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It reminds me of the Lockheed CL-1200 Lancer proposal to replace the F-104 Starfighter in some ways, the larger tail not so much but the high-mounted wing definitely.

I thought the same

[apophenia]

Thanks folks!

It reminds me of the Lockheed CL-1200 Lancer proposal to replace the F-104 Starfighter in some ways, the larger tail not so much but the high-mounted wing definitely.

Spot on, Jeff. Although the actual prompt was Robin's F-8 wing swap suggestion for the Lightning, the Lancer was definitely an influence on this Starfighter adaptation.

One feature of the CL-1200 that I didn't care for was the slight hunchback effect from the new wing centre section. I was guessing that the less severe dihedral of the Vought wings would allow me to reduce that effect ... although I have no idea whether RW F-104 top longerons would really permit that. (BTW, I'd imaged that production Starfire IIs had fixed (non-folding) outer wing panels. Later F-112 variants would likely have had added pylons and, possibly, wingtip rails as well.)

That vertical tail was based more on the U-2 ... but more swept-back for much higher speeds. The horizontal tails could have been low-set like the Lancer but I placed them more centrally on the jet pipe. That was more by instinct than by planning - it just looked better to my eye.

[apophenia]

Playing some more with air-superiority fighters for the Vietnam War. This time, a 'least mod' F-100 evolution ...

The North American F-107C Nemesis

Despite its designation, the F-107C Nemesis had next to nothing in common with the NA-212 YF-107 'Ultra Sabre' of the late 1950s. Instead, the F-107C (charge number NA-262C) was a direct descendant of the in-service F-100C Super Sabre. Indeed, from the cockpit rearward, the two aircraft types were all but identical. The key differences were the F-107's side intakes dictated by the fitting of a large search radar in its nose.

That AN/ASG-14 search-and-track radar was necessary for the intended armament of AIM-7C Sparrow SARH missiles. Backup armament was twin AIM-9B Sidewinders and an M61 Vulcan cannon. [1]  With the F-107C's raison d'être being air-to-air, emphasis was on manoeuvrability and firepower versus maximum speed. As a result, manoeuvring was essential against MiG-21s while, with opposing MiG-17s, speed could be used to advantage. The F-107C was most closely matched by the VPAF's MiG-19 on MigCaps.

Top: North American F-107C-NA-2 Nemesis armed with twin AIM-7C Sparrow missiles on its inboard Type X pylons; a pair of 450 US gallon drop tanks; and outboard racks for AIM-9B Sidewinders. Note the enlarged dorsal fin fillet which externally distinguished the F-107C-NA-2 model from the low-rate initial production F-107C-NA-1 Nemesis.

The relatively poor success rate of the AIM-7C SARH missile over Vietnam led to a revised emphasis on IR missiles.

Bottom: North American F-107C-NA-4 Nemesis armed with four AIM-9Bs on 'Y' racks on its inboard Type I pylons and a pair of 450 US gallon drop tanks (here, in SAE camouflage colours) but with no outboard racks. With outboard pylons fitted, the F-107C could carry six AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles - or, later on, a mix of AIM-9Bs inboard and a pair of the new AIM-9Es outboard.
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[1] The M61 Vulcan 'Gatling gun' replaced the F-100's two starboard 20 mm cannons; the ammunition drum displaced the portside 20mm guns.