Two YF-23 prototypes were built, nicknamed "Black Widow II" and "Gray Ghost".
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10 Facts About Northrop YF-23
2.
Northrop YF-23 was stealthier and faster, but less agile than its competitor.
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3.
Northrop YF-23 was designed to meet USAF requirements for survivability, supercruise, stealth, and ease of maintenance.
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4.
The original Northrop YF-23 design was first considered but would have had issues with flight deck space handling, storage, landing, and catapult launching reasons requiring a different design.
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5.
Northrop YF-23 was an unconventional-looking aircraft, with diamond-shaped wings, a profile with substantial area-ruling to reduce aerodynamic drag at transonic and supersonic speeds, and an all-moving V-tail.
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6.
Test pilot Paul Metz stated that the Northrop YF-23 had superior high angle of attack performance compared to legacy aircraft, with trimmed AoA of up to 60°.
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7.
The Northrop YF-23 was stealthier and faster, but the YF-22 was more agile.
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8.
In 2004, Northrop Grumman proposed a YF-23-based bomber to meet a USAF need for an interim bomber, for which the FB-22 and B-1R were competing.
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9.
Northrop YF-23 modified aircraft PAV-2 to serve as a display model for its proposed interim bomber.
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10.
The possibility of a Northrop YF-23-based interim bomber ended with the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review, which favored a long-range bomber with much greater range.
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