The Stealth Diamond - YF-23 Gray Ghost & Black Widow II
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ต.ค. 2020
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In the early 1990s, the U.S Air Force launched a new program to build a next-generation advanced tactical fighter. This gave way to a legendary competition between Lockheed and the Northrop Corporation that created the outstanding YF-23. The aircraft had a radical design thanks to its diamond-shaped wings and V-tail, which immediately differentiated it from its competitor. The fighter reached supersonic speed and had been designed to fly undetected to enemy radars.
Even though it was a unique aircraft, the U.S Air Force selected its rival, the Lockheed F-22 Raptor. Many say the Raptor won because it was more agile, easier to maneuver, and could attack at a steeper angle. But in reality, Northrop’s issues with previous contracts and its poor standing with the Pentagon also gave Lockheed the upper hand.
The competition between both companies shows that a good reputation can sometimes be as important as a ground-breaking design or superior technical specifications.
- As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect. I do my best to keep it as visually accurate as possible. All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas. - - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
Forgot one minor detail: Sam Nunn, then the Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services, was the Senator from Georgia. The F-22 was slated to be produced in Georgia. The selection of Lockheed's aircraft brought quite a lot of money into Senator Nunn's state. While this was probably not the decisive factor, neither is it one to be overlooked. Good video, as always!
aw politics..
politics? the f22 is a better plane. its the best fighter in the history of the us military. its been over 20 years since its been in service and there is still nothing even close in the world. cmon man
funny thing is that's actually a really common problem. It's one of the main reasons why government programs are so fucking expensive. because the senators and congressman push for production to occur in their states, regardless of the costs that might add to the program. hell NASA suffer from this issue a lot, which is why it can be given the same task as a private company and have everything done in the US. Yet it will still cost more than the private company because politicians pushed to have various things made in their states and what not.
Being able to fly out over Marietta in a Cessna as a kid made me so happy at the time... Now, older and wiser, I wish I had known better. The 23 is such an incredible, capable, and spectacular aircraft!
@@Castragroup you must've worked in Marietta for a while. The Raptor is a great airframe and the best operational fighter in the Air Force, but in a heads up battle, I would take the F-23 anytime. Paul Metz was a test pilot for both aircraft, and his favorite was the 23... Just sayin.
I personally think that the Yf-23 is the most beautiful aircraft ever made.
F22, YF23, and Rafale Are really beautiful planes
The F-22 looks clunky compared to the graceful F-23
😎😎👍👍👊👊I agree
After the Spitfire, Concorde & Blackbird, maybe....
@@TheLDunn1 You forgot the F-86 Sabre Jet !!
I just saw one of the YF-23's at the Air Force museum, they're beautiful planes
The one in Dayton?
Torrance airport
I live right down the highway from Wright Patterson and the museum. Grew up going there all the time. Hell of a place if you like planes lol.
I was born at WPAFB hospital in ‘62. I learned to fly in the birthplace of aviation: Dayton OH. I spent many a Saturday at the National Museum of the USAF. My favorite display is the Doolittle Raiders Goblets. Not may a chalice is turned up nowadays. I now live in SoCal and really enjoy the P38 museum at March ARB. 👍🏻🙂
hi R...
'
who is a word - THEY -
I felt so bad for the creators, designers, builders and anyone connected with this magnificent superior jet.
It must've been like losing a loved one, god bless you all for your time and effort.
I second that emotion!
I was on F15e’s 1988-1996 and I remember this “contest” between the two. A few things...
1) The pentagon was pissed at Northrop for B2 cost overruns, and they were very apprehensive about awarding them more contracts.
2) Just because you like the way an aircraft looks doesn’t mean it’s better.
3) The F22 of today is much improved over the prototype.
4) If there were 180 F23’s sitting on air bases right now , Internet generals would wish we would have chosen the F22. Because we always want what we don’t have.
Yeah, but for your number 3 point, that could be irrelevant since the YF-23 could've also been improved from its prototype stage, almost any production version is improved from the prototype version.
For number 4. they really didn't need that maneuverable aircraft at the time and today, the YF-23 would've been a bit more relevant than the F-22 due it having a bit more stealthier and plus it was as maneuverable as the YF-22, it's just Northrop didn't put a good show for their aircraft while Lockheed showed what their aircraft was capable off which pleased the Air Force since one of their key criteria for their aircraft is looks and maneuverability and speed since history shows.
Well said
The one possibility that could have made the F-23 a better choice is stealth. Just how critical would the base difference be should another conflict arise? Who knows.
But lets get real. Lockhead won because they owned more politicians. put more money in politicians pockets aka the credibility factor
@@TheBelrickMost aerial dogfighting that is being used is non-visual dogfighting meaning from very long distances where you can't see them from eyesight but only through radar and stealth plays a key role in that. Also I said that the YF-23 was most likely as manuverable as the YF-22.
im old enough to remember when the F-22 was supposed to be called the "Lightning 2" to honour the P-38 and the BAC lightning.
Lightning II ended up going to the F-35
After the “thunderbolt II” and “lightning II” the Air Force should’ve had their naming privileges revoked...although they certainly made up for it with the “raider”. The 6th gen fighter better have another bad ass name.
@@teddy.d174 I´m a fan of Grumman and their tradition of naming their planes after various cat.
Tomcat, Bearcat, Tiger, Jaguar, Panther ect.
Wow, age just hit me as my memories of the Lightning as English Electric. Damn Parliament and those who sailed in her.
@@teddy.d174 I like how Grumman kept the cat naming scheme going without double dipping.
I was at Edwards when the 23 was being tested. The 22 pick was purely policital.
As are most decisions. Well politics or if the service can save a dollar or two
The 23 was definitely the best one over the 22
As with a ton of projects in our military, best technology, best performance, doesn’t equal the best choice. Logistics wins wars, not the most advanced tech, ask the Germans.
Actually the Black widow is on display right next to my grocery store it’s literally behind a fence next to NASA’s F-5 tiger and a F14 the YF is so much bigger in person it’s a beautiful Aircraft
@@themerc123 well i did take basically the whole world to beat one country, so to a certain extent you are wrong...
The only thing faster than this jet is this guys voice.
lol I noticed that too
I have to play it in 0.75x speed.. Not because i can't hear what he was saying, but listening to the speech pattern at that speed made me feel out of breath for some reason.
i think is what i like from the channel, feels like the guy is hidden somewhere trying to spread the info as fast as he can before he get caught xd
StrangelyImstartingtogetusedtoit.
I listen at 1.25 because can watch more vids in less time
Look at the 6th Gen Fighter concepts. Now look at YF-23.🧐 They are remarkably similar in appearance. Goes to show how ahead of it's time this bird was. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the 6th gen fighters are directly referencing the YF-23 design.
Obvious that it had issues like the mentioned missile locations, but as a proof of concept it's good, and later designs can take those found issues into account.
I was out at Edward's Air Force base when all of this was going on. When the Air Force has competition like these at Edward's, it's like the Super Bowl. Everyone from Mojave to Palmdale are in on all this.
We had all the merchandise and everything.
We all knew the 23 was the better aircraft.
I was told a different story of why the 23 lost.
It's said that the side missle racks malfunctioned the day before, they were supposed to do flight test of their armament system. That's the reason they never showed off their missile system.
I haven't been in the loop of the government test flight systems since 1993. I can only imagine what's going on out there.
I miss that part of my life.
That had too be exciting. I wish I was in your shoes at that time
Was working on the flight line at the time, keying up the comms for the chase aircraft. It was a blast out there back in the day. Firing missiles was never a requirement of the flyoff, it was a stunt to cover up all the flaws in the YF-22.
*Edwards No apostrophe, genius. So...doubt you were actually there.
@@user-kg4hl2sw8h Maybe auto correction
@@user-kg4hl2sw8h: There’s always someone who picks out the tiniest of grammatical errors to cast doubt on an entire account. Turn on your auto correct and type the same word... it will add an apostrophe. You win today’s “Cynical Trophy”.
"In the early 1990's" *proceeds to show footage from the 1960's*
Lol I noticed that
Indeed, while the statement is also fairly inaccurate, while both the YF-22 and YF-23 first flew in 1990, their designs where officially started in 1986, based on requirements from 1981.
So this video should at least start "In the early 1980s" 🤔😀🤘 .
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Tactical_Fighter
I learned more from this video than my zoom class
Makes ya think. Why pay for college education when we have you tube?
@Fail Zero I know teachers kinda sus
That’s a pretty commie phone/computer you’re using to post that comment as well. Commie fridge, commie car, commie furniture and commie toilet are usually pretty common as purchasable items.
Chill Jamal dont pull out the .9
One of my favorite Ace Combat Series aircraft.
One of the best video games ever made
I need to get the YF-23 just to see how good it is
And the Wyvern..👍💯
I liked it. My main gripe with it was it's slightly off handling and gunfire delay. Not that it ain't a great aircraft: it is. That kind of thing can get you splashed in the heat of battle.
Pretty incredible to think how much money a company invests just to build a prototype.
You have no idea. Often prototypes will bankrupt smaller companies.
Imagine the profits when awarded the contracts !!!! Instant billions !!!
@@johntaylor-lo8qx yet we can’t find money for healthcare
Back in the day, I was told a story by a guy that worked for "company B." The story is as follows: Two different defense contractors bided on the manufacturing of multi-million dollar reconnaissance cameras. Since the govt. funded the prototypes, they had ultimate control. Company "A" won and company "B" not only lost, but had to give up design schematics to company "A," for, possibly, incorporating aspects of "B's" design into "A's." design.
That's why alotta programs get cancelled
The YF-23 was definitely one of my favorite planes in Ace Combat.
I remember the first time I heard of the YF-23 playing Ace Combat 5. I immediately fell in love with the aircraft.
Go back in the day. Both made an appearance in the original Ace Combat.
Things you left out. The f22 prototype crashed, at Northrop we called it the lawn dart. USAF extended the compition during which time Lockheed greatly improved the F22 with advice from the USAF that Northrop did not get. Lockheed spent much more money fine tuning while Northrop was left in the dark. The F22 had vectored thrust which USAF liked even though vectored trust proved not to be worth while. The worst part was the F22 could not pass the stealth requirement so the USAF ordered Northrop stealth engineers had to work for Lockheed instead of Northrop getting a sup contract to fix the F22. This was an unprecedented action against a contractor. The production F22 had many quality problems that kept them from being deployed
Question: Was the F22 program cancelled because of *problems* or was it really about budget cuts?
@@guytech7310
I worked at Northrop. The biggest problem was winning the cold war led to cancellation of many programs. Others went into production in limited numbers. The F22 was supposed to be the expensive high capability plane while the F35 was supposed to be inexpensive high production numbers plane. This is similar to F15 vs F16. Of course the F35 was turned into the replacement for everything. That made it expensive to develop and it was the biggest DOD budget hog ever. DOD cut back on everything else including ship maintenance and anything else to pay for the F35. My opinion is the F22 production was stopped to pay for the F35. Also note that when we won the cold war there was a concept that we would develop new generations of weapons platforms but only make them in limited numbers. The B2, F22 and DDG2000 are examples. This concept was we would have the latest equipment that could be put into production when the threat appeared
Great video. As a complete military history nerd, this was my favorite aircraft ever built. Purely because of the pelican tails. Really great idea. Especially for a stealth aircraft. I’ve tried building versions of it in KSP and let me tell you, they must have had some amazing computing power in that plane to make it fly as smoothly as it did. Well done man. Love videos like this🙏
Yeah this is one of my favorite aircraft of all time, I built the F-22 in Ksp and it flies like a dream, I’ll have to make the yf-23 next
Grandfather worked on the design of the project (RIP). The biggest reason he said they lost is during the first trials it wasn't made a requirement to show up live fire capabilities. However when both planes show up guess who decides to do one anyway? The YF-23 prototypes like stated was never equipped with its weapons bay so Grumman/Boeing/McDonald+Douglas so they had no chance to woo the government team. He also stated, like many knew at the time, that Lockheed was in trouble and needed the contract (Especially after there recent failure in the commercial space). The government has to cycle military contracts in order to keep the arms capabilities of the US up, if that means giving a contract to a slightly lesser product but keeping that company afloat then thats what they'll do.
Yep, nearly 100% spot on, I was there and that's pretty much how it went down.
I've worked in aviation all my life, mostly passenger jets and a few warbirds, Embraer Tucano, worked on a Harrier one time, even worked on the C130's coming out of the sandbox at Lockheed in Greeneville,SC but I cannot even begin to imagine what it would be like to get my hands on either of these aircraft, truly incredible machines. I would probably just stand there slobbering on myself, both so impressed and scared to touch at the same time.
YES! MY FAVORITE AIRCRAFT EVER IS BEING TOLD ON A DOCUMENTARY BY DARK SKIES!
GRAMAR!
Still one of my favorite aircraft. I absolutely loved the shape of the Northrup design. Never fully understood why it wasn’t chosen, until now I guess. It still has a major following though.
I love using this plane in AC... Both are beautiful planes but the YF-23 is in a league of its own.
Even though I worked for Lockheed, I still thought the YF-23 was a better aircraft.
(Side note: I am now glad I no longer work for the heart attack factory (which the local heart doctors nicknamed LM) as my blood pressure went down 20 points after my departure).
Thank you for putting together a beautiful show.
I think just the designs of the planes and seeing them fly is fantastic. Everything's so advanced but technology moves so fast what was hot tomorrow is already in the past.
I'm pretty sure the top speed of the yf-23 is still classified. I watched a documentary on it a few years ago, and they talked to some of the people involved with the project. Was very cool
its easier to make a plane faster than make it more maneuverable
This reminds me of Macross Plus and the whole YF-19 vs YF-21 AVF competition.
That's because Macross Plus was indeed based on the ATF program.
Not the only one too !
YF-21 design was heavily based on the black widowII/grey ghost
Yea, it came out in 95. Worked on the F-15E at the time and we were all like, dude!
@@cyde01 actually the YF-21 is more based on the two prototypes thaf became the F-22 raptor not the YF-23. Though its tech aspect was based off of the YF-23.
As usual, I played this video at 80% of normal speed and it became quite listenable. :)
Thank you for that. You're correct.
I always have to speed things up, so I did not even notice. Narrators are always trying to be dramatic.
@@ChessMasterNate It is not drama as much as it is words per minute. One needs to keep the length of the videos down, while making sure that the story is complete, thus many times you have a narrator reading much more quickly than we would like.
@@vladivizz yeah he actually covering more ground whereas you have channels that just drag to 10 minutes. If this guy slowed down he could make 2 parts on most of these lol
Beautiful jet, too bad it fell by the wayside.
One of my favorite looking jets of the that period.
Maybe...maybe Japan is going to get a f23a.
The jet beat the other in many areas. But lost because they thought the other company could do it better. So think how badass this one would be
@@richardscott8186 I only had a model of the F-22 Raptor but the diamond wing to me when I was younger was amazing. Up until the Tomacts.
@@richardscott8186 As I typed that he mentioned it lol.
It’s been reported that Mitsubishi has been consulting with Northrop over their own stealth fighter in development. The YF-23 may yet have a laugh over the F-22 Raptor
Yup I read the same about Japan needing a 6th gen fighter, with the YF-23 as a great candidate.
@@theshuttergrind they actually Offer it but does Congressman is hindrance they don't want Superior Plane outside of US
@@monmonfiasco6391 if it was Superior then why did they get rid of it? 👀 conspiracies begin.... Now
@Common Sense Realist Lockheed-Martin wanted to offer an export version of the Raptor (F-22E) but just like with the turbocharged Alison engine, Congress clamped down on the Raptor's tech and prevented foreign sale of the aircraft. Such a pity too, because now NATO's big players and closest allies are now stuck with the F-35. To be clear, I kinda like the F-35 as a network fighter, but I don't see how it's significantly better than just updating the F/A-18 into Super Hornet Enhanced and Super Growler variants. More modular I suppose, but it's a jack of all trades because of it.
@Common Sense Realist Yeah, that's pretty much what i meant by "network fighter"
A flight of three or four of these birds has better information sharing capability than the best combination of Growler, Wedgetail and Pig ever could.
On the topic of the A-10, there is one area where the F-35 simply isn't suited -- the confidence an A-10 brings to the troops on the ground just by sheer presence can't be replicated with the F-35. It's nice knowing they've got your back of course, but their OTH capability means troops might never even _see_ the birds that are covering them. The A-10 can stick around for hours making CAS passes and causing all manner of disruption to the enemy _because_ it's visible.
I'm an F-111 and A-10 fanboy at heart and I'll defend them to my dying breath as the best at what they did of their generation, even considerably beyond, and what they did complemented each other perfectly. Throw in some Super Hornets and Growlers and you have a strong basis for not only air superiority, but CAS and interdiction. And yet the F-35 has rightly displaced all these fine aircraft, at least to some degree. There's certainly an argument to be made for modularity and multi-role capable designs.
Thank you ! I've been waiting for you to make a video of this plane!
Thanks,I’ve been waiting on you to make this one! BTW-Your channels are Top Notch.
That F-23 is such a beautifull and gracefull machine.
F-22’s are incredibly easy to work on and relatively reliable in dry climates (no aircraft in existence performs well in humid climates). Would have been cool to take apart a 23 the way I was able to take apart 22’s. You can pull a raptors engine out faster than the easiest car. Truly incredible planes.
Awesome channel. I'm always happy to see a new video. Thanks guys!
Excellent as always !!! Can't help smiling whenever a new video is posted !!!
YES YES YES THANK YOU THANK YOU
This aircraft deserves more coverage. Absolutely stunning and would love to see it transform like the F22 has
F-22 should’ve gone to the U.S. Navy.
@@Joe-rx7ht Have you seen the NATF-22? It was the proposed naval variant of the F-22. It was a swing-wing just like the F-14. Google it if you haven't seen it, it's beautiful. Only concept art of course but still awesome.
@@TexasGreed Hey, thank you for that tip. I had no idea. I did Google it, the plane in a it's Navy, variable swept wing configuration is absolutely amazing! I really do wish the Air Force had the F-23 and the Navy had the F-22. That F-18 Super Hornet is a racket and should've never happened. The F-18 platform should've been retired already.
Don’t forget the 22 used the engines developed for the YF 23. Both planes could super cruise but the 23 could do it much faster. (Break the speed of sound without afterburner) I saw this plane at Edwards a few months after it lost the contract.
Dark
Fantastic video. Great work and by the way the pace of your speach is just fine contrary to a lot of comments. I have zero trouble understanding what your are saying at regular speed. Keep up the great work.
These simple documentaries with just a narrator and footage are the best.
I really hope Japan builds a fighter based on these blueprints
"If it looks right, it fly's right"... It's a good lookin' plane.
Makes you wonder if that recently mentioned USAF craft that went from conception to flyable prototype in a year is based on the YF-23.
It wouldn’t be the first time a Northrop design lost out in a competition only to be resurrected later. For example the YF-17 lost to the F-16, but was resurrected as the F/A-18 Hornet.
True, but they didnt wait 30 years to develop the YF-17 into the F-18!
Lockheed also sweetened the pork barrel by making sure they subcontracted to all of the lower 48 states. Northrop could have made the F-23 cheaper and faster had they not followed the letter of the law when it came to security on the project. Lockheed already had some of the black project infrastructure in place.
However time has shown Lockheed botched the subcontracted management badly. Essentially each F-22 was handmade from misfitting parts shipped from all over they had to modify or re-fabricate in California. The F-23 already had that part of the problem solved by fabricating everything they could internally.
Lockheed doubled down with the F-35 and it's proven to be even worse in this regard. Kelly Johnson must be rolling over in his grave. Jack Northrop must be disappointed for everyone involved from his grave.
Very true. Lockheed got cocky and boondoggled the F-35 contract as well. Almost got the entire JSF killed, too. Looks like President Trump got them to fix it and the branches are just now barely getting their first new planes in considerable numbers.
Having read Ben Rich's skunworks book and the picture he paints of Kelly Johnson, I wonder what he'd say about the Raptor program. The F-117 seems (from what we know atm) to have been the last Skunkworks plane developed succesfully "under budget on time".
His thoughts on the F-35 would be...colorful I'm sure, and probably brief considering it contravened one of his rules.
@@zeroelus the raptor and f35 are great planes. cost overruns are normal especially with the immensely difficult design requirments of advanced aircraft. lockeed wins because they are the best
Most beautiful plane I've ever seen.
That part of footage where the two PAV YF23 fly together is Nutz...no other word to describe it
We have a YF-23 at our airport in Torrance and it's awesome. I drive by it every day and am still amazed
I always liked the 23 more, just a more elegant looking craft to my eyes
And unlike the 22 this still has so much room for upgrades.
The yf-23 was a great program to work on. We honestly believe there was no way It could lose. Right before the competition we heard rumors of lockheed's politics. That's the real reason it lost but the legend lives on Black Widow
theres no politics. f22 is better. its still the best i the world by a wide margin. stop making things up
@@Castragroup I'm not saying which is better because I honestly don't know. But if you think politics don't play a huge part in military contracts, you're very naive. The tanker contract was all politics.
Thanks for the vid sir.
Yeah the YF-23 is a beautiful aircraft. If it won, I would have signed up to retrain from working on Bombers to fighters. Well, if I got to pick the airframe maybe…. I wish they chose the winning airframe and then both teams worked together to make it the absolute best. With both teams providing parts and labor, it could have been a replacement for all the branches with variants produced by each team to spread the wealth. And with both producing parts it would mean maintainers would be able to fix the jets faster without needing to wait forever to get needed parts for repairs. VTOL, aircraft carrier landing, maybe even have one with a giant Gatling cannon that could provide CAS like the A-10, and even produce the dog fighter that while would never really need to dog fight it could put on some cool displays at air shows.. even expand its size and use it in other forms. Maybe a small troop fast response team could be stored in the cargo area and while the plane hovers that could fast rope down or even do a low speed pass and drop them out to parachute down to provide help of either medical or a fire support team… I could probably come up with a million ways it could possibly be used but yeah….
If the Black Widow II had thrust vectoring, it would have been superior to the Raptor even in close range dogfighting.
The F-23 was stealthier because of the way its exhaust ports were originally conceived.
@@Joe-rx7ht That's true, but the engineers could have made a compromise between their cooling system and thrust vectoring
Angle of attack and “attacking angle” are two entirely different things. B-21 IOC is planned for 2030, not 2040.
I predict the B-21 program will go about as well as the F-35 program, and it will reach IOC sometime in the 2040s coming in 50+% over budget with about 60% of it's originally promised capabilities. The fact that the price tag of the B-21 is classified is a dead giveaway that the air force brass knows it's going to be a shit show.
@@raitchison It's a single airframe with a well-defined set of requirements that aren't going to significantly change, because its mission is also rather simple. Nothing like the F-35 which is a fighter-bomber with three different airframes.
@@p_serdiuk thought it was two , vto and non vto
@@warwickben Afaik the Air Force's version has bigger wings.
Just watched this again . Awesome !
That was excellent. Thanks man!!
LOL, remember when Lockheed Martin was chosen for fighter contracts based on keeping costs down?! I guess the F-35 program could learn a lesson or two.
The F15SE, the composite stealth version was available and in production before the f35 production started. Countries that will have to wait a decade to get a serviceable number of fighters could have bought Silent Eagles for half the cost that the F35s will end up being.
@@timothybayliss6680 ssshhhh. The F15SE is so stealthy foreign buyers don't know about it.
Lockheed hasn’t been picked on the basis of anything other than lobbying for decades.
@@timothybayliss6680 there is nothing stealthy other than front aspect about the F-15SE . Not to mention the F-35 now costs about $10 million less than that aircraft .
@@brandonl8039 thats not true. they have the most experience best track record best engineers
Best plane in Ace Combat Zero. Dogfighting Wizard Team was awesome.
Yeah, because video games ALWAYS translate to real world experience. I guess you're the greatest couch Infantryman, too with Call of Duty...never actually having to shoot, move, communicate with 2/3 of your body weight in equipment.
@@user-kg4hl2sw8h Just what is wrong with you? Hes just saying that he thinks that the yf23 is the best plane in AC 0 not in real life...
@@EL4Mdesu Shut up, nerd.
@@user-kg4hl2sw8h no u
@@user-kg4hl2sw8h How else would anyone get to even remotely flying one of these? Like only 3 people have ever flown one and thats it.
Agreed. They should have produced both programs simultaneously.
Wonderful video, I appreciate you talking quickly. For once I don't have to speed up the video to avoid falling asleep!
"The B-21 will start flying in 2040."
You guys need to double check your sources on that. XD
Prototypes are already seen flying
It takes about 10 years from prototype to serial production and another 2 years of operational assessments . Realistically the B-21 should be flying mission-ready by 2033 .
Yeah, and the F-14 stopped flying well before 2015 so I'm not sure what their talking about at 10:10
@@___axg96___63 Iranians still use them
@@Dr.Westside Its said to enter service in five years but if its anything like the f35 the 21 raider can be up and running in the 30's. I bet the fiasco of the f35 was just to shove it with experimental stuff for the next gen fighter giving a upper hand for the US for the next 20 years in air supremacy.
I appreciate the insight into why the YF-23 lost the contract. I always thought it was much better looking, and knew it was faster and stealthier, but I just assumed Lockheed just lobbied harder and had some back room deal. I’m less salty about it now
I have been waiting so long for this!
go to Amazon and search YF-23. The book you want has a red cover and written by Pilot Paul Metz. I just got mine and started reading this evening. Very cool.
The YF-23 just looked right and I'm sure it will be back packed with 6th generation features.
Had the YF23 won, people would say the YF22 is a better aircraft.
f22 is a better aircraft people are so stupid its scary
@@Castragroup prove it.
They picked the wrong plane, based on Lockheed being better at bullshitting on the cost. In 2002 I was an Lt. at Wright Patterson AFB and saw one of these on the flight line in front of the restoration hanger. I damn near drove off the road. I couldn't imagine seeing a whole flight line of these things. Also...it reminds me of a very evolved P-38 in looks, but since that was a Lockheed plane, the YF-22 was called the "Lightning II" (not "Raptor" as claimed in the video)
F-19 went the same way.
YF-22 was the raptor the YF-35 is the Lightning II
@@kadeoswald50 Back before the 35 was a thing they were planning on calling it the Lightning II.
@@x808drifter I loved the OG lightning. it was a fu^%ing rocketship.
As far as i understood it, the Raptor designation is from Lockheed, the Lighning one from the USAF.
Love it ! Thank you !
I got a YF-23 model from hobby lobby for $7, putting it together this week. Perfect timing :)
The YF-23 was a far superior interceptor and was much faster than the 22. I'm personally a fan, but after extensive research the 22 has better low speed maneuvering...which makes it more versatile. I think the USAF made a mistake by not using them both
Split the 184 plane F-22 buy across two weapon systems? So 92 of each airplane? Seriously?
The legacy of the third generation when the assumed goal was fast BVR missile trucks that didn’t have to maneuver resulted in some pretty bad results when the rules of engagement were limited.
Yes..it's would give an excuse to purchase more of each aircraft because there wasn't enough of each...130 of each is more than the number of a single fighter...the reason why the funding was cut for the 22 was because washington people couldn't understand why... just like the B-2...they couldn't understand why they needed 20 more of those planes...there could have been a B-2 refueling aircraft in the fleet...
Do not believe anyone could justify that before an appropriations committee.
@@WH-um2gx yes..the people who pushed to kill the 22 where yet again people who did not care about anything else except saying the cold war is over...the same people wanted to kill the whole US navy submarine program too...
Man, where do you find all that footage? It´s fucking awesome, dude
Great watch cheers man.
In the mid 1980s Jane's published a small book listing aircraft, the F-22 and F-23 were in it. My friend and I were looking forward to seeing these in real life, but of course only the F-22 was chosen. That was around the time the Space Shuttle was carried on the back of a Boeing 747, we saw it at a local airport. Huge setup.
If you have a single problem with this god damn masterpiece... I'll fight you
And recent rumors of the Japanese considering a refreshed YF23 for their next fighter.
Not that there's ever been anything as cool as the SR71... but this thing is among the next 4 coolest planes ever
Always a great watch
"In the early 1990s..."
Shows footage from the 60s.
The plane didn’t exist in the 60s, it’s maiden flight was literally 1990
@@nazidoggo5463 woosh. The video showed the footage. Thought it was funny.
1960 is closer to 1990 than 2021
Why is the background music the one Dream always uses in his manhunts lol
Been waiting for so long
The mad thing is, with the way future aerial warfare is heading the yf 23 is actually a more modern design. It's lack of agility for increased stealth capabilities is where the 6th generation aircraft is heading
The Northrop company had a contract dispute with the Air Force at the which rumors say that it contributed to the selection process. I think that the YF-23 was the better aircraft as it was almost as maneuverable as the Raptor without thrust vectoring which could have be fitted with and it was superior in everything else including supersonic flight cruising and speed of travel. And yes, it was a better looking aircraft. I hope Japan selects it to get their superiority fighter program going!
I thought this plane was just a figment of my imagination for my ace combat playing childhood.
the aerospace course i am in this semester goes over design parameters, so it’s interesting to hear terms from the course used here
Both aircraft are scary cool, both in appearance and capabilities.
"It lives in the clandestine realm."
I very much liked the YF-23. The way I figured it, they should have BOTH gone into service. One should have gone to the Air Force, and the other gone to the Navy. All these years later, I am still certain the YF-23 would have been a great carrier-borne fighter.
YF-23 honestly should’ve been an interceptor for the navy if that would’ve happened. YF-23 should be the true replacement for the F-14 instead of the F/A-18
As much as I do like the 18, the 23 indeed was far superior. Lost opportunity there.
A thing to remember about the Su-27. The CIA had a source inside the design bureau. So the US were well aware of its strengths and weaknesses. The tactics of the F15/F16 squadrons were adjusted to counter the Su-27.
Thus the Su-27 was at a disadvantage immediately upon its entry into service.
Got a model of this beauty,it looks MARVELOUS...
I’d have both in my Airforce.
The YF-23 was also considered more advanced design thus more difficult to implement affordable given Congress was already drastically cutting back B-2 production and cutting total ATF purchase as part of the “end of the Cold War” mentality
Little did they know....
And now China and Russia are arming themselves to the teeth. Not to mention election meddling and releasing a deadly virus on us.
Joe Jacques more like Russia slowly backstabbing China after multiple unlicensed copypasting of aircraft and claiming a Russian territory as China region. Probably Russia is gonna sit this one out but won’t stop arming themselves to the teeth just in case China pulls a fast one on them
Strange how when seeing each aircraft flying by itself, the YF-23 looks much larger than the YF-22 (to me) but when you see the Grey Ghost flying with the YF-22 at 11:00 they look roughly the same size! One of my cousins was a Colonel (later retired as a Major General) in the USAF and was an F-15 pilot and squadron commander. He was chosen to be a member of the YF-23 flight team during the ATF flyoff. He gave me a tie clasp that he was given as a member of that team after the competition ended.
Thanks
YF-23 and F-22. What a beautiful aircraft and is just great at their job, one is rejected and one is cancelled. I can't man...
Man this fighter looked so good Russia decided they would make it!
There is no replacement of the F-14
*Highway to the Danger Zone intensifies*
F/A-XX babeeeey!
I dont understand this video. F18 was the replacement for the F14. The F18 was mcdonnel douglas and not northrop grumman..
@@Tapperlite1 the f-18 is being replaced by the 'super' hornet f-18
@@veretos7 🤣
Crazy to think the Raptors development started the year I was born and went into service the year after I graduated from High School.
The YF 23 Black Widow II Is my ultimate favorite~
The best fighter world never had. Period.
I was there at Edwards when they held the competition between the two aircraft
Tell us more please
So what is you're opinion on the competition.
Same here, I programmed the secure comms on the chase aircraft. The YF-23 was playing on a completely different level than the YF-22... The reason the YF-22 had more total flight hours was that it was a pig. It couldn't fly without declaring an IFE and the YF-23 completed all the test points in 2/3rds of the time it took Lockheed's pig. BTW, an F-15 was the first aircraft to supercruise.
@mpeugeot What is a pig?
@@humbleone6405 the 23 was clearly a better overall ATF. My dad was working for Northrop at the time, and knew the YF-23 had a better avionics platform as well as a better rounded weapons system that could be more easily adapted for different roles than the Raptor could. Really in the end it was bribes at high levels in the DOD and Pentagon that did the 23 in, Not because it was an inferior aircraft, quite the contrary.
I'll say it. We love you, dude
The nicest plane ever!!! ❤❤❤❤