This is a 1/72 scale model of YF-23 PAV-1 built using the Testors kit, by Haydn Hughes. This model deserves special mention because this is the best effort I have seen so far to model PAV-1 in 1/72 accurately, anywhere in the world. This is the first time someone has painted the cockpit canopy frame in the correct colour: zinc chromate primer. Haydn has also noticed the little red brackets on the ejection seat rails used to mount video cameras, and installed them on his model. This is also a first. He is one of two people in the world to finally come to terms with the horrible rendition of the air intake in the kit. The colour he has chosen to paint the model is the closest I have ever seen to Gunship Grey 36118, which was the actual colour used on the real aircraft. It looks very accurate, and he has not weathered the model, which is a refreshing change to the plethora of grave yard rustbuckets so often depicted. Good onya Haydn, the best effort so far, only let down by one small mistake...

This is another 1/72 scale model, again done using the Italeri/Testors tooling, by someone calling themselves Supertom. The pics of this model were uploaded by him to the What-If scale modelling website a year or two ago. This model is singled out for particular attention because this is the first and only serious effort in 1/72 scale to depict the YF-23 as a service variant, or what the F-23A could have looked like. This model was constructed before the release of the offical EMD plans in 2009, so no-one outside of Northrop or the AIAA had any idea of what the F-23 would have looked like. The best guess was a 3 view published by Koku Fan many years ago, but there was no way of knowing how accurate those drawings were. Supertom has not made any modifications to the kit of any kind; it is in the painting that he has excelled. He extrapolated based on the current F-22A Raptor scheme, and used aftermarket decals for that aircraft. His rendition of the scheme is particularly well done; all the colours are very accurate. He has managed to capture the elusive metallic finish in just the right shade and patina to produce just the kind of lustre seen on the real F-22. I have never seen anyone else attempt a service scheme on a 1/72 model at all. It's fascinating to see the YF-23 in such a scheme. Hats off to you, Supertom.

This is a 1/72 scale model constructed using the Dragon tooling, which is not as accurate as the Italeri tooling, but in this case it doesn't matter. Mayoko has built a very crisp rendition of one of the fictional aicraft seen in the computer flight simulation by Namco, called Ace Combat, a very popular game that has a cult following. There were 3 'skins' released for the YF-23 in that game, and this is a depiction of one of them. Mayoko hand masked all the stripes and checker patterns. The colours chosen conform very closely to the sim version. The way it has been displayed and photographed is very professional as well. Top job, Mayoko.

For those wanting to produce a detailed accurate model it has been a very dry spell for such a long time. Like a farmer waiting for rain, you just hang on. Every so often a little scrap comes your way and you piece a little more of the jigsaw puzzle together. Tony Chong would understand this; he is a professional model maker to the aerospace industry in California, but his information is a little more reliable and free flowing. Tony has recently risen to fame through an article published recently about his business, and the legend of the FB-23 model that he made. Very recently, he did something which will go down in history for YF-23 enthusiasts: he managed to photograph the weapons bay of PAV-2 properly and thoroughly, for so long a complete enigma, and release the results to the YF-23 community. This is a significant contribution worthy of the sincere gratitude of scale modellers everywhere. Because of his photographs, the book on the mystery of PAV-2 can finally be brought to a close, plastic cut, and resin cast. 2010 is a year we will all remember. Thanks, Tony. You're a champ.