[Lakota Mechanic]

Ok I'll ask the all important question. What aircraft do you guys think is next after the Crusader? I'm hoping for a EA6 Prowler or a Vigilante. I'd sure like to see some A-7 in USAF/ANG colors.

[lanslide]

I think it will be the F-4B/N Phantom but I'd sure like to see a Vigilante next.

[David Hingtgen]

I also think F-4B/N----then we can get some Sundowners Phantoms.

[Louie]

With what has been produced it would be logical to assume we would see a Vigilante. That is my number one request.

[Lakota Mechanic]

Originally Posted by David Hingtgen

I also think F-4B/N----then we can get some Sundowners Phantoms.

I think it is interesting that you and Landside are thinking F-4B/N If Century Wngs follows Hobby Masters lead then I'm not so sure we'll See a F-4B/N
My reasoning is Hobby Master won't do a A-7 because Century already does one and Hobby Master won't do a A-1 because Gemimi is probably making one.
I guess we can always hope that Century will make a A-1 but it probably will not include any Air Force ones if they do. So I'm sticking to the Vigilante and hoping for a Prowler.

[Alain Lee]

I know this has been asked a couple of times, Im still wondering why CW is avoiding the F-18, or do some USAF Jets like the F-15E....

[Canucklehead]

When the first preproduction photos of the A-7 came out last year, Navy and Air Force variants were shown. It's more than likely it's just a matter of time before CW gets to the USAF version. I can't see they'd go through the effort to make the parts if they weren't going to use them. At least for your guys' sake I hope they wouldn't.

[Lakota Mechanic]

Originally Posted by Lakota Mechanic

I think it is interesting that you and Landside are thinking F-4B/N If Century Wngs follows Hobby Masters lead then I'm not so sure we'll See a F-4B/N
My reasoning is Hobby Master won't do a A-7 because Century already does one and Hobby Master won't do a A-1 because Gemimi is probably making one.
I guess we can always hope that Century will make a A-1 but it probably will not include any Air Force ones if they do. So I'm sticking to the Vigilante and hoping for a Prowler.

I also might add Hobby Master made a F-4 even though Gemini is making one. So where is the logic? What's the matter with varitiy and competition?

[kb466]

I say the F-4B/N will follow the Crusader from Century Wings. Somewhere, sometime in the past, I remember reading or being told that (1) the owners of Hobby Master and Century Wings are friends, (2) Both HM and CW share the same manufacturing facilities in China, and (3) when they discussed among themselves about who would do an F-4 Phantom, they decided to split up the variants so as not to be competing with one another.

Assuming that the foregoing is true, we have some additional information to work with. First, HM has issued or plans to issue the USAF (and other users) F4C/D Phantom, the USN/USMC F-4J, and the long-nosed F-4E and F. There is still one very significant variant that HM has not made any announcements about and that is the USN/USMC F-4B/N. If HM and CW have indeed split up the Phantom market among themselves, it only follows that CW will be doing the F-4B/N, a version that was quite important, had several very attractive schemes and fits nicely into CW's USN/USMC market niche.

The only other Phantom series other than the F-4B/N that HM hasn't already claimed for itself is the British Spey powered F-4K/M. However, we know that CW will not be doing those because Gemini Aces are working on them and they are a British version, and CW has no history of producing British aircraft-- so again, we are back to the F-4B/N as being the Phantom variants to be issued by CW. Nothing else fits.

[muesingman]

Left to my own devices, just leave those d*** short-nosed spooks up to HM, please so that CW can do an RA-5C next!