YF-22 | |
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A YF-22 during a test flight | |
Role | Stealth fighter technology demonstrator |
National origin | United States |
Manufacturer | Lockheed / Boeing / General Dynamics |
First flight | 29 September 1990 |
Status | Retired |
Primary user | United States Air Force |
Produced | 1989–1990 |
Number built | 2 |
Developed into | Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor |
The Lockheed/
In the 1980s, the USAF began looking for a replacement for its fighter aircraft, especially to counter the advanced Su-27 and MiG-29. A number of companies, divided into two teams, submitted their proposals. Northrop and McDonnell Douglas submitted the YF-23. Lockheed, Boeing and General Dynamics proposed and built the YF-22, which, although marginally slower and having a larger radar cross-section, was more agile than the YF-23. The Lockheed team was picked by the Air Force as the winner of the ATF in April 1991. Following the selection, the first prototype was retired as an exhibit at the Air Force Flight Test Museum, while the second continued flying until an accident relegated it to the role of an antenna test vehicle and was later stored.
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