version, despite its separate designation...
the main differences are a much different profile of the LERXes and a greater wing area... the F-16's trailing edge is almost perpendicular to the A/C's centerline, where the F-2 has a slight forward sweep on its wings trailing edges...

here's a diagram of the two

 

[batman527]

*edit* Very interesting, what would the forward sweep do? It's apparent fromt he diagram that this version is longer, but why the wing sweep? Probably something to do with the aspect ratio I guess. Reducing drag maybe?

 

[Blutonski816]

See Above...

 

[eddie]

Take a look at this. All in all, I'm a bit confused on what they were trying to accomplish with the project.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/japan/f-2.htm

While similar in appearance, the FS-X is larger and heavier than the F-16. The FS-X design calls for a 25-percent larger wing, longer fuselage, and longer horizontal and vertical tails. The FS-X will have the same F110 engine used in the latest US version of the F-16 aircraft. The FS-X will incorporate five technologies defined by FS-X agreements as Japanese (non-derived): active phased array fire control radar, integrated electronic warfare system, inertial reference/navigation system, mission computer hardware, and radar absorbing material. Japan is also developing a co-cured composite wing for the FS-X.

F-2 single-engine fighter (FS-X) has performance capabilities roughly comparable to those of the U.S. F-16 but costs over three times as much and about the same as the larger two-engine F-15.

 

[Bevo16]

They build most of their Naval Helicopters under lisence from Sikorsky. It would not shock me if they had a deal like that for the "F-2". It's not like it is an arab country afterall. The Japanese are capable of adapting and improving technology on their own.

 

[batman527]

that's pretty spendy for a plane with roughly the same performance capabilities. It seems odd to me that we didn't just build them and sell them. Japan would have gotten cheaper fighters, and we would have gotten more than 40% of the revenue and workload.

 

[Lawman]

You actually can learn something on this site, you just have to kinda plow through the Air Force/Viper BS.

http://www.f-16.net/f-16_versions_article16.html

 

[The Stinkster]

The F-2 is built by Japan under liscense agreement with the US. We sell them the basic plans and designs, they spruce it up with some of their own stuff (most notably the phased array fire control system...similar in some ways to aegis/spy 1 systems...and the radar absorbing marerial) and build it on their own. It is a pretty solid aircraft, having seen them work out of Misawa AFB. This is not uncommon for the Japanese. They have a pretty good number of P-3C's, but aside from looking pretty much like ours they are totally Japanese. Some of the sytems inside are American as part of the agreement, but mostly they bought the plans and Kawasaki and Mitsubishi make the aircraft. Pretty good deal on their part I would guess.

 

[Recidivist]

forward sweep:
one benefit of forward sweep on the trailing edge has the effect of sweeping the 1/4-chord , or at least straitening it out a little. A forward swept 1/4-chord helps with aircraft stability (you can see this on air racers like nemesis), and some older fighters. Of course one of the benefits of the f-16 is that it is naturally unstable (corrected by feedback control and fly-by-wire) which makes the aircraft more manuverable.

 

[The Chief]

The F-2 is built by Japan under liscense agreement with the US.

And would add it was licensed through Foreign Military Sales, State Department.

 

[Brett327]

A licensing deal, as opposed to just buying US made hardware is an added bonus or incentive for the buyer. It allows the buyer's economy to reap the benefits to their own industry and labor. It's one of many terms that go into FMS deals, and it's not always about maximizing the financial benefit to the US.

Brett

 

[Blutonski816]

Of course one of the benefits of the f-16 is that it is naturally unstable (corrected by feedback control and fly-by-wire) which makes the aircraft more manuverable.

I believe the term is "Relaxed Stability"...