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:
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...