YF-23 kit vs VF-1J!

[GunnerX]

Heyaz! Long time no post.... Well, have some free time on my hands, and a YF-23 kit lying around, so i decided to up and build it! (finally...) Very simple kit to make, just that the moulding is not perfect, some errors in the kit ( intakes wrong) and also wrong instructions!!!! This is the Tamiya kit, although the Italeri one also has the same errors... (well, the tamiya is a repackage after all!).

But i'm in love with the YF-23.. love it's design! But as they say, 'it's way ahead of it's time... '

Anyway, i placed VF-1J at the side as a comparison... and MAN! Is the 1J small!!!! The VF-0S is almost the same length..

[Macross_Fanboy]

Damn! Very nice man.

[Mule]

The VF-1 is small, but the YF-23 was also pretty large. My understanding is that one of the marks against the YF-23 was that it wouldn't fit in the hangers built for the F-15s it was supposed to replace.

Nice work on both models by the way

[armentage]

Heh, I set up the same sorts of comparisons at home with my 1/72nd's.

It's amazing how huge the F-117 stealth is. It's as long as an F-14, but the lifting body looks far more massive. The valkryies absolutely tiny compared to both of them!

[promethuem5]

What is the YF-23? Is it a real life aircraft or from a different series?

[Dat Pinche Haro!]

What is the YF-23? Is it a real life aircraft or from a different series?

it's the aircraft going against the YF-22 (F/A-22 now) back in the early 90's at Edwards Airforce Base...basically, the contest that inspired Macross Plus

[armentage]

YF-23 is one of the two planes that inspired Macross Plus.

It was a prototype by Gurman delivered to the airforce to compete against the Lockheed/Martin YF-22 Raptor.

The two planes duked it out see which should replace the F-15. The YF-22 won the competition and will be going into service some decade soon!

While the YF-23 did not feature mind-control, space-fold capability, or transformation, it does have vectored thrust and the same 4-wing design of the Mac YF-21. A gorgeous gorgeous plane!

[Metal_Massacre_79]

As I understand it, the Raptors will be put into service as soon as 2006. The YF-22 is one bad-assed looking aircraft. Apparently they're looking to build a few hundred of them for the Air Force. During one of the competitions, one Raptor went up against 8 Eagles and all Eagles were killed before they even seen the Raptor. It's one serious work of art, and one serious nightmare for the enemy.

[Grayson72]

Great job on the build, your panel lining is perfect, can you explain how you did it? I'm always trying to perfect my technique.

[Goshawk]

Gunner I have always loved the design of the 23. Awsome job on th ship.

[Robert S]

THe YF-23 was better in almost every respect. It had better supercruise and stealth capabilities. Where it lost out was manuverability. The design did not feature vectored thrust engines (to help with its stealth signature) and there were conserns about the companies that were building it ability to deliver on time and budget.

Should have been the one but the 22 won out. The 23 looked sooo much better. Here is some more info about both planes.

yf 23

F-22

Oh and if you think this thing is big in 1/72 you should see it in resin and 1/48th

[Goshawk]

1/48th???? oh i gotta find one. Robert I hit that same site all the time.

[GunnerX]

Thanks all! Lotsa decals missing still tho', will update with newer pictures! I've somehow always preferred the 23 to the 22.. but the raptor is slowly growing on me...

Heya grayson! Actually, not much panel lining on this kit, most of it all is raised surfaces for details! the only things that were engraved on the kits body are the flaps!

For panel lining, the way i do it is that i apply the acrylic coat 1st, then another clear coat of acrylic on top. After which i use Tamiya enamel paint thinned down (black or dark gray) so that the paint is 'pulled' into the panel line (capillary action). Dun worry about the paint oveflowing or such, as you can just wipe it off with ENAMEL thinner, which won't eat away the acrylic layer! Here's a sample... before...

[GunnerX]

... and after!!! Actually grayson, i've seen your models and they look way better than mine!

[Less than Super Ostrich]

Have you folks ever seen the Nova special "Battle of the X planes"? It is a great documentary about the contest for the Joint Strike Fighter. It was really neat to see how these two companies (Boeing and Lockheed) tried to do some completely different things when designing a plane. I know it is a different contest than what we are discussing here... but it is really worth seeing.

[armentage]

For panel lining, the way i do it is that i apply the acrylic coat 1st, then another clear coat of acrylic on top. After which i use Tamiya enamel paint thinned down (black or dark gray)

Tamiya ENAMEL paint??? This is a shock, I've been using Tamiya colors for almost 20 years and this is the first time I've heard of this!

Are they sprays?

[Grayson72]

... and after!!! Actually grayson, i've seen your models and they look way better than mine!

Heh thanks, actually I meant to ask about your panel shading on the 23 not the lining, my bad.

[David Hingtgen]

Not to hijack the thread, but I often post my little composite pic when people ask about the -23 (my fave plane, and the coolest-looking plane ever).

[GunnerX]

Not to hijack the thread, but I often post my little composite pic when people ask about the -23 (my fave plane, and the coolest-looking plane ever).

Ooooo! Very nice!!! Anyone knows where tp d/l clips/movies/documentaries on the YF-23? Truthfully, as much as i love the plane, i've never seen it in action...

[Retracting Head Ter Ter]

Not to hijack the thread, but I often post my little composite pic when people ask about the -23 (my fave plane, and the coolest-looking plane ever).

Agree on the coolest looking plane part (although XB-70 gives a good fight).

I think the Gunship Grey colours really suit the YF-23. Makes it look all mean and menacing.

[Less than Super Ostrich]

Any good modeling options for the YF-23, David?

[Goshawk]

Gunner

the only thing I can think of is that the History Channel did a big thing on it, so you might want to check there and also the discovery channel, but that all purchase

[David Hingtgen]

YF-23 modeling? The one at the top of the page is the best. There is no "good" good, just a few decent ones. There's also a 1/48 resin one, but I need to get a lot better before I plunk down $200+ for it.

YF-23 sites? Best one's long gone, I downloaded most of it. Try this for a walkaround: http://aircraftstories.free.fr/mono/yf23/w...und/page_01.htm

And this one: http://www.hornets80.net/gallery/gallery7.htm

A DVD recently came out, new interviews and never-before-seen footage. I got it, worth every penny to me. "Web of Secrecy, YF-23 Black Widow II Declassified"

History Channel recently had something about the 22 vs 23, really nice shot of the 23's unique "one contrail only" feature. (Every other plane will have a contrail from each wingtip in a tight turn--YF-23's tend to only have it on one wing)

Finally, my "surprised it isn't classified pic" of the day:

[Retracting Head Ter Ter]

Finally, my "surprised it isn't classified pic" of the day:

Hey, any more where that came from?

[codam23]

Yeh That pic was GREAT.. I love the detail at the wing root.

[GunnerX]

Here's another... engine yanked out!!! Poor baby..

[Less than Super Ostrich]

Hey, that's my mattress!

[Goshawk]

Knowing Northrop like I know them, they have got something up their sleve if the 23 didnt make it, they have always got something better right around the conor, but then this is how they are with NASA when I was working at NASA.

Oh yea do you by chance have a link for the resin 1/48th? I took a look around either i didnt see it or skiped right over it on a search

Edited June 3, 2005 by Goshawk

[Less than Super Ostrich]

Here it is:

http://www.collectaire.com/modelpages/yf23/yf23.html

[GunnerX]

Sorry for the lack of decent pictures! Haven't had time to take them, but here's one in the meantime.... been busy with my hase F-14!

[David Hingtgen]

Must be a popular mattress, it's mine too!

Anyways, here's one of my faves---one of the few with open missile bay doors.

[Retracting Head Ter Ter]

Hey, with all that rather 'rough' finishing (at least to my untrained eye looking at the photos) on the prototypes, would they have been significantly less steathy then real design spec? If true, wouldn't that make it hard to judge the stealth aspects of the prototypes during the flyoff? One wouldn't know if the stealth results were a result of design or quality of finish.

[Fugly]

...gurgle.

Hey, I was wondering: this may seem like a dumb question, but why are planes sometimes painted in two different colors, like the F-22? Is there any tactical advantage to this, or is it just a personal preference-kinda thing?

[Goshawk]

yes, belive it or not its actually harder to seen while in flight and high up, acts like a camoflage to the ship.

[Fugly]

Kickass...thanks! How does that work, though? Is it because the white color looks like sky, making that part harder to see and the dark-grey part confusing the pilot hunting said plane? Or what?