Convair Model 44

The Convair Model 44 was Convair's design proposal for a carrier-based fighter for the United States Navy. It was submitted to the Naval Fighter Experimental programme, known as VFX, which the Naval Air Systems Command announced in July 1968 after the Pentagon's attempt to put the F-111 on carriers as the FB-111 under the TFX programme had failed. The Navy asked for a two-seat, twin-engined air superiority fighter capable of Mach 2.2. Convair drew on development work from its Model 200 design and, like the F-111, proposed a variable-sweep wing, in effect a copy of the F-111 wing and pivot mechanism, with a single fin where the Grumman and McDonnell entries had two. The German article describes it as somewhat smaller but heavier than the Grumman design, with a 20 mm cannon in the forward lower fuselage and four AIM-7 Sparrow missiles carried under the fuselage. North American Aviation, McDonnell and Vought also entered. McDonnell Douglas and Grumman reached the final round, and Grumman won on 14 January 1969 with the Model 303E/F that became the F-14 Tomcat, so the Model 44 never went beyond the concept stage.