Over 30
years ago, the USAF realized it would need a stealthy aircraft to compete in a
war with the Soviet Union. Air defense and air intercept radars were such that
only by being nearly electronically invisible, would modern aircraft have a
chance in a hostile environment. So a tender was placed and two designs were
chosen. One was from Lockheed/Martin for the YF-22 and the other was to Northrop
for the YF-23. Both companys had been working on stealthy aircraft; Lockheed
with the F-117 and Northrop on the B-2. Both of these planes had been developed
in great secrecy and both of them proved to be capable of fulfilling their
mission. Both were also bombers. However, when the fighter competition started,
neither aircraft was publicly known.
Both planes were built to similar specifications and
both companies had to provide prototypes with two different engines as the power
plants were also being tested at the time. The eventual winner was, of course,
the YF-22, which, like most prototypes, differed when compared to the eventual
prod
uction
aircraft. Many thought that the YF-22 was the better plane and that the choice
of the YF-23 was politically motivated. I would not be surprised, but that is
not at all uncommon where the second best is picked because of politics.
Anyway, this sheet from Caracal Models provides all
the markings that have ever been carried on the two YF-23 aircraft. This sheet
is designed for the new Hobby Boss kit, which tells me that Hobby Boss' decals
must not be the most accurate around. You can do both of the prototypes with
this sheet which is a nice touch for those who want to build two models. It is
superbly printed by Cartograf and the full color instructions tell you not only
what goes where (there are a lot of data markings), but also what time periods
some of the markings represent.
BTW, if you are wondering what the large wedge looking bits are, those
fit in the upper intake. I have also darkened the sheet image so you can see the
white bits more easily.
A great sheet for this new kit and one you should
seriously consider to build an accurate model.