Two YF-23 prototypes were built. Each had its name - Gray Ghost and Black Widow II. The two means that this is the second Black Widow. The first was built by the company in 1943 - it was a night fighter P-61 Black Widow, which proved itself well against German and Japanese fighters and bombers. Northrop management wanted this name to help its brainchild also find a happy fate. But it was already a completely different era. There were eagles in the sky - the F-15, battle falcons - the F-16, and hornets - the F-18. And the poisonous Black Widow spider did not fit into this company.