The Northrop YF-17 (nicknamed "Cobra") is a prototype lightweight fighter aircraft designed by Northrop aviation for the United States Air Force 's Lightweight Fighter (LWF) technology …

Jun 16, 2025 · The F-17 designation almost came to service in the 1970s. Northrop Aircraft (now Northrop Grumman) developed the YF-17 Cobra and flew prototypes in 1976 with some help …

Nov 27, 2023 · Though there wasn’t ever an F-17, there was the YF-17 Cobra, a prototype lightweight fighter aircraft designed by Northrop aviation for the United States Air Force’s …

May 9, 2023 · Instead, a YF-17 prototype (late 1960’s) lightweight fighter was designed to be cheaper than the F15 but lost out to the F16. So after a redesign, it became the F/A-18.

Nov 27, 2025 · Key Points and Summary – Northrop’s YF-17 “Cobra” lost the U.S. Air Force’s 1970s Lightweight Fighter competition to the YF-16, but it went on to shape American and …

Mar 20, 2024 · The Northrop Grumman YF-17 Cobra was a lightweight fighter aircraft prototype designed for the United States Air Force (USAF) in the 1970s. At the time, it was believed that …

Dec 20, 2025 · The F-17 fighter jet is a typical example. It was originally developed by Northrop Corporation to participate in the U.S. Air Force's new generation light fighter program in the …

Northrop produced the twin-engine YF-17 using breakthrough aerodynamic technologies and two high-thrust General Electric YJ101 engines. General Dynamics countered with the compact …

Jun 9, 2025 · Though it never entered production, the YF-17 was the critical bridge between Northrop’s fighter designs and the frontline carrier-based F/A-18 Hornet. Its legacy lives on in …

The Northrop YF-17, commonly known as the Cobra, was a prototype fighter aircraft developed in the 1970s. It was designed as a lightweight, single-seat fighter with excellent agility and high …