YF-23 at Tonopah (or Groom) or Not!


Message posted by RickB on October 05, 2010 at 21:32:27 PST:

I read something recently on an internet post about the YF-23 prototypes, and the timeline for the exact location of these two aircraft after "losing" the ATF fly-off competition to the YF-22.

It is well known that the two YF-23 aircraft have been moved around to static display at several locations since retirement: Northrop Grumman (at least 2 locations), the Western Museum of Flight, Edwards AFB (and NASA Dryden), and the Air Force Museum at WPAFB. Lesser known is there was a 3rd YF-23. This "3rd" FY-23 was a mock-up used for RCS testing that at one time was located in the New Mexico desert near Holloman and White Sands.

The main question(s) of that internet post was twofold:

1) Have the exact locations and whereabouts of both YF-23's always been known and accounted for (i.e. "white world") and 2) Was there any additional flight testing of the YF-23 after the prototype retirement (i.e. "black world")?

Speculation and questions:

1) There appears to be some off/on and on/off "gaps" as to the whereabouts of both YF-23's over a lengthy period of time (since retirement). Question: is there an accountability for the exact location and time of both aircraft?
2) Was the YF-23 at Tonopah sometime during the early 2000's? A rumour says it was...
3) Did one of the YF-23's undergo additional flight testing at TTR and/or Groom Lake (i.e. for Northrop's new advanced technology bomber)?
4) Was the YF-23 radar mock-up airframe (the "3rd" YF-23) swapped with either of the two original YF-23's and masked for static display to allow one of the original flying prototypes to "disappear" at the time of flight testing back to the black world?

There are good photos of a YF-23 on static display at an AFB airshow which shows damage and repair to the cockpit base, and what also seems to be repairs to a lengthy section of the underneath fusalage where a RCS pole may have been mounted?? Which YF-23 aircraft/airframe is this?

Last question: How often were either of the YF-23's actually (white world) flown after the fly-off with the F-22?

Rick



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