@ Riverside, CA
September 2022
Finally made a return visit to the March Field Air Museum and got a fresher photo of this prototype aorcraft. The Northrop YA-9A was a contender for the Air Force Attack Experimental (A-X) program, won by the now iconic A-10 Thunderbolt II. The YA-9 took its first flight in May 1972, with the second prototype (this aircraft) flying in August. A fly-off with USAF test pilots took place between October and December 1972 with the the YA-10 declared the winner. The YA-10’s use of a legacy engine rather than the new engine design in the YA-9A may have been preferred by the Air Force. The other prototype is part of the Edwards AFB Museum collection.