North American NA-335

NA-335
General information
Role	Air superiority fighter
National origin	United States
Number built	0
History
Outcome	Cancelled in favor of the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle

The North American NA-335 was North American Aviation's entry into the US Air Force's 1960s-1970s F-X program, which would later result in the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle.[1]

The NA-335 resembles the T-10/Su-27, however the NA-335 lacked the gap between the engine nacelles, and only a single vertical fin.[2]

Background

The "F-X" program dates back to 1964, when the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark first flown, visualized to complement or replace the Republic F-105 Thunderchief and McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II fighter-bombers. As air-to-air combat intensified in the Vietnam War, the United States Air Force required a new air superiority fighter.[3]

Specifications

Data from The F-15 Eagle: Origins and Development, 1964-1972, p.52

General characteristics

• Length: 61 ft (19 m)
• Wingspan: 46 ft (14 m)
• Height: 18 ft (5.5 m)
• Wing area: 500 sq ft (46 m^2)
• Aspect ratio: 4.23

Performance

References

1. Why The F-15 Terrified The Soviets, retrieved 2024-01-03
2. "The F-15 that never was: The North American NA-335". Hush-Kit. 2016-03-16. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
3. Neufield, Jacob (November 1974). "The F-15 Eagle: Origins and Development, 1964-1972" (PDF). Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC). pp. iii. Retrieved 22 August 2024.