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F-19

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fictional fighter aircraft

For other uses, seeF19.

A fictitious F-19 design as ascale model

F-19 is a skippedDoD designation in theTri-Service fighter aircraft designation sequence which was thought by many popular media outlets to have been allocated to theLockheed F-117 Nighthawk. The designation was actually skipped at Northrop's request, to avoid confusion with theMiG-19.

History

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Since theunification of the numbering system in 1962, U.S. fighters have been designated by consecutive numbers, beginning with theF-1 Fury.F-13 was never assigned to a fighter due totriskaidekaphobia, though the designation had previously been used for a reconnaissance version of theB-29. After theF/A-18 Hornet, the next announced aircraft was theF-20 Tigershark. The USAF proposed the F-19 designation for the fighter, but Northrop requested "F-20" instead. The USAF finally approved the F-20 designation in 1982.^[1] The truth behind this jump in numbers is that Northrop pressed the designation "F-20" as they wanted an even number, to stand out from the Soviet odd-numbered designations.^[2]

The United States received the firstLockheed F-117 Nighthawk stealth attack aircraft in 1982.^[3] During the decade many news articles discussed what they called the "F-19".^[4] TheTestor Corporation produced an F-19scale model.^[5]^[6] The company had decades of experience in producing highly detailed models that pilots and aerospace engineers purchased, and used its sources in the United States military and defense contractors. TheCBS Evening News with Dan Rather and other media discussed the model after its January 1986 introduction. When the real stealth aircraft crashed in California in July 1986, news stories used the model to depict it. RepresentativeRon Wyden asked the chairman ofLockheed Corporation why an aircraft that Congressmen could not see was sold as model aircraft. The publicity helped to make the model the best-selling model aircraft of all time,^[7] but the model's smooth contours bore little resemblance to the F-117 and its angular panels.^[5] The F-117 designation was publicly revealed with the actual aircraft in November 1988.^[8]

TheAlabama Air National Guard's 117th Intelligence Squadron features a fictional F-19A Specter design on their squadron logo, inspired by the fictious design popularized by the Testor toy.^[9]

Notable appearances in media

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In 1986, theTestor Corporation released amodel aircraft kit, calling it the "F-19 Stealth Fighter".^[2]^[10]^[6] The kit is claimed to be the best-selling plastic model kit of all time.^[11]
Like the Testor Corporation,Monogram models also released the "F-19A Specter" which was based on the design byLoral Inc.^[12]
In his 1986 novelRed Storm Rising,Tom Clancy featured the "F-19A Ghostrider" (nicknamed "Frisbee" by the pilots and crew) as a secret weapon used to combat a Soviet invasion of Germany.^[2]
MicroProse released the 1987 video gameProject Stealth Fighter and the successor 1988/1990 gameF-19 Stealth Fighter, both featuring an imagining of the F-19's capabilities, with artwork based on theTestor Corporation model kit.
TheAlabama Air National Guard’s 117th Intelligence Squadron uses the F-19A Specter on their squadron logo.^[13]^[14]

References

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^Frey, Lieutenant Colonel William."The F-20, Saga of an FX".^{[permanent dead link]}Air University Review, May–June 1986.
^^a ^b ^cRichard G. Sheffield (1995).Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk. Aerospace. p. 72.ISBN 978-1880588192.
^https://www.cavok.com.br/guerra-fria-como-o-mundo-imaginava-o-f-117
^ The Defenders A Comprehensive Guide to the Warplanes of the USA by Chris Marshall, 1988. ISBN 1870318102
^^a ^bJeffrey T. Richelson (July 2001)."When Secrets Crash".Air Force Magazine. Retrieved1 November 2019.
^^a ^bTrenner, Patricia (2008)."A Short (Very Short) History of the F-19".Air & Space magazine. Archived fromthe original on 2012-07-17. Retrieved2008-02-11.
^Ciotti, Paul (1986-10-19)."Tempest in a Toy Box : The Stealth Fighter Is So Secret the Pentagon Won't Admit It Exists. John Andrews Shocked Everyone by Building a Model of It. To Tell the Truth, He Says, It Wasn't All That Much Trouble".Los Angeles Times. Retrieved2020-01-21.
^Jr, John H. Cushman (1988-11-11)."Air Force Lifts Curtain, a Bit, on Secret Plane".The New York Times.ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved2023-09-16.
^Trevithick, Joseph (2017-10-23)."This USAF Intelligence Squadron's Insignia Appears to Show the "F-19 Specter"".The War Zone. Retrieved2024-08-07.
^"Lockheed F-19 Stealth Fighter (1986)". Retrieved2007-04-11.
^"A Very Short History of the F-19". Retrieved2014-06-20.
^"F-19A Specter (1987)". Fantastic Plastic Models. Retrieved2007-04-11.
^Trevithick, Joseph (2017-10-23)."This USAF Intelligence Squadron's Insignia Appears to Show the "F-19 Specter"".The War Zone. Retrieved2024-08-07.
^"117th Intelligence Squadron".117arw.ang.af.mil. Retrieved2024-08-07.

External links

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USAAS/USAAC/USAAF/USAF fighter designations 1924–1962, andTri-Service post-1962 systems

1924 sequences
(1924–1962)

Pursuit (1924–1948)	P-1 P-2 P-3 P-4³ Curtiss P-4 Boeing P-4 P-5 P-6 P-7 P-8 P-9 P-10 P-11 P-12 P-13 P-14 P-15 P-16 P-17 P-18 P-19 P-20 P-21 P-22 P-23 P-24 P-25 P-26 P-27 P-28 P-29 P-30 P-31 P-32 P-33 P-34 P-35 P-36 P-37 P-38 P-39 P-39E P-40 P-41 P-42 P-43 P-44 P-45 P-46 P-47 P-48 P-49 P-50 P-51 P-52 P-53 P-54 P-55 P-56 P-57 P-58 P-59³ XP-59 P-59 P-60 P-61 P-62 P-63 P-64 P-65 P-66 P-67 P-68 P-69 P-70 P-71 P-72 P-73² P-74¹ P-75 P-76 P-77 P-78 P-79 P-80 P-81 P-82 P-83 P-84 P-85 P-86 P-87 P-88 P-89 P-90 P-91 P-92
Fighter (1948–1962)	F-38 F-39 F-40 F-47 F-51 F-59 F-61 RF-61C F-63 F-80 F-81 F-82 F-83 F-84 F-84F/J F-84H F-85 F-86 F-86C F-86D/G/K/L F-87 F-88 F-89 F-90 F-91 F-92 F-93 F-94 F-95 F-96 F-97 F-98 F-99 F-100 F-100B F-101 F-102 F-102B F-103 F-104 XF-104 F-104S NF-104A F-105 F-106³ XF-106 F-106 F-107 F-108 F-109² F-110 F-111 F-111B F-111C F-111K AFTI/F-111A EF-111A
Pursuit, biplace	PB-1 PB-2 PB-3
Fighter, multiplace	FM-1 FM-2
Non-sequential	F-24 P-322 P-400

Tri-service sequence
(1962–present)

Main sequence	F-1 F-1C/D F-1E/F F-2 F-3 F-4 F-4J(UK)/K/M F-5 F-5G F-6 F-7 F-8 F-8E(FN) F-9 F-9F–J F-10 F-11 F-12 F-12C² F-13¹ F-14 F-15 F-15E F-15EX F-15J F-15 STOL/MTD F-16 F-16XL NF-16D F-17 F/A-18 F/A-18E/F EA-18G F-19¹ F-20 F-21 F-22 YF-22 FB-22 F-23
Non-sequential	F-35 F-47 F-117