Specifically US based fighter aircraft; why do we skip numbers? I mean we went from the F-14 , F-16, (no F-17?) F-18, then jumped from that to the F-22 and the YF-23 and now the F-35. I assumed it was a generational thing at first then I thought, “What about the F-117 Nighthawk and the SR 71 Blackbird…?”
Edit: Thank you all for your quick replies, it was a conversation topic that popped up at my job and figured I’d ask the fine folks here who are more versed in this sort of thing.
Also…I know the SR-71 isn’t a fighter and was used for recon missions. -_-
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> F-14 , F-16
What about the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle?
> (no F-17?)
You mean the Northrop YF-17 “Cobra”?
> F-18, then jumped from that to the F-22
The F-19 might still be classified, but what about the Northrop F-20 Tigershark, and the Lockheed Martin F-21 made for the Indian Air Force?
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