YF-23

Though nearly 30 years old, Northrop's YF-23 looks more futuristic than most modern aircraft. More on this crazy plane later.

Models and more

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.

Hornet model

Amusingly, this model of the F/A-18 Hornet is bigger than the next aircraft you'll see...

Bede

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.

Tiny plane, tiny cockpit

As you'd expect, it's a tight squeeze to fit inside the simple cockpit.

Saber

The F-86 Saber. This one was built in 1952 for the Japanese Air Self Defense Force. 

6 gun

There were six .50-caliber machine guns in the nose.

Open wide

Somewhere deep in there was a GE J47 that generated 5,910 pounds of thrust.

Climb in

This F-5 was donated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force. 

Cannons

One of the feed lines for the starboard 20mm cannon.

Supersonic

The F-5A was capable of Mach 1.4 thanks to its GE J85 which produced 4,080 pounds of thrust.

Cockpit

Far more serious of a cockpit than the Bede, for far more serious of an aircraft.

Analog

Just slightly different from the glass cockpits found in modern planes such as the Cirrus VisionJet I flew this summer.

It's only a model

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.

Turbofan

A Pratt & Whitney TF30, the first production turbofan with afterburner. It powered the F-111 and F-14A, among others.

Slightly older

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.

Jump Jet

A British Aerospace Sea Harrier "Jump Jet." Notably, the trainer variant.

T.4

Apparently adding an extra seat up front messed with the weight balance, so they elongated the tail. The result is a rather unique-looking Harrier.

In-flight

The appendage jutting out above the fuselage is an aerial refueling probe.

Pegasus

Inside is a single Rolls-Royce Pegasus 11 Mk 103 was was capable of producing a massive 21,000 pounds of thrust.

Hover mode: engaged

Two nozzles on each side directed thrust anywhere in a 98.5-degree arc.

Texans

Not affiliated with the museum, there are three T-6 Texans at the Zamperini Field.

Choppers

Also at the field is Robinson Helicopter, who make lightweight and relatively inexpensive helicopters.

4-seat

Two Robinson R44s going through some final testing. 

YF-17 Cobra

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.

17-to-18

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.

Proto-Hornet

Small and light, the F/A-18 is still in service today, 39 years after it first flew.

Skyhawk

This A-4 Skyhawk was stationed in California and Japan in the late '50s. Some Skyhawks are still in service around the world.

Big cat

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."

Top Gun

This F-14 is actually from the "Top Gun" school in Miramar.

YF-23

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.

Stealth offset

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). 

Unmade

Though it was well liked, and rumor has it preferred, by its test pilots, the Air Force chose Lockheed Martin's plane that would become the F-22. 

Exhaust

The engine exhaust is mounted above the fuselage to help reduce the heat signature.

Expensive tile

These are the same tiles that were used on the Space Shuttle.

One last try

There was one last chance for the YF-23, a possible light bomber based on the design from Northrop. That didn't happen either, however.

F-5A

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.

Pusher prop and canard?

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?

Simulator

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. 

Goodyear Blimp!

This is the actual gondola of the last of the GZ-20 Goodyear Blimps. The new models are no longer blimps, but semi-rigid airships.

And so ends my visit to Western Museum of Flight. It may be small, but the planes are fascinating and the people are lovely.