100px|The two Northrop YF-23s

The Northrop YF-23 was a single-seat, twin-engine fighter aircraft designed for the United States Air Force (USAF). In the 1980s, the USAF began looking for a replacement for its fighter aircraft, especially to counter the USSR's advanced Su-27 and MiG-29. Several companies submitted design proposals; the USAF selected proposals from Northrop and Lockheed. Northrop teamed with McDonnell Douglas to develop the YF-23, while Lockheed, Boeing and General Dynamics developed the YF-22. The YF-23 was stealthier and faster, but less agile than the competition. After a four-year development and evaluation process, the YF-22 was announced the winner in 1991 and entered production as the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. The U.S. Navy considered using one of the ATF aircraft types to replace the F-14, but later canceled these plans. The two YF-23 prototypes were on exhibit in museums as of 2009. (more...)

Recently featured: Cirrus cloud – 22nd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry – 2007–2008 Nazko earthquakes

Archive – By email – More featured articles...

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_YF-23

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1399:

Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster, deposed Richard II to become Henry IV of England, merging the Duchy of Lancaster with the crown. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_IV_of_England

1975:

The AH-64 Apache, the primary attack helicopter for a number of countries, made its first flight. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_AH-64_Apache

1979:

Construction of the Kwun Tong Line, the first line of Hong Kong's MTR rapid transit system, was completed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTR

1980:

Xerox, Intel and Digital Equipment Corporation published the first Ethernet specifications , currently the most widespread wired local area network (LAN) technology. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet

2004:

The first photographs of a live giant squid in its natural habitat were taken by Japanese researchers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/giant_squid

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

cutify (verb): 1. (from the Latin word for skin, "cutis") To form skin, as, the wound area was left to cutify. 2. (from "cute" + "-ify", perhaps modeled on "beautify") To make cute, as, she cutified her room http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cutify

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Observe the wonders as they occur around you.

Don't claim them. Feel the artistry moving through, and be silent. --Rumi http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Rumi