Northrop YF-17 - American Aircraft from the Post-WW2 Period

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Northrop YF-17

The Northrop YF-17 was an American prototype lightweight fighter aircraft designed for the LWF technology evaluation program.

Time Period: Post-WW2
Country of Origin: United States
Type: Fighter Aircraft, Prototypes and Experimental
Manufacturer: Northrop Corporation

Northrop YF-17 Aircraft Overview

The Northrop YF-17 was a prototype fighter aircraft developed in the 1970s by Northrop Corporation for the United States Air Force’s Lightweight Fighter (LWF) program. The YF-17 was one of two aircraft developed for the program, the other being the General Dynamics YF-16.

The YF-17 was a twin-engine aircraft with a canard configuration and a small, lightweight airframe. It was designed to be highly maneuverable and capable of high-speed flight, with a top speed of Mach 2.0. The aircraft was armed with a variety of weapons, including missiles and guns, and had advanced avionics and radar systems.

The YF-17 competed against the YF-16 for the Air Force’s LWF contract, but ultimately lost out to the YF-16. However, the YF-17 was later developed into the F/A-18 Hornet, a highly successful fighter and attack aircraft that has served with the United States Navy and Marine Corps, as well as numerous other air forces around the world.

The F/A-18 Hornet was larger and more heavily armed than the YF-17, but it retained many of the design features and advanced technologies developed for the YF-17, including its canard configuration and fly-by-wire flight controls. Today, the F/A-18 remains a popular and highly capable aircraft, with numerous variants and upgrades in service around the world.

Northrop YF-17A Specifications

Crew: 1
Length: 55 ft 6 in (16.92 m)
Wingspan: 35 ft 0 in (10.67 m)
Height: 14 ft 6 in (4.42 m)
Wing area: 350 sq ft (33 m²)
Empty weight: 21,000 lb (9,525 kg)
Gross weight: 23,000 lb (10,433 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 30,630 lb (13,894 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × General Electric YJ101-GE-100 turbojet, 14,400 lbf (64 kN) thrust each (with reheat)

Northrop YF-17A Performance

Maximum speed: 1,320 mph (2,120 km/h, 1,150 kn) at 40,000 feet (12,000 m)
Range: 2,800 mi (4,500 km, 2,400 nmi)
Service ceiling: 60,000 ft (18,000 m)

Northrop YF-17A Armament

Guns: 1× 20 mm (0.79 in) M61 Vulcan Gatling gun
Missiles: 2× AIM-9 Sidewinder

Northrop YF-17 Image Gallery

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