YF 23 - going to be used?

you say that , but what about the yf-16 / yf-17 competition? the F-16 was chosen , but the YF-17 was kept on , and used as the basis of the F/A-18

Link please, im a visual learner so lots of pics would be nice.

Is it possible that the USAF doesnt want the FB-22 because it already has the A-17 that does exazctly the same job

the plot thickens once more

MY a$$ is starting to itch...

[edit on 30-11-2004 by engineer]

Okay, I have recieved a response from the Western Museum of Flight.

"The YF-23 was refurbished by Northrop but is still on temporary loan to the company. We have no ETA on its return to us at this moment."

Let the rumors fly...

Well, clearly they are retrofiting it with an anti matter drive that powers an ant-gravity engine - also, they are adding phaser cannons, an ion blaster and black hole gun

The pic in my mini-profile is an A-17 since I liked the concept, I actually made the model my self basing it on my YF-23 model.

Hopefully the DoD got smart and really is making a new YF-23 variant

I found out that both YF-23S belonged to NASA and atleast one was on long term loan.

"NASA had planned to use one of the two aircraft to extensively study strain gage loads calibration techniques, while the other would remain in storage at Dryden. However, both aircraft remained in storage until the summer of 1996 when the aircraft were transferred to museums. The YF-23A Prototype Air Vehicle 2 (PAV-2), serial # 87-0801, is on display at the Western Museum of Flight in Hawthorne, California, on long term loan from NASA. YF-23A PAV-1 (87-0800) is currently at the Air Force Flight Test Center Museum at Edwards Air Force Base, California."

So perhaps NASA took them both back for some unknown reason.

On a side note I also found out the prototype YF-23 was nicknamed "Gray Ghost" cool name IMHO.

www.dfrc.nasa.gov...



[edit on 1-12-2004 by ShadowXIX]

Well, Dryden is at Edwards, and we know that PAV-1 has been moved from there. My guess is that both are back at Northrup.

Has anyone tried to contact the USAF Museum at Wright Patterson?

Give me the number and i'll contact them long-distance

engineer I checked over there websites contact section and it said Aircraft,Information and Research requests must be written and sent via regular mail. So im not sure if I would have to send a letter to get a answer to the question.

I sent a email anyway asking what happened to the plane and if it is planned to return to the museum in the future. I will let everyone know if I get a answer.

Ground Zero, the curator's name is Terry Aitken.

National Museum of the US Air Force
1100 Spaatz St.
Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433
(937) 255-3286

Thank you engineer!

I just would like to let you guys know that i'm an aviation freak and I want to know nothing more than the truth, I am not biased since i'm not from Russia nor the USA and I love both developments...

I just wish the Netherlands developed it's own aircraft like Sweden...atleast we help the US in the development of the F-35

It has been said that the YF-23 will be used as a testing platform, its life has not been cut. Just because it lost to a competition it should have won, does it mean it is dead permanatly?

Anyways, the YF-23 acts as a test bed for future technology. So it seems logical that there might be a bomber variant of the YF-23.

And There is no YF-23 Blackwidow, just YF-23 Blackwidow II, no I, just II.

Shattered OUT...

so the company is now flying better planes than the USAF?

I said they will be used as test platforms and research aicraft. This only means the technology is being looked into, does not mean anything else exists yet.

Shattered OUT...

yeah but techinically even it isnt got the latest radar or anything the company still fly better planes than the USAF?

Ok, I was wrong, the YF-23 will never be used again, both models are not in usable conditions and are kept in museums. The government will not bring them back.

Shattered OUT...

The YF-23A lost to the F/A-22 and that’s it...

There was talk about re-igniting the program earlier this year but no one want to bear the cost or the work that comes along with testing and fielding such an advanced fighter...

The F/A-22 is more then enough; the YF-23 would bring little to nothing more in terms of capabilities to the table when compared to the '22.

It didnt lose it was simply not chosen by a politition.

Yet you want to spend money on laser weaponry that "might" help your weapons tech?

Really?
Better speed and stealth not to mention the whole larger range thing.

The 23 did in fact lose because it costed slightly more to maintain. There aren't any lasers on it. The engines and airframe arent a factor for the speed, its limited by the aircrew's tolerance, so I dont think the speed is relevant.