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YF-23 Gray Ghost

128k Hyperloop  9.0 years ago

This is a mock up of the Northrop YF-23.

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The Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23 was an American single-seat, twin-engine stealth fighter aircraft technology demonstrator 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 Sukhoi Su-27 and Mikoyan 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 its competitor. 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. The two YF-23 prototypes were museum exhibits as of 2009.[1][2]

General Characteristics

  • Successors 2 airplane(s) +28 bonus
  • Created On Windows
  • Wingspan 64.2ft (19.6m)
  • Length 98.7ft (30.1m)
  • Height 20.5ft (6.2m)
  • Empty Weight 9,992lbs (4,532kg)
  • Loaded Weight 106,799lbs (48,443kg)

Performance

  • Power/Weight Ratio 0.252
  • Wing Loading 32.3lbs/ft2 (157.8kg/m2)
  • Wing Area 3,305.4ft2 (307.1m2)
  • Drag Points 14422

Parts

  • Number of Parts 151
  • Control Surfaces 8
  • Performance Cost 606