Northrop YF-23A (Torrance, California)

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Serial Number: 87-0801
Construction Number: 1002

The Northrop YF-23 is a single-seat twin-engine fighter aircraft design built for and evaluated by the United States Air Force for the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) competition, where it battled the Lockheed YF-22 for a production contract as the next generation of USAF Air Superiority Fighter. Though proving to be both more stealthy and faster than the YF-22, the YF-23 was found to be less maneuverable and was not selected for further use by the USAF.

This aircraft, YF-23A PAV-2 N232YF, was nicknamed "Gray Ghost" because of its two-tone gray color scheme during flight testing and like its sister went into the ownership of NASA following the ATF competition for planned use as experimental aircraft, but instead wound up being donated to the Western Museum of Flight until 2004 where she remained until 2004.

Reclaimed by Northrop Grumman from the museum for modification and use as a display model for a YF-23-based bomber during a USAF interim bomber aircraft study, PAV-2 was subsequently returned to the Western Museum of Flight after the USAF once again passed on using the design. Now on display at the museum's new location at Torrance Airport, PAV-2 remains the property of NASA and is on long-term loan to the WMOF.

www.wmof.com/yf23a.htm