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| F-5A/B Freedom Fighter F-5E/F Tiger II |
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 An Austrian F-5E Tiger II |
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| Type | Fighter / attack aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Northrop |
| Maiden flight | F-5A: 30 July 1959 F-5E: 11 August 1972 |
| Introduction | 1962 |
| Status | Operational |
| Primary users | United States Navy Philippine Air Force Brazilian Air Force South Korean Air Force |
| Number built | A/B/C: 836 E/F: 1,400+ |
| Unit cost | F-5E: US$2.1 million[1] |
| Developed from | T-38 Talon |
| Variants | Canadair CF-5 F-20 Tigershark |
The F-5A/B Freedom Fighter and F-5E/F Tiger II are part of a family of widely used light supersonic fighter aircraft, designed and built by Northrop in the United States, beginning in 1960s. Hundreds remain in service in air forces around the world in the early 21st Century, and the type has also been the basis for a number of other aircraft.
The F-5 started life as a privately-funded light fighter program by Northrop in the 1950s. The first generation F-5A Freedom Fighter entered service in the 1960s. Over 800 were produced through 1972 for U.S. allies during the Cold War. The USAF had no need for a light fighter, but it did need a trainer and procured about 1,200 of a derivative airframe for this purpose, the T-38 Talon.
The improved second-generation F-5E Tiger II was also primarily used by American Cold War allies and, in limited quantities, served in US military aviation as a training and aggressor aircraft; Tiger II production amounted to 1,400 of all versions, with production ending in 1987. Many F-5s continuing in service into the 1990s and 2000s have undergone a wide variety of upgrade programs to keep pace with the changing combat environment. The F-5 was also developed into a dedicated reconnaissance version, the RF-5 Tigereye.
The F-5N/F variants remain in service with the United States Navy as an adversary trainer.[2]
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Design and development
Originally designed by Northrop (designated N-156) as a low-cost, low-maintenance fighter, there was little market for such a craft. It was designed around a pair of afterburning versions of the General Electric J85, which was originally designed to power the tiny McDonnell ADM-20 Quail decoy then carried by the B-52 bomber. This requirement created a very small engine with a very high thrust to weight ratio. The U.S. Army expressed interest in it for ground support, but operating fixed-wing aircraft was a task largely taken over by the U.S. Air Force. The Air Force would neither agree to operate the N-156 nor to allow the Army to operate fixed-wing combat aircraft (a situation repeated with the C-7 Caribou).
When the Military Assistance Program under the Kennedy Administration needed a low-cost fighter for distribution to less-developed nations, the N-156F was at the top of the pile, and subsequently became the F-5A. It was named under the 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system which included a re-set of the fighter number series (the General Dynamics F-111 was the highest sequentially numbered P/F- aircraft to enter service under the old number sequence).
The F-5 proved to be a successful combat aircraft for US allies, but never entered front-line service with the US due to diverging priorities of the US services. The USAF did adopt the T-38 Talon trainer version of the airframe as the world's first supersonic trainer, and the design would be the starting point for the YF-17, which was developed into the F/A-18 Hornet. Although the F-5 was a lightweight fighter built around what was once an engine for a decoy drone, its descendant, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, is a relatively heavy multirole plane.
Operational history
The first contract for the production F-5A was issued in 1962, the first overseas order coming from the Royal Norwegian Air Force in February 1964. 636 F-5As were built before production ended in 1972. These were accompanied by 200 two-seat F-5B aircraft. These were operational trainers, lacking the nose-mounted cannon but otherwise combat-capable.
In October 1965 the USAF began a five-month combat evaluation of the F-5A titled Skoshi Tiger. Twelve aircraft were delivered for trials to the 4503rd Tactical Fighter Wing and redesignated as the F-5C. They performed combat duty in Vietnam, flying more than 3,500 sorties from the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing at Bien Hoa in South Vietnam. Two aircraft were lost in combat. Though declared a success, the program was more a political gesture than a serious consideration of the type for U.S. service. From April 1966 the aircraft continued operations as 10th Fighter Commando Squadron with their number boosted to seventeen aircraft. (Following Skoshi Tiger the Philippine Air Force acquired F-5A and B models in 1965, putting twenty-three into service. These aircraft, along with remanufactured F-8 Crusaders, eventually replaced the F-86 Sabre in the air defense and ground attack roles.)
In June 1967 the 10th FCS's surviving aircraft were turned over to the air force of South Vietnam, which previously had only A-37 Dragonfly and A-1 Skyraider attack aircraft. This new VNAF squadron was titled the 522nd. The president of Vietnam had originally asked for F-4 Phantoms used by the Americans, but the VNAF flew primarily ground support as the communist forces employed no opposing aircraft over South Vietnam, MiG or otherwise. Ironically, when Bien Hoa was later overrun by Communist forces, several of the aircraft were captured and used operationally by the NVAF, in particular against Khmer Rouge. In view of the performance, agility and size of the F-5, it might have appeared to be a good match against the similar MiG-21 in air combat; however, US doctrine was to use heavy, faster, and longer-range aircraft like the F-105 Thunderchief and F-4 Phantom II over North Vietnam. Several of the F-5s left over from the Vietnam war were sent to Poland and Russia, for advanced study of US aviation technology[3], while others were decommissioned and put on display at museums in Vietnam.
A few surplus F-5As and F-5Es have been sold to private owners.
F-5E/F Tiger II
In 1970 Northrop won a competition for an improved International Fighter Aircraft (IFA) to replace the F-5A. The resultant aircraft, initially known as F-5A-21, subsequently became the F-5E. It was lengthened and enlarged, with increased wing area and more sophisticated avionics, initially with an Emerson AN/APQ-153 radar (the F-5A and -B had no radar). Various specific avionics fits could be accommodated at customer request. A two-seat combat-capable trainer, the F-5F, was offered. Unlike the gunless F-5B, it retained a single M39 cannon in the nose, albeit with a reduced ammunition capacity. The F-5F was armed with Emerson AN/APQ-157 radar, which is a derivative of the AN/APQ-153 radar, with dual control and display systems to accommodate the two-men crew, and the radar has the same range of AN/APQ-153, around 10 nm. A reconnaissance version, the RF-5E Tigereye, with a sensor package in the nose displacing the radar and one cannon, was also offered. The latest radar upgrade included the Emerson AN/APG-69, which was the successor of AN/APQ-159, incorporating mapping capability, however, most nations chose not to upgrade due to financial reasons, and the radar only saw very limited service in USAF aggressor squadrons and Swiss air force.
The F-5E eventually received the official name Tiger II. The F-5E experienced numerous upgrades in its service life, with the most significant one being adopting a new planar array radar, Emerson AN/APQ-159 with a range of 20 nm to replace the original AN/APQ-153. Similar radar upgrades were also proposed for F-5F, with the derivative of AN/APQ-159, the AN/APQ-167, to replace the AN/APQ-157, but was never carried out.
Northrop built 792 F-5Es, 140 F-5Fs and 12 RF-5Es. More were built under license overseas: 56 F-5Es and -Fs plus 5 RF-5Es were manufactured in Malaysia, which plans to sell the aircraft after upgrading them; 90 F-5Es and -Fs in Switzerland, which currently leases some to Austria to bridge the gap between the retirement of the Saab Draken fleet and the delivery of new Eurofighter jets; 68 in South Korea, and 308 in Taiwan.
Various F-5 versions remain in service with many nations. Singapore has approximately 49 modernized and re-designated F-5S (single-seaters) and F-5T (two-seaters) aircraft. Upgrades include new GRIFO radar, updated cockpits with multi-function displays, and compatibility with the Rafael Python and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles.
Similar programs have been carried out in Chile and Brazil with the help of Elbit. The Chilean upgrade, called the F-5 Plus, incorporated a new Elta 2032 radar and other improvements. The Brazilian program, whose product is called the F-5M (Modernized), is armed with Python V coupled to the DASH helmet-mounted cue system, and new GRIFO radar, cockpit displays and navigation electronics. The Brazilian F-5M is also equipped with the Israeli Derby missile and can operate in a BVR environment. In the Cruzex 2006 multinational war games, a Brazilian F-5 made simulated kills on three Dassault Mirage 2000 aircraft using the Derby, supported by an AEW&C plane, the Embraer R-99 fitted with the Erieye AESA radar, which relayed information by datalink to the F-5M.[4]
Another upgrade programs have been carried out in Royal Thai Air Force by Israel being called the F-5T Tigris, armed with Python III and 4 (with the Dash helmet-mounted cueing system). Unlike other F-5s which have undergone updates, the RTAF aircraft cannot use BVR missiles.
One NASA F-5E was given a modified fuselage shape for its employment in the Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration program.
United States
Although the United States does not use the F-5 in a front line role, it was adopted for an opposing forces (OPFOR) "aggressor" for dissimilar training role because of its small size and performance similarities to the Soviet MiG-21.
The F-5E saw service with the US Air Force from 1975 until 1990, serving in the 64th Aggressor Squadron and 65th Aggressor Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, and with the 527th Aggressor Squadron at Alconbury RAF Base in the UK and the 26th Aggressor Squadron at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. The Marines purchased ex-USAF models in 1989 to replace their F-21s, which served with VMFT-401 at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. The US Navy used the F-5E extensively at The Naval Fighter Weapons School at NAS Miramar, VF-127, VF-43 and VF-45.
The F-5 fleet continues to be modernized with replacements F-5E/Fs purchased from Switzerland. These were updated as F-5N/Fs with modernized avionics and other improved systems. Currently, the only Navy units flying the F-5 are VFC-13 at NAS Fallon in Nevada and VFC-111 at NAS Key West, Florida.[2]
Variants
Single-seat versions
- N-156F
- Single-seat fighter prototype. Only three aircraft were built.
- YF-5A
- The three prototypes were given the US Air Force designation YF-5A.
- F-5A
- Single-seat fighter version.
- F-5A (G)
- Single-seat fighter version of the F-5A for the Royal Norwegian Air Force.
- XF-5A
- This designation was given to one aircraft used for static tests.
- A-9
- Designation of Spanish built F-5A wich served in the Ejército del Aire
- F-5C Skoshi Tiger
- 12 F-5A Freedom Fighters, were tested by the US Air Force for four and a half months in Vietnam.
- F-5E Tiger II
- Single-seat fighter version.
- F-5E Tiger III
- Upgraded version of the F-5E in use by the Chilean Air Force.
- F-5F Tiger II
- Single-seat version for the Tunisian Air Force, Yemen Air Force
- F-5G
- The temporary designation given to the F-20A Tigershark.
- F-5N
- Ex-Swiss Air Force F-5Es used by the US Navy as "aggressor" aircraft, intended to replace high-time USN/USMC F-5Es in the adversary role, and see service through to 2015.[2]
- F-5S
- Upgraded version of the F-5E in use by the Republic of Singapore Air Force. Capable of firing the AIM-120 AMRAAM.
- F-5T Tigris
- Upgraded version of the F-5E of Royal Thai Air Force by Israel.
- F-5EM
- Upgraded version of the F-5E of Brazilian Air Force.
Reconnaissance versions
- RF-5A
- Single-seat reconnaissance version of the F-5A fighter.
- RF-5A (G)
- Single-seat reconnaissance version of the F-5A fighter for the Royal Norwegian Air Force.
- RF-5E Tigereye
- Single-seat reconnaissance version of the F-5E fighter. The RF-5E Tigereye was exported to Saudi Arabia, Iran and Malaysia.
- RF-5E Tigergazer
- Upgraded single-seat reconnaissance version of the F-5E. The Tigergazer is now in service with Taiwan.
- RF-5S Tigereye
- Single-seat reconnaissance version of the F-5S for the Republic of Singapore Air Force.
- AR-9
- Spanish recon aircraft
Two-seat versions
- F-5-21
- Temporarily designation given to the YF-5B.
- YF-5B
- One F-5B was fitted with a 5,000 lb s.t (2,268 kg) General Electric J85-GE-21 engine, and used as a prototype for the F-5E Tiger II.
- F-5B
- Two-seat training version.
- F-5B(G)
- Two-seat training version of the F-5B for the Royal Norwegian Air Force.
- F-5D
- Unbuilt training version.
- F-5F Tiger II
- Two-seat training version.
- F-5F Tiger III
- Upgraded version of the F-5F in use by the Chilean Air Force.
- F-5T
- Upgraded F-5F in use by the Republic of Singapore Air Force.
- F-5FM
- Upgraded version of the F-5F of Brazilian Air Force.
Foreign variants
Licensed versions
- CF-5A
- Single-seat fighter version for the Canadian Forces. Built under license in Canada by Canadair as the CF-116 Freedom Fighter. Canadian designation CF-116A. 89 built.
- CF-5A(R)
- Single-seat reconnaissance version of the CF-5A. Built in very small numbers for the Canadian Forces. Canadian designation CF-116A(R).
- CF-5D
- Two-seat training version for the Canadian Forces. Canadian designation CF-116D. 46 built.
- NF-5A
- Single-seat fighter version of the CF-5A for the Royal Netherlands Air Force. 75 built.
- NF-5B
- Two-seat training version of the CF-5D for the Royal Netherlands Air force. 30 built.
- SF-5A
- Single-seat fighter version of the F-5A for the Spanish Air Force. Built under licence in Spain by CASA.
- SRF-5A
- Single-seat reconnaissance version of the RF-5A for the Spanish Air force. Built under license in Spain By CASA.
- SF-5B
- Two-seat training version of the F-5B for the Spanish Air Force. Built under license in Spain by CASA.
- VF-5A
- Single-seat version of the CF-5A for the Venezuelan Air Force. This designation was given to some Canadair CF-116s which were sold to the Venezuelan Air Force.
- VF-5D
- Two-seat training version of the CF-5D for the Venezuelan Air Force.
- KF-5E
- F-5E built in South Korea for Republic of Korea Air Force.
- KF-5F
- F-5F built in South Korea for Republic of Korea Air Force.
Unlicensed versions
- Sa'eqeh
- F-5E modified in Iran with canted, twin vertical stabilizers.
Derivatives
The F-5 design has seen two major evolutionary spinoffs:
YF-17 Cobra
The F-5 also formed the starting point for a series of design revisions. Starting from the F-5E, Northrop developed the N-300, and later, the P530 designs incorporating leading-edge root extensions (LERX), a larger fuselage and wings, and more powerful engines. The eventual result was the YF-17 Cobra, a competitor in the U.S. Air Force's Light Weight Fighter program, and basis for the F/A-18 Hornet fighter.
F-20 Tigershark
Northrop attempted to develop an advanced version of the F-5E, originally designated F-5G, as an export competitor for the F-16 Fighting Falcon. The F-5G was later redesignated the F-20 Tigershark. It received favorable reviews as a less expensive but capable alternative to early-block variants of the F-16 (and superior to the similarly never-purchased export variant F-16/79), but it never had the appeal of the much newer fighter design even at a lower cost.
Operators
- Indonesian Air Force: All 16 F-5Es have been retired since late 2005 but are in reserve incase of future use.
- Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force: 60 or 75 F-5D and E operationall; 140 originally delivered
Pakistan - Temporarily borrowed from other countries during a war against India.
Philippines - most of the F-5 are retired by end of 2006, except F-5B for extended upgrade. - TBD
Republic of China (Taiwan) - First received F-5A/B in 1965. From 1973 to 1986, Taiwan produced 308 F-5E/F under license. Later batches have F-20 style flattened nose and enlarged LERX.[6]
South Korea
- Vietnam People's Air Force (several captured ex-VNAF planes)
- Royal Thai Air Force: F-5A/B/E will be retired by 2011 and replaced by JAS 39 Gripen. F-5T Tigris still in service.
Specifications (F-5E Tiger II)
Data from Quest for Performance[7]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 47 ft 4¾ in (14.45 m)
- Wingspan: 26 ft 8 in (8.13 m)
- Height: 13 ft 4½ in (4.08 m)
- Wing area: 186 ft² (17.28 m²)
- Airfoil: NACA 65A004.8 root, NACA 64A004.8 tip
- Empty weight: 9,558 lb (4,349 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 24,664 lb (11,187 kg)
- Powerplant: 2× General Electric J85-GE-21B turbojet
- Dry thrust: 3,500 lbf (15.5 kN) each
- Thrust with afterburner: 5,000 lbf (22.2 kN) each
- * Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0200
- Drag area: 3.4 ft² (0.32 m²)
- Aspect ratio: 3.86
- Internal fuel: 677 US gal (2,563 L)
- External fuel: 275 US gal (1,040 L) per tank in up to 3 tanks
Performance
- Maximum speed: 917 kn (1,060 mph, 1,700 km/h, mach 1.6)
- Combat radius: 760 nmi (870 mi, 1,405 km)
- Ferry range: 2,010 nmi (2,310 mi, 3,720 km)
- Service ceiling 51,800 ft (15,800 m)
- Rate of climb: 34,400 ft/min (175 m/s)
- Lift-to-drag ratio: 10.0
Armament
- Guns: 2× 20 mm Pontiac M39A2 cannon in the nose, 280 rounds/gun - twin seater fighter only
- Missiles:
- Total of up to 7,000 lb (3,200 kg) of ordnance.
- Bombs:
Popular culture
Apocalypse Now (1979) features 4 F-5 aircraft dropping napalm on a battlefield. These belonged to the Philippine Air Force which provided aircraft, including the helicopters, for the film. The aircraft are portrayed as American in the film. Top Gun(1986) features a number of F-5Es and F-5Fs in latex wash-off paint as the fictional MiG-28s that battle against US Navy F-14 Tomcats.
See also
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
References
- ^ Knaack, Marcelle Size. Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems: Volume 1, Post-World War II Fighters, 1945-1973. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History, 1978. ISBN 0-912799-59-5.
- ^ a b c USN Fact File on F-5N/F Adversary aircraft
- ^ Photo of a Northrop F-5E Tiger II in Cracow, Poland a gift of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
- ^ FAB buys Derby. DefesaNet. Retrieved September 11, 2007.
- ^ GlobalSecurity.org Azarakhsh (Lightning)
- ^ Joe Baugher. Northrop F-5E/F in Service with Taiwan
- ^ Loftin, LK, Jr.. Quest for performance: The evolution of modern aircraft. NASA SP-468. Retrieved on 2006-04-22.
External links
- USN Fact File on F-5N/F Adversary aircraft
- F-5 page at the National Museum of the United States Air Force
- F-5 Series Reference at Cybermodeler.com
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