"Peter Stickney" wrote in message
news
In article ,
"Tarver Engineering" writes:

"Vicente Vazquez" wrote in message
...
"Dweezil Dwarftosser" escreveu na mensagem
...
The successful failu the F-16.

Is it correct to say that the F-16 is also implicated on the failure of
the
F-20 Tigershark project ??

In brief :

- F-20 should be an aircraft cleared for export for non-NATO countries
(F-16 weren't cleared for that)
- F-16 were cleared for export (Seems like General Dynamics was in
deep
financial trouble)
- F-20 program went down the drain

Does that kind of affirmation have some veridical background or is it
just
another BS that can be found in some "not very reliable" books and
magazines?

Northrop developed the F-20 on speculation and all aviation is politics.
Some have lamented the F-16 being made available, as some sort of
conspiracy
against Northrop, but export law changes were a part of the times for
the
entire arospace industry.

Dangit, John!
I'll say this for you, when you're wrong, you're wrong, but when
you're right, you're right.

I remember when you were wrong, Peter.

Northrop certainly was gambling on selling the F-5G/F-20 to the same
customers who'd bought the F-5A/E - nations that coulsn't get approval
to purchase the Fighter of Choice (F-104 or F-4, in the F-5's day), or
who couldn't affort to fly/maintain the more sophisticated jets.

A "closely held" entity like GD can have better personal relationships with
Congress, than a regular corporation can. Perhaps even buy a President a fw
hookers.

Unfortunately for Northrop, the world had changed. The export
restrictions were loosened, and a lot of smaller countries realiezed
that they could keep F-16s running.
Sometimes you guess right, and sometimes you guess wrong.

Northrop bet against Reagan.