Northrop YF-23 - Photos & Vidéo

Northrop YF-23a
Pays	Usa
Rôle	Démonstrateur furtif de technologie de chasseur
Premier vol	Le 27 août 1990
Construit	2

Le Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23 (en) était un démonstrateur américain de technologie d’avion de chasse furtif bimoteur monoplace conçu pour l’US Force aérienne (USAF). Le design a été finaliste à l’USAF’s Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) concurrence, luttant contre le Lockheed YF-22 pour un contrat de production. Deux prototypes YF-23 ont été construits, surnommés « Veuve Noire II » Et « Fantôme gris ».

Source: Northrop YF-23 sur Wikipedia

Northrop YF-23 Walk Around
Photographes	Cees Hendriks
Localisation	Inconnu
Photos	100

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Northrop YF-23 Walk Around
Photographes	Dale Elhardt
Localisation	Inconnu
Photos	59

YF-23 Black Widow II Walk Around
Photographe	Unknow
Localisation	Michael Benolkin
Photos	27

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The Master of High-Altitude Stealth

Lla Northrop YF-23 was a prototype fifth-generation fighter developed for the U.S. Air Force’s Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) competition. Competing against the Lockheed YF-22 (the future F-22 Raptor), the YF-23 was designed with a focus on extreme stealth Et high-speed supercruise. While the YF-22 was more agile in a dogfight, many aviation experts argue the YF-23 was the superior « ghost » aircraft—faster and harder to detect on radar. Ultimately, it lost the competition in 1991, but it remains one of the most futuristic aircraft ever flown.

Attribute	Technical Specification (YF-23)
Rôle	Stealth Air Superiority Fighter
Crew	1 (Pilot)
First Flight	August 27, 1990
Groupe motopropulseur	2 × Pratt & Whitney YF119 or General Electric YF120
Vitesse maximale	Mach 2.2+ (1,450+ mph)
Supercruise	Mach 1.6+ (Without afterburner)
Combat Radius	750–800 nmi
Armament (Planned)	1 × 20mm M61 Vulcan; 4 × AIM-120 AMRAAM; 2 × AIM-9 Sidewinder

Revolutionary Stealth Engineering

Diamond Wing Planform: The YF-23 utilized a unique diamond-shaped wing that reduced radar cross-section while providing excellent lift at high speeds. This design avoided the need for separate horizontal stabilizers, combining them into two massive « all-moving » V-tails.
Serpantine Inlets: To hide the highly reflective engine fan blades from enemy radar, Northrop designed « S-duct » air intakes. These curved ducts ensured that radar waves could not travel directly to the engine face.
Infrared Masking: One of the YF-23’s greatest innovations was placing the engines on the top of the fuselage. The exhaust flowed over specialized heat-ablative tiles (derived from the Space Shuttle), which cooled the gases rapidly to hide the plane from heat-seeking missiles.
Weapon Internalization: To maintain its stealth profile, all weapons were stored in a single large internal bay. This prevented the « drag » and radar reflections caused by external missiles.

The ATF Competition and Legacy

Speed vs. Agility: The Air Force chose the YF-22 largely because it featured thrust-vectoring nozzles, making it more maneuverable in close-range combat. The YF-23 was faster and stealthier but was seen as a higher-risk design with less emphasis on dogfighting.
The Prototypes: Only two were built: PAV-1 (The « Black Widow II, » painted charcoal) and PAV-2 (The « Fantôme gris »). PAV-1 used P&W engines, while PAV-2 used the more powerful variable-cycle GE engines.
Supercruise King: During testing, the YF-23 demonstrated an incredible ability to sustain supersonic speeds without using fuel-hungry afterburners, a feat that would have allowed it to cross battlefields faster than any contemporary threat.
Where are they now? Both prototypes are preserved. PAV-1 is at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Ohio, and PAV-2 is at the Musée occidental du vol in California.