YF-23 Black Widow II

YF-23A "Black Widow II"

Origin: (Real World)
United States of America

Featured In
Ace Combat (Air Combat) Ace Combat 02 Ace Combat 05: The Unsung War Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception

Operators
"A World With No Boundaries" Aurelian Air Force Belkan Air Force Leasath Air Force Osean Air Defense Force Special Tactical Fighter Squadron "Scarface" Unnamed Terrorist Force Usean Rebel Force Ustian Air Force

Ace Squadrons/Pilots
Martin / STFS (AC) Fox Four Force / URF (AC2) Grani / BAF (ACZ) Lilie / BAF (ACZ) Slon / AWWNB (ACZ) Wizard Squadron / AWWNB (ACZ) Falco / AAF (ACX) Spider / LAF (ACX)

Weapons
Gun / 1 x 20mm M61A1 Vulcan Cannon Standard Missiles / AIM-9M Sidewinder BDSP / [unknown] (ACZ/ACX) NPB / Mk.77 (ACZ/ACX) QAAM / AIM-9X Sidewinder (AC5/ACZ/ACX)

Statistics
Stability: 10 Defense: 90 Offense: 10 Power: 100 Mobility: 50

Ace Combat 2 Stats
Power: 90 Defense: 60 Mobility: 60 Stability: 90 Climbing Ability: 80 Air-to-Air: 80 Air-to-Ground: 80

Ace Combat 5 Stats
Speed: 83 Mobility: 83 Stability: 80 Defense: 66 Air-to-Air: 94 Air-to-Ground: 58

Ace Combat Zero Stats
Speed: 83 Mobility: 83 Stability: 80 Defense: 66 Air-to-Air: 94 Air-to-Ground: 58

Biography
The Northrop and McDonnell Douglas proposal for the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter was the YF-23, which lost out to the Lockheed Martin/Boeing's YF-22. The YF-23 is a strange, alien looking plane, but it is rumored to have performed well against the YF-22. The YF-23 first flew on August 27, 1990 and the two prototypes logged 219 flight hours in 23 months. The two prototypes were distinguished by color and engines, the first was dark grey and had Pratt & Whitney YF-119 engines, while the second was silver and had General Electric YF-120 engines.

The YF-23 was claimed to be cheaper than the YF-22 by Northrop because it used parts from existing aircraft (nosewheel and forward cockpit from an F-15E and main undercarriage from an F/A-18). Despite the company's claims that it's design was better, the YF-23 was really only marginally better in some ways than the F-22. It was slightly faster (Mach 1.8 compared to the YF-22's Mach 1.7), somwhat stealthier (40% Radar Cross Section to the YF-22's 50% RCS), and had a slightly larger payload (6 AIM-120s and 4 AIM-9s compared to the F-22's 4 AIM-120s and 4 AIM-9s). Northrop also claimed that the YF-22's only advantages were in manuverability due to it's thrust-vectoring (the YF-23 did not have this, it had a fixed lower ramp with a moveable upper one designed with stealth in mind). Also, the U.S. Navy was also more interested in the YF-22 due to it's - aledgedly - better adaptability to it's Naval Advanced Tactical Fighter program that it was holding.

Rumor has it, that it was Lockheed's industrial performance that made the Pentagon choose the YF-22 over the YF-23. Northrop's B-2 was delayed and overrunning it's budget and McDonnell Douglas was having problems with the eventually cancelled A-12 Avenger naval bomber. Lockheed on the other hand, delivered the F-117 on-time and under budget. The Airforce and the Pentagon however, refuse to comment on the choice and the decision was final. The YF-23's name, Black Widow was first used on the Northrop P-61, a twin-engined World War II night-fighter (meaning it had radar) that resembled the Lockheed P-38 Lightning (the Lockheed YF-22 was originally called the Lightning II, before being changed to - for a short period of time - Rapier, and eventually, Raptor). The YF-23 was also nicknamed "The Grey Ghost."

In 2004, the YF-23 design was considered for the USAFs "Regional Bomber" program, along with other proposed aircraft such as the B-1R and the FB-22. As of 2007 however, the project has been put on hold for the time being.

Source: Global Security: YF-23A "Black Widow"