YF-23 Black Widow II: The Air Force Stealth Fighter ‘Mistake’ That Still Stings?

YF-23 Black Widow II: The Air Force Stealth Fighter ‘Mistake’ That Still Stings?

Key Points and Summary – Northrop’s YF-23 “Black Widow II” was arguably faster, longer-ranged, and stealthier than the YF-22, but Lockheed’s jet won with superior maneuverability, thrust-vectoring, avionics integration, and a clearer path to production and logistics. The article argues the Air Force likely wouldn’t have been transformed by choosing YF-23; the decisive factor would’ve been total fleet size, not marginal performance edges. -Specul…