Author Topic: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II  (Read 19920 times)

Offline ChernayaAkula

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Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« on: January 05, 2014, 09:08:34 AM »
No thread yet for the YF-23 ?  :o That's gotta change!

Kicking things off with Aigore's beautiful "Mitsubishi F-3A"  :-* - built from the 1/48 Hobby Boss kit. More pics of that gorgeous piece of work on ARC: LINK

Cheers,
Moritz

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Offline elmayerle

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Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #1 on: January 05, 2014, 12:10:25 PM »
RF-23 mod with an external bulge similar to the "below the chine" portion of the AGM-137 (actually, two AGM-137 front sections back to back) for recce equipment, both electro-optical (using the same "window" as the visually-guided variant of TASSM) and electromagnetic (since the same shape was used for TACIT BLUE carrying a large LPI radar).

Offline Kerick

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Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2014, 02:30:47 PM »
RF-23 mod with an external bulge similar to the "below the chine" portion of the AGM-137 (actually, two AGM-137 front sections back to back) for recce equipment, both electro-optical (using the same "window" as the visually-guided variant of TASSM) and electromagnetic (since the same shape was used for TACIT BLUE carrying a large LPI radar).

I was thinking of lengthening the fuselage behind the cockpit and forward of the wings. It would make room for sensors and perhaps extra fuel. Never enough fuel on a recce mission.

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2014, 02:36:28 PM »
that would work; I've been thinking of splicing the forward fuselages from two YF-23 kits together to get that extra room for more fuel as well as the production weapons bays.  The sensors and bulge would be on a pallet that replaced the weapons bay doors and would fill the weapons bay.  I'm thinking of something similar for a RB-2 mod package that would replace the port weapons bay door and pick up existing attach locations on the structure; combined with the auxiliary fuel tank provisions in the starboard weapons bay, you could have a good long-range and stealth recce platform.

Offline Kerick

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Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2014, 11:16:05 AM »
Is there a decent YF 23 kit in 1/72 out there? Seems to be several in 1/48.

Offline Daryl J.

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Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2014, 12:29:30 PM »
For whiffing?  DML.
kwyxdxLg5T

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Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #6 on: January 06, 2014, 02:49:15 PM »
Is there a decent YF 23 kit in 1/72 out there? Seems to be several in 1/48.

There are only two in 1/48:

  • One that is 'as rare as hen's teeth' and then exorbitant when the do rarely appear  - Collect-Aire
  • One that has only just appeared recently - HobbyBoss
« Last Edit: January 06, 2014, 03:51:51 PM by GTX_Admin »
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Offline ChernayaAkula

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Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #7 on: January 06, 2014, 03:19:42 PM »
Is there a decent YF 23 kit in 1/72 out there? <...>


There are two moulds. One by Dragon, one by Italeri (also reboxed by Revell, Testors and Tamiya). YF-23.net (LINK) reckons the Italeri kit is the best 1/72 option, being generally more accurate and offering an open weapon bay.
Cheers,
Moritz

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Offline The Big Gimper

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Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #8 on: January 06, 2014, 07:04:28 PM »
Is there a decent YF 23 kit in 1/72 out there? <...>


There are two moulds. One by Dragon, one by Italeri (also reboxed by Revell, Testors and Tamiya). YF-23.net (LINK) reckons the Italeri kit is the best 1/72 option, being generally more accurate and offering an open weapon bay.


Both kits are OOP. There a 1/144 kit from Trumpeter.

But Caracal has just issued a sheets in 1/72 and 1/48. Cybermodeler review is here.

1/72 here.
1/48 here.

There is a web site dedicated to the YF-23 with kit reviews. Go here. Click on Menu -> Scale Models. Then 1/72 or 1/48.
« Last Edit: January 06, 2014, 07:08:34 PM by The Big Gimper »
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Offline The Big Gimper

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Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #9 on: January 06, 2014, 07:46:23 PM »
Is there a decent YF 23 kit in 1/72 out there? Seems to be several in 1/48.

There are only two in 1/48:

  • One that is 'as rare as hen's teeth' and then exorbitant when the do rarely appear  - Collect-Aire
  • One that has only just appeared recently - HobbyBoss

Does HobbyBoss scale down their kits? I'd like to have few YF-23s in brail scale.
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Offline Kerick

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Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #10 on: January 06, 2014, 08:08:05 PM »
Thanks for the kit info. Now I know what to look out for. I knew you guys would have the resources.

Offline upnorth

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Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #11 on: January 06, 2014, 10:03:28 PM »
Not my work, but something from the Czech modelers' What if SIG table at the 2011 Modelbrno show:

Pickled Wings, A Blog for Preserved Aircraft:
http://pickledwings.com/

Beyond Prague, Traveling the Rest of the Czech Republic:
http://beyondprague.net/

Offline Frank3k

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Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #12 on: January 06, 2014, 10:36:33 PM »
The Trumpeter 1/144 kit is dirt cheap. It's OK; it has fit problems, especially the canopy.

Offline kitnut617

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Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #13 on: January 06, 2014, 10:45:35 PM »
I've got one of the Italeri 1/72 kits in the stash, going to use it to do one of these ---  (pictures courtesy of Chris Payne).

Chris' Tempest was based on the artwork

Offline The Big Gimper

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Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #14 on: January 06, 2014, 11:27:40 PM »
The Trumpeter 1/144 kit is dirt cheap. It's OK; it has fit problems, especially the canopy.

Mine will be UAVs launched from a UC-135.
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Offline Frank3k

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Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #15 on: January 07, 2014, 02:20:27 AM »
Mine will be UAVs launched from a UC-135.

It'll work great as that, since you can ignore the canopy. The underside has big gaps where the wings mate to the upper section, but nothing a pound or two of filler won't fix.

Offline The Big Gimper

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Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #16 on: January 07, 2014, 04:15:26 AM »
Mine will be UAVs launched from a UC-135.

It'll work great as that, since you can ignore the canopy. The underside has big gaps where the wings mate to the upper section, but nothing a pound or two of filler won't fix.

A pound or two eh? I better add some brass tubing to the wing spars and landing gear.  :o
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Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #17 on: March 31, 2014, 06:25:05 PM »
Hi all,

On the french forum Master194 published last evening, a french F-23 "Chimère" (Chimera) :



More pics here : http://www.master194.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=81304

 :)
Damien

Offline mrvr6

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Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #18 on: March 31, 2014, 11:06:24 PM »
pics aint showing for me :(

Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #19 on: April 01, 2014, 12:48:32 AM »






 :)

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Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #20 on: April 01, 2014, 02:30:55 AM »
Very nice!
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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Offline Volkodav

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Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #21 on: April 05, 2014, 11:37:22 AM »
Incomplete Italeri kit somewhere, looking at these and the fact the F-23 is real whiff fodder, it may be a good first tryout for my air brush.

Offline Jeffry Fontaine

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Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #22 on: September 09, 2014, 10:32:19 AM »
Now that I have one of the HobbyBoss YF-23 kits in protective custody I had some time to actually take a look at the parts.  Not a lot to see to be honest.  It looks like the YF-23 if you stand at a distance and take it all in.  Knowing that this is probably going to be the only injection molded plastic kit of the subject it just begs for some additional odds and ends to be added to it. 

The first thing that comes to mind is the kit needs some stores pylons for fuel tanks and additional weapons.  While there is not a lot of room under the wings I think you can wedge a couple of F-18 wing stores pylons under the wings and a couple more pylons under the fuselage for fuel tanks and other stores. 

Any other suggestions? 


Links:

BritModeller: ------> Northrop YF-23 - 1:48 Hobby Boss
BritModeller: ------> YF-23 Hobbyboss monster
« Last Edit: September 12, 2014, 04:09:10 AM by Jeffry Fontaine »
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Offline elmayerle

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Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #23 on: September 09, 2014, 10:43:30 AM »
You could probably use the F-22's drop tanks, those don't have deep pylons, from the pictures I've seen.  You might want to get the set of F-23 drawings from Scott Lowther (www.up-ship.com) as those might well have additional information.  I'll admit it'd be sorely tempted to either open the weapons bay (or bays if you upgrade it to a full F-23) or double-end the front modules from TSSAM for a stealthy semi-submerged recce pallet in the weapons bay.

Offline Jeffry Fontaine

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Re: Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II
« Reply #24 on: September 11, 2014, 05:45:04 AM »
You could probably use the F-22's drop tanks, those don't have deep pylons, from the pictures I've seen.  You might want to get the set of F-23 drawings from Scott Lowther (www.up-ship.com) as those might well have additional information.  I'll admit it'd be sorely tempted to either open the weapons bay (or bays if you upgrade it to a full F-23) or double-end the front modules from TSSAM for a stealthy semi-submerged recce pallet in the weapons bay.
F-22 drop tanks are pretty much the same as F-15 drop tanks and the 600 gallon drop tanks used by the IDF (Skunk Models includes a pair in one of their IDFweapons sets).  Only differences are the addition of some small fins and a rounded end cap on the F-22 and F-16 versions.  The advantage of using the Skunk Models parts is that you also get the F-16 style pylons to carry the things.  The Skunk Models parts are substantially cheaper than the IsraDecals resin F-16 600 gallon tanks and pylons. 

You could also consider using the large wing stores pylons from the F-15 but that leaves you with just one spot on the wings that is not interfering with the flaps and control surfaces where it could be positioned.  Perhaps smaller stores pylons outboard and another inboard could be worked in to add another pair of missiles to each wing.  As a last resort, you could always mount a launch rail on the end of the wingtip like the F-5, F-16, F-18, Rafale, etc.  I rather like this idea of wing-tip mounted missile launchers.   

As far as opening the weapons bay up on the HobbyBoss kit, it looks like a possibility and one member at ARC is apparently doing that with his HobbyBoss F-23 and making it large enough to carry a quartet (yes, 4X) GBU-28/BLU-113 bunker buster bombs.  I am still waiting to see his WIP images that he has offered to share and I also let him know about our own forum where we welcome what-if things so hopefully he will visit us soon.  In the interim, here is what he has described to me:
Quote from: 'Check Six' timestamp='1410309569' post='2645680'
I should PM you some pics of a YF-23 whatif I'm building right now. It involves swing-wings, a cockpit from an EA-6B, and a main weapons bay that can hold four BLU-113s!  I lengthened the fuselage in two areas and widened the fuselage just forward of the intakes all the way to the radome.  A pretty crazy involved whatif build!
*** Definitely sounds like an interesting project and I am certainly interested in seeing what he has done to the F-23 kit in order to make those big bombs fit internally. 

Some additional questions surface as I take a look at this HobbyBoss kit:

1.  Boarding the aircraft.  Separate boarding ladder as used on the F-16 for example or built in to the airframe boarding ladder such as that used on the A-6, F-15, A-10, and F-18? 

2.  Drawings at Lowther's UpShip site show the gun mounted on the left side of the airframe but in the description at YF-23.net it says the gun was moved from left to right so which is correct?  The HobbyBoss kit has no features on either side of the fuselage to suggest a gun being in that location so it is a blank slate at this point.  Personally, I would consider mounting it on the right side so that the boarding ladder is not in front of the muzzle, you know, basic gun safety, never get on the business end of the weapon.   

3.  The overall length of the weapons bay.  Large enough for a flock of AMRAAM (5X) yet other sources claim it would be lengthened to have a tandem weapons bay so that a brace of Sidewinders could be carried forward of the AMRAAM flock.  I suspect that if this were the case the overall length of the aircraft would have to increase to accommodate the additional weapons bay. 

4.  Engine humps and fuselage humps create a nice little valley with an intersection of these features.  If the weapons bay were to be lengthened would this then be visible on top of the fuselage as a lengthened feature that possibly joins up with the engines so that it is all filled in?  Concept art for the F(B)-23 shows that area as being blended in with the engines and in some conceptual art it shows three engines.  Personally, I prefer two engines to keep it simple and just have that area filled in to make room for the longer weapons bay and internal fuel.  Obviously that is a lot of putty to apply to that area and the weight would need to be offset at the front to keep it flat on the deck. 

5.  Apparently there was to be some kind of IRST/EOTS mounted under the nose of the aircraft in a very shallow and angular fairing.  Similar in appearance to what is going on the F-35, perhaps a bit larger in length.  This feature would certainly be a great way to clutter up the otherwise clean look without going too far. 


*** Link to topic at ARC: ------> F-23 external stores pylons A what-if obviously...
« Last Edit: September 12, 2014, 04:14:07 AM by Jeffry Fontaine »
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