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I didn't say it was better Only said it was a development of the F-16.

More like the Japanese goverment took the costly way of designing their own fighter so as not to crush the Fighter industry here instead of going for F-16s or aircraft of that category. I don't think it is a bad decision as you guys know us Japanese like to retire our Diesel Subs in a mere 16 years just to keep the 2 sub-building companies alive.... Seems like they have enough money to support some fighter development.

To bonzonie:
I know that The F-2 is one of the best fighters today, and i read a full story about him in my IAF's magazine...
he's got an excellent avionic system, he can carry an impressing number of weapons and can fly very far.
that's what you got for 100 million $.
i know that The F-16 Block 60 of the UAAF and the F-16I for the IAF are slightly better (again: slightly better!) than the F-2, your goverment was damn right about to take the costly way because she didn't crush your aircraft industry. good choice . In the lavi case my goverment made the right choice of developing new plane, but as i wrote, the USA told her to stop, and of course we had to listen to them. the people in israel was very upset.
can you post some F-2's pictures? maybe someone can do he's repaint from the F-16 Block 50 to he's new operational colors... this is a picture of the F-2's prototype:
http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/F-2.jpe

thanks again:
Erez Rochman

Ok I understand that this is not the place to talk polotics so I'll take it elswhere. The Lavi looks amazing and I would love it to be made. I bought IAF and it is like an extremely stripped down version of USAF personally I would advise against buying it.

Crumbso

The IAF simulator came before the USAF. jean's and the israeli company called "Pixel" created him in 1998 (!) for that time and even for now, if you like the story of the game (Most of the IAF's histrory), it's a really really good simulator...
jean's saw that the IAF is selling so she teamed up again with "Pixel" to create the USAf, that has improved graphics but he looks a lot like the IAF. the Lavi over there was in operational colors, and not very good but he's cockpit is great and more things in it, and considering the time he was desgined, he is at high class 8. but we need new and much better Lavi because FS2002 and CFS3 are offering much more.
Hope you anjoyed flying for the iaf .

wolf8218 wolf8218 wolf8218.....

The Lavi IS NEW AIRCRAFT, and I think that you didn't read all the posts. The F-2 is MUCH better than the F-16C.
back in 1987 the japanese goverment decided to develop with MD that later bought by Lockheed a new and better version of the F-16C and in the 7 at july 1995 the F-2 toke off. from outside view, they look almost the same, but inside it's a new plane. let's just say: the F-2 Will win F-16C in battle. the Lavi's develop strated in 1982 and was stoped in 1986 after the USA told Israel to stop. and supposed that the Lavi took some of the good aerodynamic shape of the F-16, back in the  1984  the F-16C just got out to the market, while the develop of the Lavi was in his middle, so I guess that israeli designers knew the F-16C and took the best of him with the best of the lavi, and created the first prototype.when the Lavi's construction was started Israel had all of her demands and his shape and stuff like that on the paper. the lavi was and he still 5 million $ cheaper than the F-16C. even that the project was cancelled, in 1989, two years after the Lavi was cancelled IAI built the 3'rd prototype that he is the Lavi that was supposed to become operational. the lavi's 3'rd prototype cost 20 million $ and the F-16C costs 25 million $. yet the Lavi is even better than the F-16 block 50. here's the link to the Lavi's technical data: http://www.iaf.co.il/iaf/doa_iis.dll/Serve/item/English/1.3.3.6.5.1.html

the images i post in my first post don't longer work so look at them now. these are his coolest pictures:
http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/lavi.jpe
http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/pic01.jpe
http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/pic02.jpe
http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/pic03.jpe
http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/pic04.jpe
http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/pic05.jpe
http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/pic06.jpe
http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/pic09.jpe

Fighter Talk!? Count me in!!

Actually, I think the F-2 fulfilled it's requirement! And that is to keep the Japanese Fighter development from crushing!! This may sound bizzare, or totally crazy to the major fighter-design countries (US, Europe, Russia), but smaller countries without much resources to do these things have to do (sometimes idiotic) measures to keep them from going rusty. Remember Japan pours on billions of dollars to keep 16 diesel subs in the water, each one only lasting for 16 years as a new one is built to replace it.... Pretty dumb IMHO, but probably needed... (What I DO think is idiotic is the fact that we only keep 16 subs.... why not increase to 20? Of course, we are supposed to only have enough to "defend" our country and cannot have more than 16 for fear of "scaring" our neighbors..... )

I haven't checked much performance numbers of the F-2 yet, but I sure do think its a helluva better plane than the F-1 it's going to replace. I believe it is suited for the Japanese SDF, as the F-16C cannot do Maritime-Strike missions, nor does it have the "Japanese Electronics"

To me, it sounds like the Lavi and F-2 began with the same requirement, to build a new fighter to defend the country, and to keep the fighter-design resources alive. Unfortunatly, the US intervention fourced Isreal to stop short....

And oh, let's try not to get too political

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Here is the best tutorial for gmax that i have found, It isn't finished yet...but soon willhttp://www.simviation.com/gryphon/tutorials/gMax_00.htm