Lightweight fighter: how would've you done it?

[pinehilljoe]

The P-39 wins again, as the heaviest
light weight fighter.

 

[AerialTorpedoDude69]

Given those requirements, one of the more ambitious designs was the Moskalyev SAM-13 project, which never progressed beyond the prototype stage. The numbers are clearly overly optimistic (particularly the 420 MPH speed on two tiny air-cooled V-engines) and the weights are listed as being around 2,000 lbs. But even so, it's an interesting, mostly wood design similar to (and probably inspired by) the Fokker D.XXIII.

I'd say if you were going to pick and choose components, the most suitable lightweight engine would have been an air-cooled, inverted-V. And if you had to choose alloys, probably 7075 would be the best option since it was significantly lighter and stronger than aluminum.

The tail would probably be a V-tail since those are slightly lighter than T-tails.

TLDR: IMO, the ideal lightweight fighter would be air-cooled, inverted-V-powered, partly made from 7075, and with a V-tail.

 

[swampyankee]

A fighter isn't lightweight so much in comparison with either its predecessors or its successors as with its contemporaries, especially those specified at about the same time. Only when comparing fighters of the same era -- and a fighter specified in 1932 was very much in a different era than one specified in 1942 -- is the "LWF/HWF" a viable comparison, and even then I'd argue that the aircraft need to be procured in parallel by the same service, even if there was no conscious LWF/HWF split (as there was with the F-14/F-18 and F-15/F-16).

My selection of LWF/HWF pairings of the WW2 era would be something akin to:
P-38/P-40
Bf110/Bf109
F7F/F8F

Stretching a bit (well, a lot!):
P-61/F6F-3N (both night fighters)
Whirlwind/Spitfire
Do335/FW190

And for an extreme stretch:
P-47/P-51

---------------
<ducks and runs from room>

 

[Shortround6]

A fighter isn't lightweight so much in comparison with either its predecessors or its successors as with its contemporaries, especially those specified at about the same time. Only when comparing fighters of the same era -- and a fighter specified in 1932 was very much in a different era than one specified in 1942 -- is the "LWF/HWF" a viable comparison, and even then I'd argue that the aircraft need to be procured in parallel by the same service, even if there was no conscious LWF/HWF split (as there was with the F-14/F-18 and F-15/F-16).

My selection of LWF/HWF pairings of the WW2 era would be something akin to:
P-38/P-40
Bf110/Bf109
F7F/F8F

Stretching a bit (well, a lot!):
P-61/F6F-3N (both night fighters)
Whirlwind/Spitfire
Do335/FW190

And for an extreme stretch:
P-47/P-51

---------------
<ducks and runs from room>

Not too bad.

But the P-47/ Mustang goes back to 1940 when both the planes were "paper". The P-47 was going to do things the Mustang (Allison) would not.

Or consider the Spitfire/Typhoon.

 

[swampyankee]

Not too bad.

But the P-47/ Mustang goes back to 1940 when both the planes were "paper". The P-47 was going to do things the Mustang (Allison) would not.

Or consider the Spitfire/Typhoon.

In the current LWF/HWF pairing, the "heavy," say the F-15, can do things the "light," the F-16, can't. The difference may be less than when the two aircraft first entered service, but I expect it still exists. It's starker if you consider the F-22 to be the "heavy" to the "light" F-35.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

In the current LWF/HWF pairing, the "heavy," say the F-15, can do things the "light," the F-16, can't. The difference may be less than when the two aircraft first entered service, but I expect it still exists. It's starker if you consider the F-22 to be the "heavy" to the "light" F-35.

FYI - about 15,000 pound difference between the two and that will vary with mission load out. Guys I knew out of EDW used to call the F-35 "Minnie Me" when comparing to the F-22.

 

[BiffF15]

In the current LWF/HWF pairing, the "heavy," say the F-15, can do things the "light," the F-16, can't. The difference may be less than when the two aircraft first entered service, but I expect it still exists. It's starker if you consider the F-22 to be the "heavy" to the "light" F-35.

A single F-15E can carry as much air to ground ordinance as a 4 ship of F-16Cs while going further (requires less tanker support). The E model is a serious bomb truck. The EX looks to be more so.