Check out the futuristic YF-23 stealth prototype and more
Curious what the incredible YF-23 looks like up close? How about the prototype YF-17, which would become the F/A-18? These and more at the Western Museum of Flight. Here's a full tour.
Located at Zamperini Field in Torrance, CA, 20 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, the Western Museum of Flight is a relatively small museum. Nonetheless its collection is impressive.
Though there are a bunch of real planes, this museum also features dozens of models, most design studies and wind-tunnel testers from the pre-computer days.
The tiny Bede BD-5, restored by the museum and painted colors to match its "Octopussy" sibling. That movie featured the jet-powered BD-5J, whereas this has a pusher prop and an air-cooled, 650cc, two-cylinder engine that produced 55hp.
That one in the middle isn't a model at all, but a Northrop JB-1 Bat, one of Jack Northrop's flying-wing designs. This is the only remaining airframe of the manned version.
A few examples of some engines from the pre-jet age. On the left is a Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9-cylinder radial that developed over 1200hp. On the lower right is a 35hp Righter/Kiekhaefer O-45-35 two-cylinder used by the Navy for target drones. The big one in the back is a Pratt&Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major. It's got 28 cylinders and produced about 3,500 hp. This engine was used by a variety of big aircraft, including the B-36, which I saw at the incredible Pima Air and Space Museum.
One of two YF-17 prototypes built by Northrop. Though the Air Force would choose the F-16 over this plane, the Navy would like the general design and it would become the F/A-18 Hornet.
Because it was originally designed for the Air Force, many components were changed to evolve the YF-17 into the F/A-18, including the landing gear, folding wings, and more.
Ah yes, the iconic F-14. According to Neil, the docent who showed us around, visiting kids from around the world always recognize this aircraft above all the others and say "Tomcat."
Back to that futuristic YF-23. Only two were built, as demonstration craft for the Air Force's search for a new stealth fighter. The other is at National Museum of the United States Air Force in Ohio.
Note the offset air intakes. There's an S-duct inside so radar couldn't bounce off the engines themselves (which are mounted more inboard than the intakes).
The small F-5A was mostly exported by Northrop. Many of its design ideas were used to develop the YF-17 and F/A-18. It's also closely related to the T-38 Talon trainer aircraft.
This flew over when we first arrived at the museum, and I saw it parked a while later. Not sure what it is. Velocity XL perhaps? Rutan Long-EZ or VariEze? Any guesses?
This surprised me. It's an analog flight sim from before WWII. There are a few dozen level, and I just recently saw another one at a different small and not-well-known air museum: the Malta Aviation Museum.
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Discuss: Check out the futuristic YF-23 stealth prototype and more
Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. We delete comments that violate our policy, which we encourage you to read. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion.