Lockheed YF-22
Prototype fighter aircraft for the US Air Force Advanced Tactical Fighter program / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Lockheed/Boeing/General Dynamics YF-22 is an American single-seat, twin-engine fighter aircraft technology demonstrator designed for the United States Air Force (USAF). The design was a finalist in the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) competition, and two prototypes were built for the demonstration/validation phase of the competition. The YF-22 won the contest against the Northrop YF-23 for full-scale development, and the design was developed into the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. The YF-22 has a similar aerodynamic layout and configuration as the F-22, but with notable differences in the overall shaping such as the position and design of the cockpit, tail fins and wings, and in internal structural layout.
YF-22 | |
---|---|
A YF-22 during a test flight | |
Role | Stealth fighter technology demonstrator |
National origin | United States |
Manufacturer | Lockheed / Boeing / General Dynamics |
First flight | 29 September 1990 |
Status | Retired |
Primary user | United States Air Force |
Produced | 1989–1990 |
Number built | 2 |
Developed into | Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor |
In the 1980s, the USAF began looking for a replacement for its fighter aircraft, especially to counter the advanced Su-27 and MiG-29. A number of companies, divided into two teams, submitted their proposals. Northrop and McDonnell Douglas submitted the YF-23. Lockheed, Boeing and General Dynamics proposed and built the YF-22, which, although marginally slower and having a larger radar cross-section, was more agile than the YF-23. The YF-22 was picked by the Air Force as the winner of the ATF in April 1991. Following the selection, the first prototype was retired to a museum, while the second continued flying until an accident relegated it to the role of an antenna test vehicle.