Programmed to Fail - 6. Innovation
Acquisition Talk
A Brief History of the Lightweight Fighter Competition
In September 1971, Packard asked Congress for a supplemental appropriation to start a number of new prototypes. The Air Force solicited proposals for the lightweight fighter just one month later in January 1972. General Dynamics lead designer Harry Hillaker said that we were not working against a difficult but arbitrary schedule. Once we spent our 3 million, we could have piled all the parts on a flatbed trailer and said to Mr. Air Force, here's your airplane."
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