OVERVIEW: The Northrop F-5A/B Freedom Fighter and the F-5E/F Tiger II are part of a family of light supersonic fighter aircraft, first designed by Northrop Corporation in the late 1950s. Being smaller and simpler than contemporary aircraft such as the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, the F-5 cost significantly less both to procure and operate while maintaining high performance, making it popular on the export market. Though it was not procured in volume by the United States and thus has only a limited U.S. combat record, it was perhaps the most effective U.S. air-to-air fighter in the 1960s and early 1970s. In combat its small visual and radar cross section size and consequent detection difficulty often conferred the F-5 the advantage of surprise. The aircraft also has a high sortie rate, low accident rate, high maneuverability, and a combination of both 20mm cannon and heat seeking missile armament. The flying qualities of the F-5 are often highly rated, comparable to the North American F-86 Sabre and the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. Fiscally, the F-5 is reportedly unmatched among supersonic fighters, a contributing factor to its long service life.

DETAILS: The F-5 started life as a privately funded light fighter program by Northrop in the 1950s. The design team wrapped a small, highly aerodynamic fighter around two compact and high-thrust General Electric J85 engines, focusing on performance and low cost of maintenance. Though primarily designed for the day air superiority role, the aircraft is also a capable ground-attack platform. The F-5A entered service in the early 1960s. During the Cold War, over 800 were produced through 1972 for U.S. allies. Though the USAF had no acknowledged need for a light fighter, it did procure roughly 1,200 Northrop T-38 Talon trainer aircraft, which were directly based on the F-5A.

The F-5 was also developed into a dedicated reconnaissance version, the RF-5 Tigereye. The F-5 also served as a starting point for a series of design studies which resulted in the Northrop YF-17 and the F/A-18 navalized fighter aircraft. The Northrop F-20 Tigershark was an advanced variant to succeed the F-5E which was ultimately canceled when export customers did not emerge. The F-5N/F variants are in service with the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps as an adversary trainer. Approximately 500 aircraft are still in service as of 2014.

SPECIFICATION: Crew: (1) || Length: 47 ft 4 in (14.45 m) || Wingspan: 26 ft 8 in (8.13 m) || Height: 13 ft 4 in (4.08 m) || || Max. takeoff weight: 24,722 lb (11,214 kg) || Powerplant: (2) General Electric J85-GE-21B turbojet || Dry thrust: 3,500 lbf (15.5 kN) each || AB Thrust: 5,000 lbf (22.2 kN) each.

PERFORMANCE: Maximum speed: 917 kn (Mach 1.6, 1,060 mph, 1,700 km/h) || Range: 760 nmi (870 mi, 1,405 km) || Service ceiling: 51,800 ft (15,800 m) || Rate of climb: 34,400 ft/min (175 m/s)

SESNSORS: AN/APQ-153 radar || AN/APQ-159 radar || AVQ-27 Laser Target Designator Set (LTDS)

ARMAMENT: (2) 20 mm (0.787 in) M39A2 Revolver cannons in the nose, 280 rounds/gun || Hardpoints: (7) total with (2) wing-tip AAM launch rails, (4) under-wing & (1) under-fuselage pylon stations with a capacity of 7,000 pounds (3,200 kg) || LAU-61/LAU-68 rocket pods with Hydra 70 mm rockets || LAU-5003 rocket pods with CRV7 70 mm rockets || LAU-10 rocket pods with Zuni 127 mm rockets || Matra rocket pods with SNEB 68 mm rockets || AIM-9 Sidewinders || AIM-120 AMRAAM || AGM-65 Maverick missiles || AA-8 Aphid missles || AA-10 Alamo missles || AA-11 Archer missles || Mark 80 unguided bombs || CBU-24/49/52/58 cluster bomb munitions || napalm bomb canisters || laser-guided bombs of Paveway family.

SOURCE: [SCO] Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org