Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23 Black Widow II
Description
Role	prototype fighter
Crew	one, pilot
First Flight	August 27, 1990
Manufacturer	Northrop, McDonnell-Douglas
Dimensions
Length	67 ft 5 in	20.60 m
Wingspan	43 ft 7 in	13.30 m
Height	13 ft 11 in	4.30 m
Wing area	948 ft²	88m²
Weights
Empty	32,934 lb	14,970 kg
Loaded	51,320 lb	23,327 kg
Maximum takeoff	64,000 lb	29,029 kg
Capacity
Powerplant
Engines	Tested with both 2x General Electric YF120 and 2x Pratt & Whitney YF119
Thrust	60,000 lbf	277 kN
Performance (approximate - not disclosed)
Maximum speed	1,400+ mph	2,240+ km/h
	Mach 2+
Supercruise speed	Mach 1.8 +
Unrefuelled range	921 miles	1,474 km
Service ceiling	65,000+ ft	19,800+ m
Rate of climb	ft/min	m/min
Wing loading	54 lb/ft²	265 kg/m²
Thrust/Weight	1.4:1
Avionics
Avionics
Armament
Guns	1x 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon
Missiles	Up to 6x from a mix of AIM-7 Sparrow AIM-120 AMRAAM AIM-9 Sidewinder

The Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23 Black Widow II was a prototype fighter aircraft designed for the United States Air Force. It was passed over in favour of the YF-22 that has entered production as the F/A-22 Raptor.

The YF-22 and YF-23 were competing in the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter program. Conceived in the early 1980s, contracts for the two most promising designs were awarded in 1986, with the YF-23 delivered in 1989 and the evaluation concluded in 1991.

The YF-23 was designed with stealth as a high priority and was a highly unconventional-looking aircraft with diamond-shaped wings and a V-tail. Although the precise results of the evaluation are not yet public knowledge, it is often claimed that the YF-23 was faster, more maneuverable and stealthier than its competitor, but the USAF chose the YF-22 due to ease of production, maintenance, and potential for future development. On the other hand, some say that the YF-22 was chosen for its superior subsonic maneuverability due to thrust vectoring, and the YF-23's comparatively flawed weapons release mechanism. Regarding the latter: missiles were stacked on racks, and a weapons jam of a lower-positioned missile could prevent the firing of the missile above it. In any case, the decision is still widely debated.

Two aircraft were built. One is now an exhibit at the Western Museum of Flight in Hawthorne, California and the other at the Air Force Flight Test Center Museum at Edwards Air Force Base.

In late 2004, Northrop Grumman proposed a YF-23 based design for the USAF's interim bomber requirement, a role for which the FB-22 and B-1R are also competing.

External link

• USAF Museum: YF-23