Manufacturer: McDONNELL DOUGLAS

Model: 268

Name: Kestrel ('Have News')

Type:

Date: 1982

Status: Experimental

Country: United States

Service: U.S. Air Force

Designation: YF-118A

The McDonnell Douglas Model 268 was actually a genuine project submitted as a contender in the XST competition (won by Lockheed's Have Blue).

I used the company desk model (which can be seen here [link]) as a basis. All the panel lines are mine, since the model was stylized and displayed none... I called the aircraft the YF-118A Kestrel, after the bird of prey whose beak resembles the aircraft's nose...

• Very well, but you should add jet exaust and some aerodynamic effects (may be, swirls at the ends of the wing) (LottonTheWizard)
• That is really rather awesome. (Paul)
• I wasn't familiar with this project, thanks for the info and nice image btw. (Hamza)
• Looks like an A-4 kitbashing, with an amateurish attempt at stealth (I know it's not your fault, but compare it to the F-117's disciplined design, which has every surface and orifice angled to deflect radar beams, according to careful calculations). However, it could provide the USN and USMC with an effective attack craft with lower observability- more cost-effective than the overambitious A-12, at least- the fuselage seems deep enough for a bomb bay, or a Wild Weasel's equipment bay. (ArmamentDawg)
• Cool delta fighter dude! (theF-man)

It is, isn't it? But I have little to do with its shape, it's an existing design. I simply started from a rough desktop model and changed it to a believable operational article...