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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.

[apophenia]

I'm still on that SPF-inspired SEA air superiority fighter though-experiment. This one was prompted mainly by the earlier 'recycling' of the F-107 designation.

That got me wondering if anything was to be gleaned from that earlier NA-212/F-107A project. My conclusion was: not much. But the raising of the wings seemed to offer promise. The XF-107/F-107A's main undercarriage was moved to the fuselage ... potentially freeing-up wing space for more pylons.

My first go (top) retained the F-100 nose and tail surfaces. But that raised wing means a major redesign of the central fuselage. So, why not go further and redesign for a smaller and more powerful J79 engine? That goofy F-107A dorsal intake was dictated by separation issues for the ventral weapons package.

I took the opportunity to create a 'sunken' fuel tank - not exactly a 'drop' tank, more a conformal fuel tank which could be jettisoned in an emergency (pinching an idea for 1930s PZL fighters). Other than being lower-drag, would such an arrangement have any utility in a 1960s fighter? Dunno.

Other detail changes are a portside M61 Vulcan gun, a gun-ranging radar, and an IRST turret. The M61 Vulcan gatling gun replaces the F-100's four prone-to-jam cannons. The Texas Instruments AAA-4 IRST seeker can be used for 'silent' (ie: non-emitting) intercepts but is really there just in case the VPAF should introduce jet bombers into the conflict.

My second go (bottom) takes the raised-wing F-100 concept out another notch. Here, the obvious change is the large, nose-mounted search radar. The new forward fuselage also introduces a new ventral intake which, in turn, results in the cockpit being raised slightly. The latter should somewhat improve pilot visibility to the rear as well. For fun alone, I've also enlarged the vertical tail. This is now almost an entirely new airframe ... which seems to rather defeat the purpose of exercise.