Northrop YF-23 - Photos & Video

Northrop YF-23a
Paese	Usa
Ruolo	Dimostratore tecnologico per caccia stealth
Primo volo	27 agosto 1990
Costruito	2

The Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23 è stato un dimostratore americano di tecnologia di caccia stealth monoposto bimotore progettato per la United States Air Force (USAF). Il progetto fu finalista nella competizione Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) dell'USAF, combattendo contro il Lockheed YF-22 per un contratto di produzione. Furono costruiti due prototipi YF-23, soprannominati "Black Widow II" e "Gray Ghost".

fonte: Northrop YF-23 su Wikipedia

Northrop YF-23 Walk Around
Fotografi	Cees Hendriks
Localizzazione	Inconsapevole
Foto	100

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Northrop YF-23 Walk Around
Fotografi	Dale Elhardt
Localizzazione	Inconsapevole
Foto	59

YF-23 Black Widow II Walk Around
Fotografo	Unknow
Localizzazione	Michael Benolkin
Foto	27

Vedi anche:

The Master of High-Altitude Stealth

Le 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 e 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)
Ruolo	Stealth Air Superiority Fighter
Equipaggio	1 (Pilot)
First Flight	August 27, 1990
Motopropulsore	2 × Pratt & Whitney YF119 or General Electric YF120
Velocità massima	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 “Gray Ghost”). 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 Museo Occidentale del Volo in California.