I've long wondered why the legacy F-18, with engines in the same class of thrust as the venerable F-4 it replaced (J-79 vs F404), is slower than the F-4. The F-4 is often derided as being proof that with enough thrust even a brick could fly. Where is the drag coming from in the legacy F-18 design (which does not suffer from the canted pylons of the larger Super Hornet)? The LERXes? I'd like to hear from those with more aerodynamic perspective than I. |