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Why was the YF-23 Cancelled?
The Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) competition was different than some of the other fighter competitions. The planes never squared off in any kind of mock combat. The pilots who flew the YF-22 never flew the YF-23 so there was no way to directly compare the 2 in that way.
Is the YF-23 in service?
The Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23 is an American single-seat, twin-engine stealth fighter aircraft technology demonstrator designed for the United States Air Force (USAF)….Northrop YF-23.
| YF-23 | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Northrop/McDonnell Douglas |
| First flight | 27 August 1990 |
| Status | Canceled |
| Primary user | United States Air Force |
Was the f23 better than the f22?
Both Northrop’s YF-23 and Lockheed’s YF-22 were clearly extremely capable fighters. Northrop’s YF-23 offered greater range and superior stealth, but the YF-22 used more advanced avionics and had a slight advantage in maneuverability.
How fast is f23?
2,335 km/h
Northrop YF-23/Top speed
Why is the F-22 over the YF 23?
As it was, the YF-22 ‘appeared better’ because they did something visually exciting and Northrop couldn’t (or so it was inferred).” Ultimately, the Air Force selected Lockheed’s YF-22 design, which was also an exceptional aircraft, for its ATF requirement.
What will replace F-22 Raptor?
NGAD jet
The F-22 will be replaced by the NGAD jet, which will fly alongside the “F-35, which will be the cornerstone, [the] F-15EX as we come in, and then we’ll have F-16 for a while as well,” Brown said. The Air Force currently has 186 F-22s, according to a Heritage Foundation count in November.
Why did the Air Force say no to the YF-23?
Trading Lockheed’s stealth fighter for Northrop’s own plane wouldn’t have halted the spreads of radical Islamic terrorism and right-wing militancy. But the development and flight-testing of the YF-23 do offer important lessons for the Air Force as it begins studying a replacement for the F-22.
What was the speed of the YF-23?
Even when powered by the less powerful Pratt & Whitney YF-119, the YF-23 had the ability to fly an entire sortie at supersonic speeds above Mach 1.4 (explained to me sometime ago by Barry Watts at the Wilson Center—who was an analyst on the Northrop team at the time).
Who was the test pilot for the YF-23?
Test pilot Paul Metz started his career as an F-105G Wild Weasel pilot in Vietnam and went on to become one of America’s preeminent test pilots. He flew Northrop’s YF-23 on its first flight during the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) competition that pitted the jet against Lockheed’s YF-22 and also went on to do the same for the F-22A.
Which is better the YF-23 or the F-22?
After flying the pre-production F-22, a far more mature machine than the YF-23 ever was, he makes it quite clear that Northrop’s offering was on par with Lockheed’s, if not superior. “Never hang your head in shame about what we did.