I mean what is what the Alpahabets
A, B , C , D
Just make new "Name"
Because if you make enough variants, you might as well
give each plane a name of its own?
I'll call mine Julie ...
Seriously, here are examples of those letters in use :
Rafale :
- B / Biplace or two-seater
- C / Chasseur or fighter
- M / Marine or Navy/Naval
F-16 :
- A / B Single and dual seaters original build.
- C / D Single and dual seaters 2nd gen. build.
- AM / BM European MLU, old cell w. new build avionics again in Single seater and dual.
- E / F Single and dual seaters, 3rd / latest build.
- CJ / I / N etc are one-off variants - Israel, SEAD/DEAD and Naval adversary respectively.
Note that the non-combat N had the T/F-16 designation for Twin seaters.
Now a look at the F-18 to draw our lesson's points :
First, notice the other lettering change - F
/A-18 indicating a swing-role fighter/attack Ac.
Then, that it covers two different planes with the SuperHornet being a 25% bigger redesign.
- F/A-18 A / B as above.
- F/A-18 C / D as above.
- F/A-18 E / F / G : New Aircraft, same names as above plus the EW variant Growler.
If you compare with the Thunder, it goes A / B as we're all saying . . .
unless you want to go Biplace and Single place but it will confuse
potential export buyers if the brochure reads JF-17 B
/S ? ... so
.
Added to letters are also numbers as in F-16 Blocks. These are just
production standards by another name. Different standards can be
ported to different builds but not always nor always entirely. Raffys
have had many standards : LF1, F1, F2.1, F2.2, F3.1 .2 .3 to F3.4
in use now and F3-R later this year then F4.1 and the first standard
F4.2 that will constitute according to previsions a different build. You
can further check the blocks by orders of ten in the F-16 as in Block
10 20 30 etc up to 60 on the EF and also each has a variant with 2
added block 10/12 save Block 60 because it represents the buyer's
choice of motorization with either a GE or P&W engine respectively.
I'm guessing that by now you're as unhappy with this numerical soup
as you are with alphabet one but these designations pack a whole lot
of informations in short hand for those who learn them?
In any case, you know of the Thunder Blocks I, II and III ... that are
actually part build part blocks but nevermin' and that it's only been
in service for 7 years and already found an export client. Compare
that to the 1980 service entry date of the F-16, the second most sold
fighter ever after MiG-21 and most used nowadays, and one can very
rightfully wonder how many blocks and variants may be needed.
At the risk of utterly infuriating you, I vote for more numbers and heck
enough letters to justify switching to Chinese characters!
Still, have a great day, Tay.