This Is What Regret Looks Like To The US Air Force
The YF-23 was the runner-up in the Air Force's "Advanced Tactical Fighter" competition that resulted in the trouble-ridden F-22 Raptor — only two were ever made.
The YF-23 was a radical design with diamond-shaped wings, a radar-evading profile, and an all-moving V-tail.
It was powered by two turbofan engines that pushed exhaust through 'troughs' that helped dissipate heat to lower the chance of infrared missile detection.
The jet had a wingspan of nearly 44 feet, about the same as the F-22, and both only had room for only one pilot.
The '23 had a range of about 2,800 miles — almost 1,000 miles greater than the F-22 even with that jet's dual external fuel tanks.
That range could be increased with in-flight refueling.
They were definitely fast, with a max speed around 1,650+ mph, or Mach 2.1 — close to the F-22's Mach 2.
The aircraft would have carried an M61 Vulcan cannon, 4 medium-range air-to-air missiles, and 2 short-range air-to-air missiles — two fewer missiles than the '22 carries now.
Although it wasn't required for the competition, the F-22 had a slight edge since it performed successful missile shots, unlike the YF-23.
Despite strengths of the YF-23, the The Air Force ultimately went with the ill-fated F-22 because of its high marks in 'technical areas and effective program management.'
There's been some speculation that the wing design of the YF-23 also made it more stealthy than its competitor.
Since the YF-23 design was so radical, many believe the choice of the more conventional F-22 came down to lower cost and less risk.
The only place to see the 'F-23 today is in Torrance, California or an Ohio air base, where they've been re-furbished and sometimes get released for tour.
You've seen the fighter that lost its battle to the YF-23
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