Northrop DP- Designations

[overscan (PaulMM)]

According to Tony Chong, in Flying Things and Radical Things

DP numbers were originally wind tunnel test numbers assigned to the engineer who came up with the classified concept. D stood for (depending on who tells the story) Dobrenz Project or Dave’s Project.

Known designations:

DP-21 Ultra Stealth Fighter (Christmas Tree Fighter) (Early ATF) June 1983
DP-22 Ultra Stealth Fighter
DP-70 MAXTAC / Agile Manouverable Fighter
DP-73A Agile Maneuverable Fighter (reduced high alititude performace allowed smaller design) Feb(?) 1984
DP-86E Early YF-23 ("shovel nose", simpler exhaust area geometry) Jan 1986
DP-110 Early YF-23 ("shovel nose", reduced sweep, IRST housing)
DP-117K YF-23 Jan 1988 (PAV-1)
DP-231 EMD F-23A, P&W engines, Dec 1990
DP-232 EMD F-23A, GE engines
DP-500 conventional NATF, retained V-tails, longer than F-14 (unacceptable)
DP-527 canard NATF (preferred)
DP-533 conventional NATF

No known designations for non-YF-23 related studies.

 

[AeroFranz]

It stands for Darold's Project (Darold Cummings). Dobrenz was a CAD person and wouldn't have made a blueprint. He was supposedly an adviser on the project, Darold running the group and answering to Sandusky.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Amended list in light of Paul Metz's YF-23 book.