Manufacturer: McDONNELL DOUGLAS

Model: unknown

Name: Dark Knight

Type:

Date: 1989

Status: Experimental

Country: United States

Service: U.S. Air Force

Designation: YF-123C

The USAF has tested many secret types, from early aircraft like the Boeing Quiet Bird of 1962 through to the McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) Bird of Prey of 1996. Along the line, the YF-23A was conceived, as well as another, larger type resembling its general shape, which was briefly observed when it crashed at Boscombe Down in Britain. There have been several other aircraft along the way, notably the Northrop THAP demonstrator and the Northrop YF-19A Spectre, but another, less known development aircraft was the Northrop Black Knight, resembling the later F-23 but with a shorter fuselage and only one central jet underneath the fuselage. Three test aircraft with slightly different configuration and performance were assigned the designations YF-123A, YF-123B and YF-123C. The latter shows no military markings, as the testing was done in company guise, as with the later Bird of Prey.

• "These are great designs!" (Taiidantomcat)
• "Is there a little strip of red LED's that flash from side to side in front of the cockpit ?" (Gondor)

Hey, that's Dark Knight, not Knight Rider! I guess wingtip batarangs or a ventral batsignal would be in order though... LOL