YF-23 Black Widow II
Encyclopedia
The Northrop YF-23 or Northrop–McDonnell Douglas YF-23 was an American single-seat, twin-engine fighter aircraft
designed for the United States Air Force
(USAF). The design was a finalist in the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter
(ATF) competition, battling the Lockheed YF-22 for a production contract. Two YF-23 prototypes were built with the nicknames "Black Widow II" and "Gray Ghost".
In the 1980s the USAF began looking for a replacement for its fighter aircraft, especially to counter the USSR's advanced Su-27
and MiG-29
. Several companies submitted design proposals; the USAF selected proposals from Northrop
and Lockheed
. Northrop teamed with McDonnell Douglas
to develop the YF-23, while Lockheed, Boeing
and General Dynamics
developed the YF-22. The YF-23 was stealthier and faster, but less agile than the competition. After a four-year development and evaluation process, the YF-22 was announced the winner in 1991 and entered production as the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. The U.S. Navy considered using the production version of the ATF as the basis for a replacement to the F-14, but these plans were later canceled. As of 2009, the two YF-23 prototypes were museum exhibits.
and MiG-29
fighter prototypes in 1978, which caused concern in the U.S. Both Soviet models were expected to reduce the maneuverability advantage of contemporary US fighter aircraft. In 1981, the USAF requested information from several aerospace companies on possible features for an Advanced Tactical Fighter
(ATF) to replace the F-15 Eagle. After discussions with aerospace companies, the USAF made air to air combat
the primary role for the ATF. The ATF was to take advantage of emerging technologies, including composite material
s, lightweight alloy
s, advanced flight-control systems, more powerful propulsion systems, and stealth technology
. In October 1985, the USAF issued a request for proposal
(RFP) to several aircraft manufacturers. The RFP was modified in May 1986 to include evaluation of prototypes from the two finalists. At the same time, the U.S. Navy, under the Navalized Advanced Tactical Fighter (NATF) program, announced that it would use a derivative of the ATF winner to replace its F-14 Tomcat. The NATF program called for procurement of 546 aircraft along with the USAF's planned procurement of 750 aircraft.
In July 1986, proposals were submitted by Lockheed
, Boeing
, General Dynamics
, McDonnell Douglas, Northrop, Grumman and Rockwell
. The latter two dropped out of competition shortly thereafter. Following proposal submissions, Lockheed, Boeing, and General Dynamics formed a team to develop whichever of their proposed designs was selected, if any. Northrop and McDonnell Douglas formed a team with a similar agreement. The Lockheed and Northrop proposals were selected as finalists on 31 October 1986. Both teams were given 50 months to build and flight-test their prototypes, and they were successful, producing the Lockheed YF-22 and the Northrop YF-23.
The YF-23 was designed to meet USAF requirements for survivability, supercruise
, stealth, and ease of maintenance. Supercruise requirements called for prolonged supersonic flight without the use of afterburner
s. Northrop drew on its experience with the B-2 Spirit and F/A-18 Hornet to reduce the model's susceptibility to radar and infrared
detection. The USAF initially required the aircraft to land and stop within 2000 feet (609.6 m), which meant the use of thrust reversers
on their engines. In 1987, the USAF changed the runway length requirement to 3000 feet (914.4 m), so thrust reversers were no longer needed. This allowed the aircraft to have smaller engine nacelle
housings. The nacelles were not downsized on the prototypes.
The first YF-23 (serial number
87-0800), Prototype Air Vehicle 1 (PAV-1), was rolled out on 22 June 1990; PAV-1 took its 50-minute maiden flight
on 27 August with Alfred "Paul" Metz at the controls. The second YF-23 (serial number 87-0801, PAV-2) made its first flight on 26 October, piloted by Jim Sandberg. The first YF-23 was painted charcoal gray and was nicknamed "Spider" and "Black Widow II", the latter after the Northrop P-61 Black Widow of World War II
. It briefly had a red hourglass marking resembling the marking on the back of the black widow spider
before Northrop management had it removed. The second prototype was painted in two shades of gray and nicknamed "Gray Ghost".
to reduce drag at supersonic speeds, and an all-moving
V-tail
. The cockpit
was placed high, near the nose of the aircraft for good visibility for the pilot. The aircraft featured a tricycle landing gear
configuration with a nose landing gear
and two main landing gear. The weapons bay was placed on the underside of the fuselage between the nose and main landing gear. The cockpit has a center stick and side throttle.
It was powered by two turbofan engines with each in a separate engine nacelle on either side of the aircraft's spine. Of the two aircraft built, the first YF-23 (PAV-1) was fitted with Pratt & Whitney YF119
engines, while the second (PAV-2) was powered by General Electric YF120
engines. The aircraft featured fixed engine nozzles, instead of thrust vectoring
nozzles as on the YF-22. As on the B-2, the exhaust from the YF-23's engines flowed through troughs lined with heat-ablating
tiles to dissipate heat and shield the engines from infrared
(IR) missile detection from below.
The flight control surfaces were controlled by a central management computer system. Raising the wing flaps
and aileron
s on one side and lowering them on the other provided roll. The V-tail fins were angled 50 degrees from the vertical. Pitch was mainly provided by rotating these V-tail fins in opposite directions so their front edges moved together or apart. Yaw was primarily supplied by rotating the tail fins in the same direction. Deflecting the wing flaps down and ailerons up on both sides simultaneously provided for aerodynamic braking
.
To keep costs low despite the novel design, a number of "off-the-shelf" components were used, including an F-15 nose wheel, F/A-18 main landing gear parts, and the forward cockpit components of the F-15E Strike Eagle.
and AIM-120 AMRAAM
missiles successfully from its YF-22 demonstration aircraft. PAV-1 performed a fast-paced combat demonstration with six flights over a 10-hour period on 30 November 1990. Flight testing continued into December. The two YF-23s flew 50 times for a total of 65.2 hours. The tests demonstrated Northrop's predicted performance values for the YF-23. The YF-23 was stealthier and faster, but the YF-22 was more agile.
The two contractor teams submitted evaluation results with their proposals in December 1990, and on 23 April 1991, Secretary of the Air Force
Donald Rice
announced that the YF-22 was the winner. The Air Force selected the YF119 engine to power the F-22 production version. The Lockheed and Pratt & Whitney designs were rated higher on technical aspects, were considered lower risks, and were considered to have more effective program management. It has been speculated in the aviation press that the YF-22 was also seen as more adaptable to the Navy's NATF, but by 1992 the U.S. Navy had abandoned NATF.
Following the competition, both YF-23s were transferred to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center
at Edwards AFB
, California, without their engines. NASA planned to use one of the aircraft to study techniques for the calibration of predicted loads to measured flight results, but this did not take place.
proposed a YF-23-based bomber to meet a USAF need for an interim bomber, for which the FB-22 and B-1R were also competing. Northrop modified aircraft PAV-2 to serve as a display model for its proposed interim bomber. The possibility of a YF-23-based interim bomber ended with the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review
, which favored a long-range bomber with a much greater range. The USAF has since begun the Next-Generation Bomber program.
near Dayton, Ohio
. YF-23A PAV-2, serial number 87-0801, registration number N232YF, was on exhibit at the Western Museum of Flight
until 2004, when it was reclaimed by Northrop Grumman and used as a display model for a YF-23-based bomber. PAV-2 was returned to the Western Museum of Flight and was on display as of 2010 at the museum's new location at Torrance Airport, Torrance, California
.
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
designed for the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
(USAF). The design was a finalist in the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter
Advanced Tactical Fighter
The Advanced Tactical Fighter was a demonstration and validation program undertaken by the United States Air Force to develop a next-generation air superiority fighter to counter emerging worldwide threats, including Soviet Sukhoi Su-27 and Mikoyan MiG-29 fighters under development in the 1980s...
(ATF) competition, battling the Lockheed YF-22 for a production contract. Two YF-23 prototypes were built with the nicknames "Black Widow II" and "Gray Ghost".
In the 1980s the USAF began looking for a replacement for its fighter aircraft, especially to counter the USSR's advanced Su-27
Sukhoi Su-27
The Sukhoi Su-27 is a twin-engine supermanoeuverable fighter aircraft designed by Sukhoi. It was intended as a direct competitor for the large United States fourth generation fighters, with range, heavy armament, sophisticated avionics and high manoeuvrability...
and MiG-29
Mikoyan MiG-29
The Mikoyan MiG-29 is a fourth-generation jet fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union for an air superiority role. Developed in the 1970s by the Mikoyan design bureau, it entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1983, and remains in use by the Russian Air Force as well as in many other...
. Several companies submitted design proposals; the USAF selected proposals from Northrop
Northrop Corporation
Northrop Corporation was a leading United States aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1939 until its merger with Grumman to form Northrop Grumman in 1994. The company is known for its development of the flying wing design, although only a few of these have entered service.-History:Jack...
and Lockheed
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
. Northrop teamed with McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. It formed from a merger of McDonnell Aircraft and Douglas Aircraft in 1967. McDonnell Douglas was based at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport...
to develop the YF-23, while Lockheed, Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
and General Dynamics
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
developed the YF-22. The YF-23 was stealthier and faster, but less agile than the competition. After a four-year development and evaluation process, the YF-22 was announced the winner in 1991 and entered production as the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. The U.S. Navy considered using the production version of the ATF as the basis for a replacement to the F-14, but these plans were later canceled. As of 2009, the two YF-23 prototypes were museum exhibits.
Development
American reconnaissance satellites first spotted the advanced Soviet Su-27Sukhoi Su-27
The Sukhoi Su-27 is a twin-engine supermanoeuverable fighter aircraft designed by Sukhoi. It was intended as a direct competitor for the large United States fourth generation fighters, with range, heavy armament, sophisticated avionics and high manoeuvrability...
and MiG-29
Mikoyan MiG-29
The Mikoyan MiG-29 is a fourth-generation jet fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union for an air superiority role. Developed in the 1970s by the Mikoyan design bureau, it entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1983, and remains in use by the Russian Air Force as well as in many other...
fighter prototypes in 1978, which caused concern in the U.S. Both Soviet models were expected to reduce the maneuverability advantage of contemporary US fighter aircraft. In 1981, the USAF requested information from several aerospace companies on possible features for an Advanced Tactical Fighter
Advanced Tactical Fighter
The Advanced Tactical Fighter was a demonstration and validation program undertaken by the United States Air Force to develop a next-generation air superiority fighter to counter emerging worldwide threats, including Soviet Sukhoi Su-27 and Mikoyan MiG-29 fighters under development in the 1980s...
(ATF) to replace the F-15 Eagle. After discussions with aerospace companies, the USAF made air to air combat
Air superiority fighter
An air superiority fighter is a type of fighter aircraft intended to gain air superiority in a war, by entering and seizing control of enemy airspace. Air superiority fighters are designed to effectively engage enemy fighters, more than other types of aircraft...
the primary role for the ATF. The ATF was to take advantage of emerging technologies, including composite material
Composite material
Composite materials, often shortened to composites or called composition materials, are engineered or naturally occurring materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct at the macroscopic or...
s, lightweight alloy
Alloy
An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history...
s, advanced flight-control systems, more powerful propulsion systems, and stealth technology
Stealth technology
Stealth technology also termed LO technology is a sub-discipline of military tactics and passive electronic countermeasures, which cover a range of techniques used with personnel, aircraft, ships, submarines, and missiles, to make them less visible to radar, infrared, sonar and other detection...
. In October 1985, the USAF issued a request for proposal
Request for Proposal
A request for proposal is issued at an early stage in a procurement process, where an invitation is presented for suppliers, often through a bidding process, to submit a proposal on a specific commodity or service. The RFP process brings structure to the procurement decision and is meant to...
(RFP) to several aircraft manufacturers. The RFP was modified in May 1986 to include evaluation of prototypes from the two finalists. At the same time, the U.S. Navy, under the Navalized Advanced Tactical Fighter (NATF) program, announced that it would use a derivative of the ATF winner to replace its F-14 Tomcat. The NATF program called for procurement of 546 aircraft along with the USAF's planned procurement of 750 aircraft.
In July 1986, proposals were submitted by Lockheed
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
, Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
, General Dynamics
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
, McDonnell Douglas, Northrop, Grumman and Rockwell
Rockwell International
Rockwell International was a major American manufacturing conglomerate in the latter half of the 20th century, involved in aircraft, the space industry, both defense-oriented and commercial electronics, automotive and truck components, printing presses, valves and meters, and industrial automation....
. The latter two dropped out of competition shortly thereafter. Following proposal submissions, Lockheed, Boeing, and General Dynamics formed a team to develop whichever of their proposed designs was selected, if any. Northrop and McDonnell Douglas formed a team with a similar agreement. The Lockheed and Northrop proposals were selected as finalists on 31 October 1986. Both teams were given 50 months to build and flight-test their prototypes, and they were successful, producing the Lockheed YF-22 and the Northrop YF-23.
The YF-23 was designed to meet USAF requirements for survivability, supercruise
Supercruise
Supercruise is sustained supersonic flight of an aircraft with a useful cargo, passenger, or weapons load performed efficiently and without the use of afterburners ....
, stealth, and ease of maintenance. Supercruise requirements called for prolonged supersonic flight without the use of afterburner
AfterBurner
The AfterBurner is a lighting solution for the Game Boy Advance system that was created by Triton-Labs.Originally, portablemonopoly.net was a website created to petition Nintendo to put some kind of light in their Game Boy Advance system...
s. Northrop drew on its experience with the B-2 Spirit and F/A-18 Hornet to reduce the model's susceptibility to radar and infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
detection. The USAF initially required the aircraft to land and stop within 2000 feet (609.6 m), which meant the use of thrust reversers
Thrust reversal
Thrust reversal, also called reverse thrust, is the temporary diversion of an aircraft engine's exhaust or changing of propeller pitch so that the thrust produced is directed forward, rather than aft. This acts against the forward travel of the aircraft, providing deceleration...
on their engines. In 1987, the USAF changed the runway length requirement to 3000 feet (914.4 m), so thrust reversers were no longer needed. This allowed the aircraft to have smaller engine nacelle
Nacelle
The nacelle is a cover housing that holds engines, fuel, or equipment on an aircraft. In some cases—for instance in the typical "Farman" type "pusher" aircraft, or the World War II-era P-38 Lightning—an aircraft's cockpit may also be housed in a nacelle, which essentially fills the...
housings. The nacelles were not downsized on the prototypes.
The first YF-23 (serial number
United States military aircraft serials
In the United States, all military aircraft display a serial number to identify individual aircraft. Because these numbers are located on the aircraft tail, they are sometimes referred to unofficially as "tail numbers"...
87-0800), Prototype Air Vehicle 1 (PAV-1), was rolled out on 22 June 1990; PAV-1 took its 50-minute maiden flight
Maiden flight
The maiden flight of an aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord. This is similar to a ship's maiden voyage....
on 27 August with Alfred "Paul" Metz at the controls. The second YF-23 (serial number 87-0801, PAV-2) made its first flight on 26 October, piloted by Jim Sandberg. The first YF-23 was painted charcoal gray and was nicknamed "Spider" and "Black Widow II", the latter after the Northrop P-61 Black Widow of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It briefly had a red hourglass marking resembling the marking on the back of the black widow spider
Black widow spider
Latrodectus mactans, the Southern black widow, is a highly venomous species of spider in the genus Latrodectus. They are well known for the distinctive black and red coloring of the female of the species and for the fact that she will occasionally eat her mate after reproduction. The species is...
before Northrop management had it removed. The second prototype was painted in two shades of gray and nicknamed "Gray Ghost".
Design
The YF-23 was an unconventional-looking aircraft, with diamond-shaped wings, a profile with substantial area-rulingArea rule
The Whitcomb area rule, also called the transonic area rule, is a design technique used to reduce an aircraft's drag at transonic and supersonic speeds, particularly between Mach 0.75 and 1.2....
to reduce drag at supersonic speeds, and an all-moving
Stabilator
A stabilator is an aircraft control surface that combines the functions of an elevator and a horizontal stabilizer...
V-tail
V-tail
In aircraft, a V-tail is an unconventional arrangement of the tail control surfaces that replaces the traditional fin and horizontal surfaces with two surfaces set in a V-shaped configuration when viewed from the front or rear of the aircraft...
. The cockpit
Cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which a pilot controls the aircraft. Most modern cockpits are enclosed, except on some small aircraft, and cockpits on large airliners are also physically separated from the cabin...
was placed high, near the nose of the aircraft for good visibility for the pilot. The aircraft featured a tricycle landing gear
Tricycle gear
Tricycle gear describes an aircraft undercarriage, or landing gear, arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has one wheel in the front, called the nose wheel, and two or more main wheels slightly aft of the center of gravity...
configuration with a nose landing gear
Undercarriage
The undercarriage or landing gear in aviation, is the structure that supports an aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi, takeoff and land...
and two main landing gear. The weapons bay was placed on the underside of the fuselage between the nose and main landing gear. The cockpit has a center stick and side throttle.
It was powered by two turbofan engines with each in a separate engine nacelle on either side of the aircraft's spine. Of the two aircraft built, the first YF-23 (PAV-1) was fitted with Pratt & Whitney YF119
Pratt & Whitney F119
|-See also:-External links:* *...
engines, while the second (PAV-2) was powered by General Electric YF120
General Electric YF120
|-See also:-References:* Technology News Flight International 23/09/03 .-External links:* . Press release GE Aviation .*...
engines. The aircraft featured fixed engine nozzles, instead of thrust vectoring
Thrust vectoring
Thrust vectoring, also thrust vector control or TVC, is the ability of an aircraft, rocket or other vehicle to manipulate the direction of the thrust from its engine or motor in order to control the attitude or angular velocity of the vehicle....
nozzles as on the YF-22. As on the B-2, the exhaust from the YF-23's engines flowed through troughs lined with heat-ablating
Ablation
Ablation is removal of material from the surface of an object by vaporization, chipping, or other erosive processes. This occurs in spaceflight during ascent and atmospheric reentry, glaciology, medicine, and passive fire protection.-Spaceflight:...
tiles to dissipate heat and shield the engines from infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
(IR) missile detection from below.
The flight control surfaces were controlled by a central management computer system. Raising the wing flaps
Flap (aircraft)
Flaps are normally hinged surfaces mounted on the trailing edges of the wings of a fixed-wing aircraft to reduce the speed an aircraft can be safely flown at and to increase the angle of descent for landing without increasing air speed. They shorten takeoff and landing distances as well as...
and aileron
Aileron
Ailerons are hinged flight control surfaces attached to the trailing edge of the wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. The ailerons are used to control the aircraft in roll, which results in a change in heading due to the tilting of the lift vector...
s on one side and lowering them on the other provided roll. The V-tail fins were angled 50 degrees from the vertical. Pitch was mainly provided by rotating these V-tail fins in opposite directions so their front edges moved together or apart. Yaw was primarily supplied by rotating the tail fins in the same direction. Deflecting the wing flaps down and ailerons up on both sides simultaneously provided for aerodynamic braking
Air brake (aircraft)
In aeronautics, air brakes or speedbrakes are a type of flight control surface used on an aircraft to increase drag or increase the angle of approach during landing....
.
To keep costs low despite the novel design, a number of "off-the-shelf" components were used, including an F-15 nose wheel, F/A-18 main landing gear parts, and the forward cockpit components of the F-15E Strike Eagle.
Operational history
Evaluation
The first YF-23, with Pratt & Whitney engines, supercruised at Mach 1.43 on 18 September 1990, while the second, with General Electric engines, reached Mach 1.6 on 29 November 1990. By comparison, the YF-22 achieved Mach 1.58 in supercruise. The YF-23 was tested to a top speed of Mach 1.8 with afterburners. The YF-23's weapons bay was configured for weapons launch, and used for testing weapons bay acoustics, but no missiles were fired. Lockheed fired AIM-9 SidewinderAIM-9 Sidewinder
The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried mostly by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. The missile entered service with United States Air Force in the early 1950s, and variants and upgrades remain in active service with many air forces...
and AIM-120 AMRAAM
AIM-120 AMRAAM
The AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM , is a modern beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile capable of all-weather day-and-night operations. Designed with the same form-factor as the previous generation of semi-active guided Sparrow missiles, it is a fire-and-forget...
missiles successfully from its YF-22 demonstration aircraft. PAV-1 performed a fast-paced combat demonstration with six flights over a 10-hour period on 30 November 1990. Flight testing continued into December. The two YF-23s flew 50 times for a total of 65.2 hours. The tests demonstrated Northrop's predicted performance values for the YF-23. The YF-23 was stealthier and faster, but the YF-22 was more agile.
The two contractor teams submitted evaluation results with their proposals in December 1990, and on 23 April 1991, Secretary of the Air Force
United States Secretary of the Air Force
The Secretary of the Air Force is the Head of the Department of the Air Force, a component organization within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Secretary of the Air Force is appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate...
Donald Rice
Donald Rice
Donald Blessing Rice is a California businessman and senior government official. He has been president and chief executive officer of several large companies including RAND Corporation, and has sat on numerous boards of directors, including Wells Fargo & Company...
announced that the YF-22 was the winner. The Air Force selected the YF119 engine to power the F-22 production version. The Lockheed and Pratt & Whitney designs were rated higher on technical aspects, were considered lower risks, and were considered to have more effective program management. It has been speculated in the aviation press that the YF-22 was also seen as more adaptable to the Navy's NATF, but by 1992 the U.S. Navy had abandoned NATF.
Following the competition, both YF-23s were transferred to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center
Dryden Flight Research Center
The Dryden Flight Research Center , located inside Edwards Air Force Base, is an aeronautical research center operated by NASA. On March 26, 1976 it was named in honor of the late Hugh L. Dryden, a prominent aeronautical engineer who at the time of his death in 1965 was NASA's deputy administrator...
at Edwards AFB
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
, California, without their engines. NASA planned to use one of the aircraft to study techniques for the calibration of predicted loads to measured flight results, but this did not take place.
Possible revival
In late 2004, Northrop GrummanNorthrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American global aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world as of 2010, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over...
proposed a YF-23-based bomber to meet a USAF need for an interim bomber, for which the FB-22 and B-1R were also competing. Northrop modified aircraft PAV-2 to serve as a display model for its proposed interim bomber. The possibility of a YF-23-based interim bomber ended with the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review
Quadrennial Defense Review
The Quadrennial Defense Review is a study by the United States Department of Defense that analyzes strategic objectives and potential military threats. The Quadrennial Defense Review Report is the main public document describing the United States's military doctrine.As stipulated in the 1997...
, which favored a long-range bomber with a much greater range. The USAF has since begun the Next-Generation Bomber program.
Aircraft on display
Both YF-23 airframes remained in storage until mid-1996, when the aircraft were transferred to museums. YF-23A PAV-1, serial number 87-0800, registration number N231YF, was on display as of 2009 in the Research and Development hangar of the National Museum of the United States Air ForceNational Museum of the United States Air Force
The National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum with more than 360 aircraft and missiles on display...
near Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
. YF-23A PAV-2, serial number 87-0801, registration number N232YF, was on exhibit at the Western Museum of Flight
Western Museum of Flight
The Western Museum of Flight is an aviation museum located at Zamperini Field, the municipal airport in Torrance, California. WMOF is operated by the Southern California Historical Aviation Foundation....
until 2004, when it was reclaimed by Northrop Grumman and used as a display model for a YF-23-based bomber. PAV-2 was returned to the Western Museum of Flight and was on display as of 2010 at the museum's new location at Torrance Airport, Torrance, California
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
.
Specifications (YF-23)
See also
External links
- NASA Dryden YF-23 Photo Collection with background information
- Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23 page on joebaugher.com
- YF-23 "Black Widow II" page on GlobalSecurity.org
- YF-23 "Black Widow II", Northrop/McDonnell Douglas page on fighter-planes.com
- "YF-23 re-emerges for surprise bid". Flight InternationalFlight InternationalFlight International is a global aerospace weekly publication produced in the UK. Founded in 1909, it is the world's oldest continuously published aviation news magazine...
, 13 July 2004. - Northrop YF-23 Enthusiast's Site, includes details about post-cancellation