Northrop YF-17
Prototype fighter aircraft for the US military / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Northrop YF-17 (nicknamed "Cobra") was a prototype lightweight fighter aircraft designed by Northrop aviation for the United States Air Force's Lightweight Fighter (LWF) technology evaluation program. The LWF was initiated because many in the fighter community believed that aircraft like the F-15 Eagle were too large and expensive for many combat roles. The YF-17 was the culmination of a long line of Northrop designs, beginning with the N-102 Fang in 1956, continuing through the F-5 family.
YF-17 "Cobra" | |
---|---|
YF-17 in 1976 during a demonstration flight | |
Role | Prototype fighter aircraft |
National origin | United States |
Manufacturer | Northrop |
First flight | 9 June 1974 |
Status | Retired |
Primary user | United States Air Force (intended) |
Number built | 2 |
Developed into | Northrop F-18L |
Although it lost the LWF competition to the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the YF-17 was selected for the new Naval Fighter Attack Experimental (VFAX) program. In enlarged form, the F/A-18 Hornet was adopted by the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps to replace the A-7 Corsair II and F-4 Phantom II, complementing the more expensive F-14 Tomcat.[1] This design, conceived as a small and lightweight fighter, was scaled up to the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, which is similar in size and weight to the F-15 and ultimately replaced the F-14. A non-naval, export variant developed and marketed by Northrop, the F-18L failed to attract buyers; nevertheless, many air forces have operated the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 as a purely land-based fighter.