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[ python357 ]

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Subject: The Y in YF-22
Post ID# 2296
Message Number 1
Date Posted: 28 August 2009, 5:18:36 PM

Hi Everyone. I have a question that I have always wondered since I have been intrested in aircraft. In the names of some aircraft there is a Y in front of the F. For example: The YF-22 Raptor. Can someone tell me what the Y stands for?

Thanks everyone



[ jetwhiz ]

jetwhiz

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Subject: The Y in YF-22
Post ID# 2298
Message Number 2
Date Posted: 29 August 2009, 6:40:49 PM

Python357 wrote: View Post #2296
Hi Everyone. I have a question that I have always wondered since I have been intrested in aircraft. In the names of some aircraft there is a Y in front of the F. For example: The YF-22 Raptor. Can someone tell me what the Y stands for?

Thanks everyone

The 'Y' denotes that the aircraft has a Prototype status. You can see a list of all possible letter codes involved in the US Tri-Service system on our definitions page
~JetWhiz jester

Saturday, August 29, 2009 -- 6:40:49 PM PDT



[ f22_raptor ]

f22_raptor

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Subject: The Y in YF-22
Post ID# 2325
Message Number 3
Date Posted: 30 September 2009, 5:41:08 AM

Jetwhiz wrote: View Post #2298
Python357 wrote: View Post #2296
Hi Everyone. I have a question that I have always wondered since I have been intrested in aircraft. In the names of some aircraft there is a Y in front of the F. For example: The YF-22 Raptor. Can someone tell me what the Y stands for? Thanks everyone
The 'Y' denotes that the aircraft has a Prototype status. You can see a list of all possible letter codes involved in the US Tri-Service system on our definitions page
~JetWhiz <8) Wednesday, September 30, 2009 -- 5:41:08 AM PDT
no x means that



[ f6hellcat ]

f6hellcat

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Subject: The Y in YF-22
Post ID# 2326
Message Number 4
Date Posted: 30 September 2009, 4:22:38 PM

F22_raptor wrote: View Post #2325
Jetwhiz wrote: View Post #2298
Python357 wrote: View Post #2296
Hi Everyone. I have a question that I have always wondered since I have been intrested in aircraft. In the names of some aircraft there is a Y in front of the F. For example: The YF-22 Raptor. Can someone tell me what the Y stands for? Thanks everyone
The 'Y' denotes that the aircraft has a Prototype status. You can see a list of all possible letter codes involved in the US Tri-Service system on our definitions page
~JetWhiz <8) Wednesday, September 30, 2009 -- 4:22:38 PM PDT
no x means that

actually there is a difference. X is actually pointing towards an experimental aircraft. not necessarily a combat aircraft (in fact i can only think of a few instances where that happened. that was the JSF) Y is actually used for Young (i think) Fighter. so you get Young Fighter 22. this is used when the aircraft is competing for a contract like with the YF-16 and YF-17. or in this case, the YF-22, and YF-23. as soon as whichever aircraft is decided the winner, the Y is dropped and you just get F-22.



[ jetwhiz ]

jetwhiz

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Subject: The Y in YF-22
Post ID# 2330
Message Number 5
Last Updated: 30 September 2009, 6:49:35 PM
Date Posted: 30 September 2009, 6:43:15 PM

F6hellcat wrote: View Post #2326
F22_raptor wrote: View Post #2325
no x means that

actually there is a difference. X is actually pointing towards an experimental aircraft. not necessarily a combat aircraft (in fact i can only think of a few instances where that happened. that was the JSF) Y is actually used for Young (i think) Fighter. so you get Young Fighter 22. this is used when the aircraft is competing for a contract like with the YF-16 and YF-17. or in this case, the YF-22, and YF-23. as soon as whichever aircraft is decided the winner, the Y is dropped and you just get F-22.

That's correct, but Y can be used to designate any aircraft whose status is a prototype (not just fighters). When we're talking about X in terms of an aircraft's status it is referring to designs thrown together for experimental testing (such as testing if a conceptual airframe actually works as expected). The Y status designation, however, addresses aircraft that are nearly ready for production (they are prototypes for the production release). Typically you build experimental models (sometimes many of them) before actually building a prototype.
~JetWhiz jester

Wednesday, September 30, 2009 -- 6:49:35 PM PDT



[ firstsgt_cap ]

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Subject: The Y in YF-22
Post ID# 2332
Message Number 6
Date Posted: 02 October 2009, 9:43:31 PM

The X- designation can mean a number of things, it generally stands for experimental, however an aircraft with the X- designation can still become a production aircraft without officially having a YF-, YB-, etc designation. Take the X-32 and X-35 for instance. The X-35 after winning the contract essentially went straight to the F-35 designation. However, the F-22, was the YF-22 prior to becoming the F/A-22.

The actual designation meanings are:
X - Experimental
Y - Prototype



[ jetwhiz ]

jetwhiz

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Subject: The Y in YF-22
Post ID# 2333
Message Number 7
Last Updated: 03 October 2009, 3:56:01 PM
Date Posted: 03 October 2009, 2:20:57 PM

Firstsgt_cap wrote: View Post #2332
The X- designation can mean a number of things, it generally stands for experimental, however an aircraft with the X- designation can still become a production aircraft without officially having a YF-, YB-, etc designation.

Very true, there are no requirements to have official aircraft status designations start at X and then Y before going to production; there were no official XF-22 aircraft released before the prototype was shown to the USAF.

There are two different meanings to 'X' in an aircraft designation:
  • the basic mission can be experimental (such as the X-1, X-15, etc.)
  • the status of an aircraft can be experimental (like the XF-11 and XF-89)

The X-35 has a basic mission of experimental (not fighter) ... it was an experimental aircraft (not a fighter with experimental status). If it were a fighter with experimental status then it would have been the XF-35. In that sense, there were no XF-35 and YF-35 aircraft made -- just a fully experimental aircraft that led to a production aircraft.

~JetWhiz jester

Saturday, October 03, 2009 -- 3:56:01 PM PDT



[ firstsgt_cap ]

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Subject: The Y in YF-22
Post ID# 2334
Message Number 8
Date Posted: 04 October 2009, 6:25:41 PM

Jetwhiz wrote: View Post #2333
Firstsgt_cap wrote: View Post #2332
The X- designation can mean a number of things, it generally stands for experimental, however an aircraft with the X- designation can still become a production aircraft without officially having a YF-, YB-, etc designation.

Very true, there are no requirements to have official aircraft status designations start at X and then Y before going to production; there were no official XF-22 aircraft released before the prototype was shown to the USAF.

There are two different meanings to 'X' in an aircraft designation:
  • the basic mission can be experimental (such as the X-1, X-15, etc.)
  • the status of an aircraft can be experimental (like the XF-11 and XF-89)

The X-35 has a basic mission of experimental (not fighter) ... it was an experimental aircraft (not a fighter with experimental status). If it were a fighter with experimental status then it would have been the XF-35. In that sense, there were no XF-35 and YF-35 aircraft made -- just a fully experimental aircraft that led to a production aircraft.

~JetWhiz <8)

Sunday, October 04, 2009 -- 6:25:41 PM PDT

True, the clarify on the basic mission portion of the 'X' designation. Just because it does not have another designation 'F' for instance, does not mean it was not designed for a more specific purpose. Generally, in cases that lack that 'F' or any other secondary designation the aircraft's fate is still undecided. In the X-35's case, it may have been beat by the X-32, leaving it an 'X' and sending it to the bone yard or a museum. Where as, it won the competition and became the F-35.

Also, please understand that this is all based off of the previously mentioned Tri-Service Aircraft Designation System, which was introduced in 1962. That being said, there have been a number of instances where the system was changed and/or disregarded when naming aircraft.



[ examples ]

examples

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Subject: The Y in YF-22
Post ID# 2417
Message Number 9
Date Posted: 11 March 2011, 12:49:13 AM

firstsgt_cap, jetwhiz, f6hellcat are all correct. By the way, f6hellcat, why is your picture familiar?


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