I found this on the Lockheed Martin website. Its fortunate and a bit ironic that a multinational corporation is maintaining our nations aviation history in an easy to find and access website. The Smithsonian, DoD and other governmental organizations should follow suit.
Boeing stressed stealth with clever internal arrangements and weapon bay designs that carried munitions semi-submerged.
After a year of study and report writing by industry, ASD performed
mission analyses on four generic fighter designs that spanned the
variety of aircraft investigated by the companies. The aircraft were
labeled N, SDM, SLO, and HI. N (numbers) was a small, cheap concept that
could be bought in quantity. SDM (supersonic dash and maneuver)
emphasized speed and maneuverability. SLO (subsonic low observables) was
based on a flying wing design. HI (high-Mach/high-altitude)
represented a large missileer. The results, which were presented to all
participants, favored the flying wing. The more conventional SDM
fighter placed second in effectiveness. The missileer (shown here) and
inexpensive minifighter did not rate well in the analyses.
After a year of study and report writing by industry, ASD performed
mission analyses on four generic fighter designs that spanned the
variety of aircraft investigated by the companies. The aircraft were
labeled N, SDM, SLO, and HI. N (numbers) was a small, cheap concept that
could be bought in quantity. SDM (supersonic dash and maneuver)
emphasized speed and maneuverability. SLO (subsonic low observables) was
based on a flying wing design. HI (high-Mach/high-altitude)
represented a large missileer. The results, which were presented to all
participants, favored the flying wing. The more conventional SDM
fighter placed second in effectiveness. The missileer and inexpensive
minifighter (shown here) did not rate well in the analyses.
After a year of study and report writing by industry, ASD performed
mission analyses on four generic fighter designs that spanned the
variety of aircraft investigated by the companies. The aircraft were
labeled N, SDM, SLO, and HI. N (numbers) was a small, cheap concept that
could be bought in quantity. SDM (supersonic dash and maneuver)
emphasized speed and maneuverability. SLO (subsonic low observables) was
based on a flying wing design. HI (high-Mach/high-altitude)
represented a large missileer. The results, which were presented to all
participants, favored the flying wing (shown here). The more
conventional SDM fighter placed second in effectiveness. The missileer
and inexpensive minifighter did not rate well in the analyses.
The ability to operate an aircraft from battle-damaged runways was yet
another characteristic evaluated in the early ATF studies of the 1970s
and 1980s. Designs incorporating this capability are referred to by a
number of terms, including short takeoff and landing, short takeoff and
vertical landing, and vertical takeoff and landing (STOL, STOVL, and
VTOL, respectively). The benefits of abbreviated takeoffs and landings
are, however, less clear than benefits associated with stealth, speed,
and maneuverability.
NOTE--From the writer of SNAFU!*
This study was conducted for the USAF. It can be rightfully stated that the USAF considers an expeditionary environment to mean operating away from home base. A USAF expeditionary environment is in some places a better standard of living than Marines and Soldiers would have at their home bases/posts. It should also be noted that the USAF is reconsidering the usefulness of STOVL aircraft in light of soon to be shifting priorities to the Pacific and the threat of Chinese conventional ballistic missiles being able to destroy conventional airfields.
The ability to operate an aircraft from battle-damaged runways was yet
another characteristic evaluated in the early ATF studies of the 1970s
and 1980s. Designs incorporating this capability are referred to by a
number of terms, including short takeoff and landing, short takeoff and
vertical landing, and vertical takeoff and landing (STOL, STOVL, and
VTOL, respectively). The benefits of abbreviated takeoffs and landings
are, however, less clear than benefits associated with stealth, speed,
and maneuverability.
NOTE--From the writer of SNAFU!*
This study was conducted for the
USAF. It can be rightfully stated that the USAF considers an
expeditionary environment to mean operating away from home base. A USAF
expeditionary environment is in some places a better standard of living
than Marines and Soldiers would have at their home bases/posts. It should also be noted that the USAF is reconsidering the
usefulness of STOVL aircraft in light of soon to be shifting priorities
to the Pacific and the threat of Chinese conventional ballistic missiles
being able to destroy conventional airfields.
