F-19

F-19 is a designation for a United States fighter aircraft that has never been officially used, and has engendered much speculation that it might refer to a type of aircraft whose existence is still classified.

History

Since the unification of the numbering system in 1962, U.S. fighters have been designated by consecutive numbers, beginning with the F-1 Fury. F-13 was never assigned due to superstition, but after the F/A-18 Hornet, the next announced aircraft was the F-20 Tigershark. There have been a number of theories put forth to explain this omission, but none have ever been confirmed.

The most prevalent theory in the 1980s was that "F-19" was the designation of the stealth fighter whose development was an open secret in the aerospace community. When the actual aircraft was publicly revealed in 1988, it was called the F-117 Nighthawk. There seems to be no evidence that "F-19" was ever used to designate the Nighthawk, although the National Museum of the United States Air Force website (as of 2007) does include the entry "Lockheed F-19 CSIRS (see F-117)". [ [http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2324 National Museum of the USAF Fighter Index] ]

Cultural references

*In the 1983 Chevy Chase film "Deal of the Century", Gregory Hines' character "Ray Kasternak" piloted an F-19 in a dogfight against an autonomous drone fighter.

*In 1986, the Testor Corporation released a model aircraft kit, calling it the F-19 Stealth Fighter. [cite web |url= http://www.fantastic-plastic.com/TESTORS%20F-19%20STEALTH%20PAGE.htm|title= Lockheed F-19 Stealth Fighter (1986)|accessdate=2007-04-11 |format= |work= ] [cite web |url=http://www.airspacemag.com/issues/2008/december-january/f19.php |title=A Short (Very Short) History of the F-19 |accessdate=2008-02-11 |last=Trenner |first=Patricia |coauthors= |date=2008 |work=Air & Space magazine |publisher=]

*Like the Testor Corporation, Monogram models also released the F-19A Specter which was based on the design by Loral Inc [cite web |url= http://www.fantastic-plastic.com/MONOGRAM%20F-19%20STEALTH%20PAGE.htm|title= F-19A Specter (1987)|accessdate=2007-04-11 |format= |work= ]

*Jane's Information Group published an incorrect entry on the F-19 in their aviation reference, "Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1986-1987". In addition to the fictitious artwork, the 1987-1988 and 1988-89 editions lists the aircraft as the "Lockheed RF-19 and XST". cite book
last = Taylor| first = JWR (Editor)
title = Jane's All the World's Aircraft, 1988-1989 | year = 1988| publisher = Jane's Information Group| page=p.411| language = | isbn =0 7106-0867-5 ]

*In 1988, Microprose released a computer game entitled "F-19 Stealth Fighter", the first computer simulation of stealth air combat.

*In his 1986 novel "Red Storm Rising", Tom Clancy featured the "F-19 Ghostrider" as a secret weapon used to combat a Soviet invasion of Germany. This vehicle was considerably more capable than the F-117, being a supersonic fighter rather than a subsonic precision bomber.

ee also

aircontent
related=
sequence=
F-16 - F-17 - F-18 - F-19 - F-20 - F-21 - F-22

lists=
* List of military aircraft of the United States
* List of fighter aircraft

References