The YF-17 Cobra was supposed to become America’s next lightweight fighter. Instead, it lost the competition to the YF-16 — and yet its story was far from over.
In the 1970s, the U.S. Air Force launched the Lightweight Fighter program to find a smaller, lighter, more agile and affordable alternative to increasingly expensive fighters like the F-15. Two aircraft emerged as the major contenders: the General Dynamics YF-16 and Northrop YF-17 Cobra.
The YF-16 ultimately won the competition in January 1975 and evolved into the F-16 Fighting Falcon. But the losing YF-17 found an unexpected second chance when the U.S. Navy became interested in its design.
The Cobra was extensively developed and transformed into the F/A-18 Hornet, eventually creating one of America's most recognizable naval fighter families.
In this video, we break down:
✈️ Why the U.S. needed a new lightweight fighter
✈️ YF-16 vs YF-17 — two completely different designs
✈️ What made the YF-17 Cobra so maneuverable
Source: The Buzz
