Northrop YF-23
YF-23 | |
---|---|
YF-23 flying over Edwards Air Force Base. | |
Role | Stealth fighter technology demonstrator |
National origin | United States |
Manufacturer | Northrop/McDonnell Douglas |
First flight | 27 August 1990 |
Status | Canceled |
Primary user | United States Air Force |
Produced | 1989–1990 |
Number built | 2 |
The Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23 is an American single-seat,
In the 1980s, the USAF began looking for a replacement for its fighter aircraft to more effectively counter the Soviet Union'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 the design was developed into the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, which first flew in 1997 and entered service in 2005. 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 are currently museum exhibits.
Development
American reconnaissance satellites first spotted the advanced Soviet Su-27 and MiG-29 fighter prototypes in 1978, which caused concern in the U.S. Both Soviet models were expected to reduce the maneuverability advantage of contemporary US fighter aircraft.[1] In 1981, the USAF requested information from several aerospace companies on possible features for an Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) to replace the F-15 Eagle. After discussions with aerospace companies, the USAF made air-to-air combat the primary role for the ATF.[2] The ATF was to take advantage of emerging technologies, including composite materials, lightweight alloys, advanced flight-control systems, more powerful propulsion systems, and stealth technology.[3] In October 1985, the USAF issued a request for proposal (RFP) to several aircraft manufacturers. The RFP was modified in May 1986 to include the evaluation of prototype air vehicles from the two finalists.[N 1] At the same time, the U.S. Navy, under the Navy Advanced Tactical Fighter (NATF) program, announced that it would use a derivative of the ATF winner to replace its F-14 Tomcat. The NATF program called for the procurement of 546 aircraft along with the USAF's planned procurement of 750 aircraft.[4]
In July 1986, proposals for Demonstration and Validation (Dem/Val) were submitted by
The YF-23 was designed to meet USAF requirements for
Formally designated as the YF-23A, the first aircraft (
A proposed naval variant of the YF-23 known as the NATF-23 was considered as an
Design
The YF-23A (internally designated DP117K) was an unconventional-looking aircraft, with
It was powered by two turbofan engines with each in a separate engine nacelle with S-ducts, to shield engine axial compressors from radar waves, on either side of the aircraft's spine.[24] The inlets were trapezoidal in frontal profile, with special porous suction panels in front to absorb the turbulent boundary layer and vent it over the wings. Of the two aircraft built, the first YF-23 (PAV-1) was fitted with Pratt & Whitney YF119 engines, while the second (PAV-2) was powered by General Electric YF120 engines. The aircraft featured single-expansion ramp nozzles (SERN) and unlike the YF-22, does not employ thrust vectoring.[12] As on the B-2, the exhaust from the YF-23's engines flowed through troughs lined with tiles that are “transpiration cooled” to dissipate heat and shield the engines from infrared homing (IR) missile detection from below.[11] The YF-23's propulsion and aerodynamics enable it to supercruise at over Mach 1.6 without afterburners.[25]
The
Production F-23
The proposed production F-23 configuration (DP231 for the F119 engine and DP232 for the F120 engine) for full-scale development, or Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD), would have differed from the YF-23 prototypes in several ways. Instead of a single weapons bay, the EMD design would instead have two tandem bays in the lengthened forward fuselage, with the forward bay designed for short range
NATF-23
The naval NATF-23 variant (designated DP527), the schematics of which surfaced in the 2010s, was different in many ways due to the requirements of aircraft carrier operations as well as a greater emphasis on long range sensors, weapons, and loiter time for fleet air defense;[30][N 2] the diamond wings were located as far back as possible, and the aircraft has conventional canted vertical tails instead of the ruddervator with serrations for low RCS and increased maneuverability at low speeds for aircraft carrier operations, folding wing capability for flight deck storage, reinforced landing gear, tailhook and canards for landing on aircraft carriers and thrust vectoring nozzles.[31] The inlet design was also different, being a quarter circle with serrations with a bumped compression surface. The internal weapons bays would have accommodated the Navy's planned AIM-152 long-range missiles as well as potentially the AGM-88 HARM and AGM-84 Harpoon, while the bay doors would carry AIM-9 missiles; an M61 rotary cannon would be installed in the right wing. The NATF-23 had an increased 48 ft wingspan while length was reduced to 62 ft 8.5 in; folded wingspan would be 23 ft 4 in.[32]
Operational history
Evaluation
The first YF-23, with Pratt & Whitney engines, supercruised at Mach 1.43 on 18 September 1990, while the second, with General Electric engines, reached Mach 1.72 on 29 November 1990. By comparison, the YF-22 achieved Mach 1.58 in supercruise.[33] The YF-23 was tested to a top speed of Mach 1.8 with afterburners and achieved a maximum angle-of-attack of 25°.[26] The maximum speed is classified, though sources state a speed greater than Mach 2 at altitude in full afterburner.[34][35] The aircraft's weapons bay was configured for weapons launch, and used for testing weapons bay acoustics, but no missiles were fired; Lockheed fired AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles successfully from its YF-22 demonstration aircraft. PAV-1 performed a fast-paced combat demonstration with six flights over a 10-hour period on 30 November 1990. Flight testing continued into December.[36] The two YF-23s flew 50 times for a total of 65.2 hours.[37] The tests demonstrated Northrop's predicted performance values for the YF-23.[38] While both designs met or exceeded all performance requirements, the YF-23 was stealthier and faster, but the YF-22 was more agile.[39][40]
The two contractor teams submitted evaluation results with their proposals for full-scale development in December 1990,[38] and on 23 April 1991, Secretary of the Air Force Donald Rice announced that the YF-22 was the winner.[41] The Air Force selected the F119 engine to power the F-22 production version. The Lockheed and Pratt & Whitney designs were rated higher on technical aspects, were considered lower risks, and were considered to have more effective program management.[41][42] It has been speculated in the aviation press that the YF-22 was also seen as more adaptable to the Navy's NATF, but by 1992 the U.S. Navy had abandoned NATF.[43][44]
Following the competition, both YF-23s were transferred to NASA's
Possible revival
In 2004,
Japan launched a program to develop a domestic
Aircraft on display
- YF-23A PAV-1, Air Force serial number 87-0800, "Gray Ghost", registration number N231YF, is on display in the Research and Development hangar of the National Museum of the United States Air Force near Dayton, Ohio.[54]
- YF-23A PAV-2, AF ser. no. 87-0801, "Spider", registration number N232YF, was on exhibit at the Western Museum of Flight until 2004,[45] when it was reclaimed by Northrop Grumman and used as a display model for a YF-23-based bomber.[55] PAV-2 was returned to the Western Museum of Flight and was on display as of 2010 at the museum's new location at Zamperini Field, Torrance, California.[56]
Specifications (YF-23A)
Data from Pace,[57] Sweetman,[58] Winchester,[11] Aronstein,[34] and Metz & Sandberg[35]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 67 ft 5 in (20.55 m)
- Wingspan: 43 ft 7 in (13.28 m)
- Height: 13 ft 11 in (4.24 m)
- Wing area: 900 sq ft (84 m2)
- Empty weight: 29,000 lb (13,154 kg)
- Gross weight: 51,320 lb (23,278 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 62,000 lb (28,123 kg)
- Powerplant: 2 × afterburning turbofanengines, 35,000 lbf (160 kN) with afterburner
Performance
- Maximum speed: Mach 2.2 (1,450 mph, 2,335 km/h) at high altitude
- Supercruise: Mach 1.72 (1,135 mph, 1,827 km/h) at altitude
- Range: 2,424 nmi (2,789 mi, 4,489 km)
- Combat range: 651–695 nmi (749–800 mi, 1,206–1,287 km)
- Service ceiling: 65,000 ft (20,000 m)
- Wing loading: 57 lb/sq ft (280 kg/m2)
- Thrust/weight: 1.36
Armament
None as tested but provisions made for:[11]
- 1 × 20 mm (0.79 in) M61 Vulcan cannon
- 4 × AIM-120 AMRAAM or AIM-7 Sparrow medium-range air-to-air missiles[11][59]
- 2 × AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missiles[59]
See also
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
- List of military aircraft of the United States
- List of fighter aircraft
References
Notes
- ^ The prototype air vehicles were to be "best-effort" machines not meant to perform a competitive flyoff or represent a production aircraft that meets every requirement, but to demonstrate the viability of its concept.
- ^ The DP527 drawings show the same F119 engines as the Air Force version, but the final powerplant may have been a modified variant with greater bypass ratio for improved fuel efficiency at the expense of supercruise performance.
- ^ The "F/B-23" designation was also used.
Citations
- ^ Rich, Michael and William Stanley. Improving U.S. Air Force Readiness and Sustainability. Rand Publications, April 1984. p. 7.
- ^ Sweetman 1991, pp. 10–13.
- ^ Miller 2005, p. 11.
- ^ Williams 2002, p. 5.
- ^ Miller 2005, pp. 13–14, 19.
- ^ a b Metz 2017, p. 31
- ^ Goodall 1992, p. 94.
- ^ Jenkins and Landis 2008, pp. 233–234.
- ^ "ATF procurement launches new era". Flight International, 15 November 1986. p. 10. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
- ^ Goodall 1992, p. 91.
- ^ a b c d e f g Winchester 2005, pp. 198–199.
- ^ a b Miller 2005, p. 23.
- ^ Sweetman 1991, pp. 23, 43.
- ^ "YF-23 roll out marks ATF debut." Flight International, 27 June – 3 July 1990. p. 5. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
- ^ Goodall 1992, p. 99.
- ^ a b Jenkins and Landis 2008, p. 237.
- ^ a b [1] Timestamp 7:20
- ^ [2] Photo of PAV-2 information placard displaying the specifications as well as the PAV-2 nickname "Spider"
- ^ Goodall 1992, p. 120.
- ^ "Naval ATF to use Technologies Beyond Those in Air Force Version" 12 July 1990 Aerospace Daily ASD p. 59, Vol. 155, No. 8 English, 1990. McGraw-Hill, Inc.
- ^ St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, Missouri). 24 May 2001, Main Edition p. 100.
- ^ Goodall 1992, pp. 108–115, 124.
- ^ Walkaround. yf-23.net
- ^ Sweetman 1991, pp. 42–44, 55.
- ^ "Northrop-McDonnell Douglas YF-23A Black Widow II". National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
- ^ a b "YF-23 would undergo subtle changes if it wins competition". Defense Daily 14 January 1991
- ^ YF-23 Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) - Paul Metz (Part 1), retrieved 11 November 2023
- ^ Sweetman 1991, pp. 34–35, 43–45.
- ^ Metz 2017, p. 54
- ^ Report to the Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives: Navy's Participation in Air Force's Advanced Tactical Fighter Program (PDF) (Report). United States Government Accounting Office. March 1990.
- ISBN 1580072275.
- ^ Metz 2017, p. 79
- ^ Goodall 1992, pp. 102–03.
- ^ a b Aronstein 1998, p. 136.
- ^ a b Paul Metz, Jim Sandberg (27 August 2015). YF-23 DEM/VAL Presentation by Test Pilots Paul Metz and Jim Sandberg. Western Museum of Flight: Peninsula Seniors Production.
- ^ Miller 2005, pp. 36, 39.
- ^ Norris, Guy. "NASA could rescue redundant YF-23s." Flight International, 5–11 June 1991. p. 16. Retrieved: 25 June 2011.
- ^ a b c Miller 2005, pp. 38–39.
- ^ Goodall 1992, p. 110.
- ^ Sweetman 1991, p. 55.
- ^ a b Jenkins and Landis 2008, p. 234.
- ^ Miller 2005, p. 38.
- ^ Miller 2005, p. 76.
- ^ Williams 2002, p. 6.
- ^ NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, 20 January 1996. Retrieved: 25 June 2011.
- ^ "Flashback: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II". U.S. Air Force Sustainment Center. 1 February 2022.
- ^ Hebert, Adam J. "Long-Range Strike in a Hurry." Air Force magazine, November 2004. Retrieved: 24 June 2011.
- ^ "YF-23 re-emerges for surprise bid". Flight International, 13 July 2004.
- ^ "Quadrennial Defense Review Report." U.S. Department of Defense, 6 February 2006. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
- ^ Hebert, Adam J. "The 2018 Bomber and Its Friends." Air Force magazine, October 2006. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
- ^ Majumdar, Dave. "U.S. Air Force May Buy 175 Bombers." Defense News, 23 January 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
- ^ Mizokami, Kyle "Now Northrop Grumman Wants to Build Japan's New Fighter Jet" Popular Mechanics, 10 July 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
- ^ "Defense Ministry to develop own fighter jet to succeed F-2, may seek int'l project". Mainichi Shimbun. 4 October 2018. Archived from the original on 25 April 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
- ^ "Northrop-McDonnell Douglas YF-23A Black Widow II". National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, 6 November 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
- ^ Miller 2005, p. 39.
- ^ "Static Displays"; "Northrop YF-23A 'Black Widow II'". Western Museum of Flight. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
- ^ Pace 1999, pp. 14–15.
- ^ Sweetman 1991, p. 93.
- ^ a b Sweetman 1991, pp. 42–43.
Bibliography
- Aronstein, David C. and Michael J. Hirschberg. Advanced Tactical Fighter to F-22 Raptor: Origins of the 21st Century Air Dominance Fighter. Arlington, Virginia: AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics), 1998. ISBN 978-1-56347-282-4.
- Goodall, James C. "The Lockheed YF-22 and Northrop YF-23 Advanced Tactical Fighters". America's Stealth Fighters and Bombers, B-2, F-117, YF-22, and YF-23. St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks International Publishing, 1992. ISBN 0-87938-609-6.
- Jenkins, Dennis R. and Tony R. Landis. Experimental & Prototype U.S. Air Force Jet Fighters. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 2008. ISBN 978-1-58007-111-6.
- Metz, Paul. Air Force Legends Number 220. Northrop YF-23. Forrest Lake, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 2017 ISBN 0989258378
- Miller, Jay. Lockheed Martin F/A-22 Raptor, Stealth Fighter. Hinckley, UK: Midland Publishing, 2005. ISBN 1-85780-158-X.
- Pace, Steve. F-22 Raptor. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1999. ISBN 0-07-134271-0.
- ISBN 0-87938-505-7.
- Williams, Mel, ed. "Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor", Superfighters: The Next Generation of Combat Aircraft. London: AIRtime Publishing, 2002. ISBN 1-880588-53-6.
- Winchester, Jim, ed. "Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23", Concept Aircraft. Rochester, Kent, UK: Grange Books, 2005. ISBN 1-84013-809-2.