F-5 Freedom Fighter (or Tiger) is a fighter aircraft, designed and built by Northrop in the USA, beginning in 1962.
| F-5 Freedom Fighter | ||
|---|---|---|
| TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS (for the F-5 Tiger II) | ||
| Description | ||
| Role | ||
| Crew | 1 | |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 47ft 4.75in | 14.45m |
| Wingspan (without AAMs) | 26ft 8in | 8.13m |
| Wingspan (with AAMs) | 28ft | 8.53m |
| Height | 13ft 4.5in | 4.08m |
| Wing area | 186ft2 | 17.28m2 |
| Weights | ||
| Empty | 9,558lbs | 4,349kg |
| Loaded | ||
| Maximum take-off | 24,664lbs | 11,187kg |
| Fuel | ||
| Internal | 677 US gal. | 2,563 liters |
| External (per drop tank, up to 3) | 275 US gal. | 1,040 liters |
| Powerplant | ||
| Engines | Two General Electric J85-GE-21B | |
| Power (dry) | 3,500lbs | 15.5kN |
| Power (with afterburning) | 5,000lbs | 22.2kN |
| Performance | ||
| Maximum speed | 917 knots | 1,700 km/h |
| Combat radius | 760 nm | 1,4405 km |
| Ferry range | 2,010 nm | 3,720 km |
| Service ceiling | 51,800 ft | 15,590 m |
| Rate of climb | 34,400 ft/min. | 10,455 m/min. |
| Armament | ||
| Guns | Two 20mm Pontiac (Colt-Browning) M39A2 Cannons | |
| Bombs | Up to 7000lbs (3175kg) mixed M129 Leaflet 500-lb Mk82 2000-lb Mk84 CBU-24/49/52/58 Cluster | |
| Missiles | AIM-7 Sparrow AIM-9 Sidewinder AGM-65 Maverick | |
Originally designed by Northrop (designated N-156) as a low-cost, low maintenance fighter, there was little market for such a craft. The U.S. Army expressed interest in it for ground support, but the U.S. Air Force was not going to let the Army operate fighters, nor would the Air Force fly them for the Army. The F-5 was just one more good design that fell to bureaucracy and inter-service rivalry.
When the Military Assistance Program under the Kennedy Administration needed an a low cost fighter for distribution to less-developed nations, it was necessary to look only at Northrops' N-156, the "Skoshi (Little) Tiger." One of the first nations to receive these new fighters was South Vietnam, where it proved its effectiveness against Communist forces. Interestingly enough, when the base at Bien Hoa, Vietnam was overrun by communist forces, several of the planes were captured and, pilots for the South found themselves confronting these fighters.
With additional armor plating and upgraded engines, the F-5 became the only aircraft designated as it's own replacement, dubbed the "Tiger II". There have been many variations on this basic design, including reconnaisance versions. The F-5 has been sold to many nations, and became the primary fighter for numerous air forces.
The F-5 was adopted for an opposing forces training role because of it's performance similarities to the Soviet MiG's. A trainer version, the T-38 Talon, was adopted by the U.S. Air Force as a pilots' first introduction to supersonic flight.
This design has served as a basis for other notable aircraft such as the F-20 Tigershark. The F-18 Hornet was derived from the F-17 Cobra which in turn was based, in part, on the F-5 Tiger II.
See also freedom fighter, T-38 Talon, F-20 Tigershark
External link
- [1] Pictures, technical details, history etc.
note: F-5 also refers to the Chinese fighter aircraft J-5. The F-5 designation is often used outside of China.