Originally Posted by
fred985
the 18 has to use the rudders because it does not have enough elavator to rotate.
The only reason to do the airbrake take-off on purpose, that I can think of, is that it would also add a pitch-up moment like the in-rudder.
Originally Posted by
Wagon1
They built an F18 without all that mess. It was the YF-17.
(....itty bitty girly landing gear)
But the F-17 never went into production. Neither did F-18L.
If SAAB Gripen had already been in service in Sweden, at the time when Finland was looking to replace the Draken and MiG-21, I think there was a good chance of it being selected instead of F-18. They wanted a fighter that didn't have too many teething problems remaining, though. The Gripen was certainly designed with road bases in mind.