Northrop YF-17 (Cobra)

Technology Demonstrator Aircraft

United States | 1972

"Originally a product intended for the USAF, the YF-17 Cobra earned her wings with the USN as the FA-18 Hornet."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 03/19/2021 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

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The YF-17 Cobra was a Northrop Aviation creation through NASA to support further testing and research of aircraft at transonic speeds (meaning just underneath the speed of sound, or 700-780mph / 1,127-1,255kph). The YF-17 Cobra was, itself, born from the United States Air Force's Lightweight Fighter Program.

The Lightweight Fighter Program called for a prototype that was small and low cost / maintenance, with the capabilities of an air superiority day fighter. Though losing out to the General Dynamics YF-16 (later to become the F-16 Fighting Falcon), the YF-17 would see bluer skies in the form of the later F/A-18 Hornet aboard the carrier of the United States Navy.

After the failed LWF fly-off competition for the YF-17 Cobra, tests began with NASA over a seven week period that included in-flight pressure data recorded through sensors from all over the aircraft airframe, studies in transonic maneuverability, and stability and control factors in controlled forty-five minute long flights.

In the end, the YF-17 Cobra would set the stage for the first prototypes and production models of the highly successful F/A-18 series of aircraft, leading up to the "Super Hornet" design and the eventual successor to the much regarded F-14 Tomcat series of carrier-based interceptors.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Northrop YF-17A (Cobra) Technology Demonstrator Aircraft.

2 x General Electric YJ101-100 afterburning turbojet engines developing 14,400lb thrust each.
Propulsion

1,496 mph
2,407 kph | 1,300 kts
Max Speed

49,213 ft
15,000 m | 9 miles
Service Ceiling

2,989 miles
4,811 km | 2,598 nm
Operational Range

50,000 ft/min
15,240 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

City-to-City Ranges
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Northrop YF-17A (Cobra) Technology Demonstrator Aircraft.

1
(MANNED)
Crew

55.8 ft
17.00 m
O/A Length

114.8 ft
(35.00 m)
O/A Width

16.4 ft
(5.00 m)
O/A Height

17,196 lb
(7,800 kg)
Empty Weight

34,348 lb
(15,580 kg)
MTOW

Design Balance
The three qualities reflected below are altitude, speed, and range. The more full the box, the more balanced the design.

RANGE

ALT

SPEED

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Northrop YF-17 (Cobra) Technology Demonstrator Aircraft .

AS TESTED/PROPOSED:
1 x 20mm Vulcan internal cannon
2 x AIM-9 Sidewinder Air-to-Air (AA) missiles on wingtips

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Northrop YF-17 (Cobra) family line.

YF-17 "Cobra" - Technology demonstrator

F/A-18 "Hornet" - Larger / heavier variant based on the YF-17.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Northrop YF-17 (Cobra). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 2 Units
Contractor(s): Nothrop Aviation - USA

[ United States (cancelled) ]

Relative Max Speed

Hi: 1500mph

Lo: 750mph

Aircraft Max Listed Speed (1,496mph).

Graph Average of 1,125 MPH.

Era Crossover

Showcasing Aircraft Era Crossover (if any)

Max Alt Visualization

Production Comparison

2

36183

44000

Entry compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian) total production.

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

Aviation Timeline

EarlyYrs

WWI

Interwar

WWII

ColdWar

Postwar

Modern

Future

♦

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❮ ❯

Mission Roles
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to airborne requirements.

X-PLANE

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Going Further...
The Northrop YF-17 (Cobra) Technology Demonstrator Aircraft appears in the following collections:

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