Te rererangi hua, whakakitea i runga i 28 Hānuere 1971, pānuitia he taimaha mōrahi o 40,000 pauna (18,144 kg) me te tere mōrahi o Mach 2, engari whakaongaonga iti te hiahia i roto i ngā kaihoko ke. Ko te tauira tuatahi (tau rangatū 72-156 mph9) i whakarewahia i Hawthorne i runga i 4 Aperira 1974; tae mai tona rere tuatahi i Edwards AFB i runga i 9 Pipiri ki "Hute" Henry Choute i te mana rere mo 61 meneti tae he tiketike o 18,000 waewae, me te tere mōrahi o 65,000 maero, e whakarei ake maneuverability. Ki te Northrop kihai ano i whakawhirinaki i roto i te rere-i-waea mana, ka puritia pūkaha rere-mīhini. te tauira tuatahi o te YF-17F, i whakahuatia i runga i te taumata o te taumata o te rangi i roto i te marama o Akuhata 1974, i taea te eke i runga i te 9.4 km / h.
21 o Akuhata