One of the most interesting fighter projected in USA. Designer Larry Bell said:
"We went back to fundamentals."
There were fire power, good pilot visibility and good landing and ground charasteristic. By locating the engine behind the pilot and transmiting its power through a drive shaft to a propeller gearbox in the nose, fundamental was achieved in one storke. A 37 mm cannon instalation and teo 12.7 mm machine gun in the nose plus multiple wing gun instalation provided the fighter with the fire power. Pilot could see in all directions with minimum of obstruction. The answer to the safe high speed landing and improved ground charasteristic was found in the tricicle landing gear.