United State's NGAD & F/A-XX Fighter Programs : Updates and Discussions

[randomradio]

I predict Boeing. They had decades to prepare for this and it paid off with NGAD.

Yeah, especially if the combined effort can reduce cost. But that could leave some companies high and dry, with Boeing sole-sourcing parts from just a few companies. Plus the Pentagon's mistake of committing 2 primary projects to just one company.

Anyway, it's a competition between the makers of the Super Hornet and Tomcat, so I think it's the Tomcat's turn now. You can bet NG has been working on this for a long time too.

Plus it's unclear if NG withdrew from NGAD 'cause they were too advanced or not advanced enough. Or if a single engine design was chosen and they did not have one. That's gonna factor in here as well.

 

[randomradio]

Interesting video; it appears to be closely related to the F47 slide, and since it's expected to be more affordable, it seems a single engine will be used.

The SE will have to be developed alongside NGAS. If NGAS is canceled, it would mean F-47 is TE. And NGAS is in limbo right now.

 

[Hydra]

"The U.S. Navy is expected to announce this week who will build its next-generation carrier-based stealth fighter - a program worth hundreds of billions over its lifetime and a key part of plans to confront China, people familiar with the decision said" ~ Via @Reuters 🔗👇 pic.twitter.com/8cELsYvwlS

— AirPower 2.0 (MIL_STD) (@AirPowerNEW1) March 25, 2025

Boeing or NG, that's the next big question in aviation this week.

Moi monee's on NG.

IN just blown up this opportunity by going with an inferior system Rafale. I am not saying its inferior to FA18-BLK3, but as system its an inferior to US ecosystem.

 

[randomradio]

IN just blown up this opportunity by going with an inferior system Rafale. I am not saying its inferior to FA18-BLK3, but as system its an inferior to US ecosystem.

F/A-XX won't give us what we want. It will be more suitable for a CATOBAR carrier.

 

[Bhartiya Naagrik Sainik]

Interesting video; it appears to be closely related to the F47 slide, and since it's expected to be more affordable, it seems a single engine will be used.
Note: The owner recently changed the video's title. It's a year old video.

Another element added to suspense. So the F-47 is child of X-36, YF-23 or Bird of prey?
Bcoz Trump said "nothing comes close from speed to maneuverability to payload", I think they will make both 1 engine exportable & 2 engine domestic versions. The F-35 shows that with most powerful production F135 engine also its payload is limited & the dry & wet T/STOW are poor, needing ECU. So the XA-10X engine needs to be much more powerful.

 

[Bhartiya Naagrik Sainik]

Some 3D artist imagined & made 3D model & animation of F-47, whose fuselage looks like F/A-XX concept, upward tilted wings remind of Bird-of-Prey, engine bay hump reminds of YF-23.
So F-47 NGAD = F/A-XX + BoP + YF-23.
I'm putting a smaller collage as the images are huge, bigger than the collage.

My CG animation work of F-47 #F47 #Fighters #NGAD pic.twitter.com/MgOxnBEWq4

— tom cat fans&Love of airplanes (@tomcat_fans) March 24, 2025

Some selected screenshots from animation showing specific angles to show airframe shape, parts:

 

[Bhartiya Naagrik Sainik]

Another artist's good imagination:
> This is tandem tri-plane, but putting canard just in front of intake could obstruct airflow, unless onlyouter 2/3rd or half of canard moves.
> Bcoz of darkened flag in poster, some people are still speculating small all-moving rudders.
> Like Bird-of-Prey the wing can still be slightly tilted up with with drooped winglet, but He forgot to allign the bend-axis longitudinally parallel to length. Such wing adds to stability while a fighter needs to be unstable for agility.
> Such platipus like flatter nose could mean lesser pitch agility & little more RCS return by nose.
> Overall this looks like 1 engine exportable jet. I wonder how in Trump's words "nothing even comes close from speed to maneuverability to payload" & this is "most advanced, capable, lethal".

 

[Bhartiya Naagrik Sainik]

Another artist imagines F-47 little longer, dihedral wing with anhedral winglet.
The wing root is shifted back & intakes are also much behind, not enough space for serpentine duct, so engine would be visible.
Engine bays are apart & middle space filled like in Su-57, so might have tandem IWBs.
Perfect side, front, bottom images not available.

Boeing F-47 Thunderstorm NGAD fighter | Galleries | Vehicle

6thgen | boeing | f-47 | fighter | jet | ngad | stealth | supersonic | thunderstorm

www.cgtrader.com

Boeing F-47 Thunderstorm NGAD - 3D model by NETRUNNER_pl

Boeing F-47 Thunderstorm NGAD Lowpoly model of new concept american stealth fighter The Boeing F-47 is a 6-generation fighter aircraft developed for the U.S. Air Force under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. It’s designed to succeed the F-22 Raptor, with enhanced stealth...

sketchfab.com

 

[Speedster1]

Another artist imagines F-47 little longer, dihedral wing with anhedral winglet.
The wing root is shifted back & intakes are also much behind, not enough space for serpentine duct, so engine would be visible.
Engine bays are apart & middle space filled like in Su-57, so might have tandem IWBs.
Perfect side, front, bottom images not available.

Boeing F-47 Thunderstorm NGAD fighter | Galleries | Vehicle

6thgen | boeing | f-47 | fighter | jet | ngad | stealth | supersonic | thunderstorm

www.cgtrader.com

View attachment 41888

Boeing F-47 Thunderstorm NGAD - 3D model by NETRUNNER_pl

Boeing F-47 Thunderstorm NGAD Lowpoly model of new concept american stealth fighter The Boeing F-47 is a 6-generation fighter aircraft developed for the U.S. Air Force under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. It’s designed to succeed the F-22 Raptor, with enhanced stealth...

sketchfab.com

View attachment 41889

This one sorta looks like a smaller, tailless stealth version of the 1960s XB-47 Valkyrie.

 

[Innominate]

Another artist imagines F-47 little longer, dihedral wing with anhedral winglet.
The wing root is shifted back & intakes are also much behind, not enough space for serpentine duct, so engine would be visible.
Engine bays are apart & middle space filled like in Su-57, so might have tandem IWBs.
Perfect side, front, bottom images not available.

Boeing F-47 Thunderstorm NGAD fighter | Galleries | Vehicle

6thgen | boeing | f-47 | fighter | jet | ngad | stealth | supersonic | thunderstorm

www.cgtrader.com

View attachment 41888

Boeing F-47 Thunderstorm NGAD - 3D model by NETRUNNER_pl

Boeing F-47 Thunderstorm NGAD Lowpoly model of new concept american stealth fighter The Boeing F-47 is a 6-generation fighter aircraft developed for the U.S. Air Force under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. It’s designed to succeed the F-22 Raptor, with enhanced stealth...

sketchfab.com

View attachment 41889

I believe F-47 will have the Bird of Prey dh..... diar..... the slanty wings thingy.

Hopefully today we hear the winner of USN F-A/XX

 

[Bhartiya Naagrik Sainik]

I believe F-47 will have the Bird of Prey dh..... diar..... the slanty wings thingy.

Hopefully today we hear the winner of USN F-A/XX

May be the wing will be horizontal with anhedral winglets for supersonic shock compression lift.

 

[Bhartiya Naagrik Sainik]

Some 3D artist imagined & made 3D model & animation of F-47, whose fuselage looks like F/A-XX concept, upward tilted wings remind of Bird-of-Prey, engine bay hump reminds of YF-23.
So F-47 NGAD = F/A-XX + BoP + YF-23.
I'm putting a smaller collage as the images are huge, bigger than the collage.


View attachment 41851

My CG animation work of F-47 #F47 #Fighters #NGAD pic.twitter.com/MgOxnBEWq4

— tom cat fans&Love of airplanes (@tomcat_fans) March 24, 2025

Some selected screenshots from animation showing specific angles to show airframe shape, parts:

View attachment 41852

The artist has updated a modified version w/o canard stating that USN doesn't wan't canards.
Well, this is opposite expectation if USAF wants canards but not USN bcoz the wing leading edge has high sweep angle means higher landing speed w/o canard.
I'm posting a collage again as the images are huge.
> Perhaps the nose & chine need more blending like in Rodrigo Avellas F/A-X concept for bigger & wider coverage radar.
> Wings have been made little Lambda style than Delta earlier.
> There doesn't seem to be any winglet.
> Intakes have DSI. The intake lower edge is ahead of upper edge (blended with wing root). This can be a problem if high AoA & tight turn is desired as some air can slip out over wing causing insufficient air flow & compressor stall. Giving aux-intakes below or moving lip like in EF-2000 would increase complexity & RCS.
> Parallel IWB not tandem & SWB have been marked.
> Engine bays quite far separated, the duct may not be serpentine enough, engine would be visible.
> Exhaust look like that of YF-23 w/o TVC.

It seems that this is going to become a standard look of all 6gen jets.
Blame game already started on who's copying whom. It is bcoz of planform shaping fundamental started since 5gen.