Some European fighters like Eurofighter use frontal surfaces for pitch control. Does any US fighter use this configuration? And what are these surfaces called?
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1$\begingroup$ Probably en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canard_(aeronautics) - not used on production USAF fighter jets. $\endgroup$– Therac - Peace for PalestineMay 17, 2021 at 18:43
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$\begingroup$ thanks, i was thinking of the Eurofighter Typhoon. $\endgroup$– Henry EamesMay 17, 2021 at 18:50
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$\begingroup$ This is an "old continent thing". Typhoon, Rafale, JAS, and Sukhoi use this control method. $\endgroup$– Jpe61May 17, 2021 at 22:08
1 Answer
These surfaces are called canards.
To my knowledge no canard equipped fighter ever entered service with the armed forces, though there were a few experimental prototypes such as the CCV/AFTI F-16 or the F-15 ACTIVE which made use of canard foreplanes.
The Grumman X-29, Rockwell X-31, and Boeing X-36 are other examples of US technology demonstrators which made use of canards for extreme maneuvering, none of which were ever pursued further for development into a fighter aircraft.