The Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23 is an American single-seat, twin-engine, stealth fighter technology demonstrator prototype designed for the United States Air Force (USAF).

Northrop built two YF-23A prototypes. In 1991, after extensive flight testing, the USAF announced that the Lockheed YF-22A won the airframe competition. Northrop ended its ATF program, and the YF-23A on display came to the Museum in 2000.

May 18, 2017 · Northrop built two YF-23A prototypes: the first YF-23 (serial number 87-0800), Prototype Air Vehicle 1 (PAV-1), was rolled out on 22 Jun. 1990 and took its 50-minute maiden flight on Aug. 27 with Alfred “Paul” Metz at the controls while the second YF-23 (serial number 87-0801, PAV-2) made its first flight on Oct. 26, piloted by Jim Sandberg.

The Northrop YF-23A was designed to meet USAF needs for survivability, ease of maintenance and supercruise. To satisfy the latter requirement two different engines (the Pratt & Whitney YF119-PW-100L and the General Electric YF120) were competing one versus the other too.

Jul 23, 2019 · Northrop built two YF-23A prototypes: the first YF-23 (serial number 87-0800), Prototype Air Vehicle 1 (PAV-1), was rolled out on 22 Jun. 1990 and took its 50-minute maiden flight on Aug. 27...

Feb 1, 2022 · Unofficially dubbed ‘Black Widow II’, Northrop’s Prototype Air Vehicle (PAV) number 1 took to the air for the first time on August 27 making a near flawless one hour flight. Climb out was brisk, requiring the F-16 chase to use afterburner to stay with the YF-23 using military (non-afterburning) thrust.

The Northrop YF-23 or Northrop–McDonnell Douglas YF-23 was an American single-seat, twin-engine fighter aircraft designed for the United States Air Force (USAF). The design was a finalist in the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) competition, battling the Lockheed YF …

Northrop and McDonnell Douglas were awarded a contract in 1986 to develop two YF-23 prototypes. The goal was to demonstrate the aircraft’s capabilities and compete against the YF-22 for the ATF contract.

Oct 26, 2024 · What You Need to Know: The Northrop YF-23, nicknamed “Black Widow II,” was a stealth fighter prototype developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s as part of the U.S. Air Force’s Advanced...

The second YF-23 (serial number 87-0801, PAV-2) made its first flight on October 26th, piloted by Jim Sandberg. The first YF-23 was painted charcoal gray and was nicknamed “Spider” and “Black Widow II,” the latter after the Northrop P-61 Black Widow of World War II.