I thought I had seen that ....!
CorrectI think that F-20 photo is in the LA Science Museum.
Because the B is a VTOL and the C is for carrier operation?Gun pod on an F-35C. The B and C models do not have internal guns.
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The USAF required it, that Navy and Marines didn't. The gun may not have fit in the B due to the lift-fan and associated supporting equipment, or they wanted / needed to save weight in the B and C. The USAF may have added it as a ploy to strengthen the push to retire the A-10. "See, we can still shoot at the ground. We don't need the A-10."Because the B is a VTOL and the C is for carrier operation?