F/A-23C Black Widow II

[Spey Phantom]

the F/A-23C is a production version of the YF-23.
this represents more or less what the YF-23 would look like if the EMD phase happened.

the basekit is a Trumpeter 1/144 YF-23, with scratchbuilt weapons bays and revides intakes, based on the drawings for the EMD version.
decals and external fueltanks are from a Trumpeter 1/144 F-22A Raptor.

the one thing i dislike about the trumpeter kit is the horribly innacurate canopy, but a little paintwork arround the edges can make it look quite usefull.











and here a comparison view between the YF-23 Prototype (Revell) and the F/A-23 EMD (Trumpeter)

[Tophe]

and here a comparison view between the YF-23 Prototype (Revell) and the F/A-23 EMD (Trumpeter)

Interesting, pleasant, beautiful!

[elmayerle]

Beautiful!!

[Artoor_K]

Well, You give me idea how to paint second of my YF-23. Nice scheme :)

[The Big Gimper]

What everyone else said. Great inspiration here.

[FAAMAN]

Very nicely done

[Volkodav]

Nice work, I like the F-23, I understand why the F-22 was selected, ah for the old days and the completely wasteful practice of buying multiple types for the same or similar requirements.

[Tophe]

Nice work, I like the F-23, I understand why the F-22 was selected, ah for the old days and the completely wasteful practice of buying multiple types for the same or similar requirements.

I like that old practice for 2 reasons:
- fun: this makes many models available instead of a single one...
- money: it is like the "me too" medicines, a single product tends to have a huge price but competition pushes the prices down (instead of one prototype, costing 30 millions $ in the Soviet way, you may get two different candidates for 5+5 millions, theoretically...)

[elmayerle]

Nice work, I like the F-23, I understand why the F-22 was selected, ah for the old days and the completely wasteful practice of buying multiple types for the same or similar requirements.

My understanding is that the F-22 was selected, despite the YF-23 exceeding the YF-22 in all categories, because the USAF had a very low opinion of Northrop's management at that point.

[ChernayaAkula]

Really nice!  :)

I think the inaccurate canopy actually looks cooler than a proper one would. Looks a bit sleeker! 

[taiidantomcat]

Really nice!  :)

I think the inaccurate canopy actually looks cooler than a proper one would. Looks a bit sleeker! 

Agreed!! I thought nils had made it that way on purpose! Much sleeker

[ChernayaAkula]

<...> I thought nils had made it that way on purpose! <...>

Yep! Same here!  :)