Northrop F-5C Skoshi Tiger - The Tiger II's Ancestor - Best American Counterpart For The Farmer

[EpicBlitzkrieg87 8,350]

UPDATE 22/3/2019: When I was writing this suggestion, I did not know the F-5A was just meant to be for export and not for US use. The F-5 that was used in US service before the F-5E Tiger II was the F-5C Skoshi Tiger, over Vietnam. For this reason I decided to change the thread a bit. The F-5C Skoshi Tiger is simply the F-5A Freedom Fighter in US service. 

 

 

 

Supersonic jets right now are fighting 9.0 tier 5 jets for obvious reasons. 

 

1. There are only two supersonic jets, not immersive enough for supersonic vs supersonic jet matches only for now

2. Not enough players have supersonic jets so apparently the queue times would be long

 

I am suggesting this aircraft because it would actually be a good match up for the MiG-19. Faster in top speed by 39 km/h, yet slower in climb rate (180 m/s for the MiG-19 and 145.8 m/s for the F-5C).

 

So because how much of a good match up for the MiG-19 is, it would fight it. That means more immersion and higher chances of pumping supersonic jets up in BR to avoid them from facing 9.0 jets!

 

It's also quite a famous plane that would be really nice to have. And in my opinion it feels quite modern but not actually modern at the same time, I like that feeling!

 

So now we start the suggestion.

 

 

Quick overview:

 

(pre-series YF-5A)

 

Spoiler

 

The Northrop F-5C Freedom Fighter is a light supersonic multipurpose jet initially developed as a cheap export for military assistance plans. A small jet fighter with a short wingspan, easily to maintain and a twin-engine jet. It was never used on a large-scale by the USAF. As attrition became apparent in the Vietnam War, the need for a lightweight fighter came in need. Originally, it was only meant to be a plane for export, designated the "F-5A Freedom Fighter", until the showdown in Vietnam showed the need for it. The F-5A in US service was designated F-5C. 

 

 

 

 

History, design and development:

 

 

Spoiler

 

Easy, simple and cheap fighter F-5 clearly stands out among their fellows, which were in service with the US Air Force. Since the Second World War, the American "fighters" were distinguished by a large mass, complexity of design and, as a result, high cost of living. Separately were decked aircraft.

So the design of the future F-5 designers of the company "Northrop" began in the hope of "put" him on the decks of escort aircraft carriers with small dimensions. However, these ships were partially scrapped, partially reclassified as anti-submarine, and the deck fighter became unnecessary. At the same time, the US Department of Defense became interested in the work of Northrop engineers. The US military allies required a fighter to replace the outdated Thunderjacks and Sabre.

 

Heavy vehicles "hundredth" series, which began to enter the US Air Force, proved to be too expensive for many US allies. They demanded the big expenses on operation, repair and preparation of the flight technical staff. In 1958, the Pentagon signed a contract with NortroPom to develop a relatively simple and inexpensive supersonic fighter, optimized for strikes against ground targets, and at the same time capable of maneuvering aerial combat. The fighter was intended primarily for export deliveries under various "mutual assistance" programs.

At the origins of the project N-156F, which turned into an F-5, stood the creator of the famous "Mustang" - Edgar Schmud, who in 1950 became the vice-president of the company "Northrop". Under his leadership, began the development of the project N-102 "Fang", which was an attempt to compromise between cost, efficiency and dimension. Model "Fang" made in 1954, but further work had to be curtailed, because the designers could not keep the mass of the fighter.

 

Schmud focused on the English light fighter "Folland" "Net", the development of which is a year and a half ahead of the N-102. The already built “Net” had an empty mass of about 2 tons, while the calculated mass of “Fang” was already 3,700 kg with a tendency to further growth. One of the reasons for the significant "amendment" of the aircraft was the engine. The N-102 was tied to the heavy and large-sized General Electric J79 engines, as well as the very massive Pratt-Whitney J57 and Wright. The appearance of the compact electric propulsion system “General Electric” J85 made it possible to cut the Gordian knot of contradictions between the “fighter-ultralight” concept and the increased estimated mass of the designed aircraft. However, the design of the fighter began anew.

Development of the N-156 began in 1955. Not once changed the location of the engine, the configuration of the tail, the crew, considered the possibility of installing an additional rocket engine. By the end of the year, the N-156F single-seat fighter project and its two-seat training and training variant N-156T were considered the most advanced. In November 1955, they decided to focus on the creation of a two-seat machine designed to replace the T-33 subsonic. In June 1956, the Air Force ordered three experienced YT-38s to Northrop. At the same time, work on the N-156F did not stop, although it slowed down.

N-156F is distinguished by a low-lying trapezoidal wing with a sweep of 25 ° along a quarter of the chords. The fuselage is semi-monocoque; it is made according to the area rule and is made mainly of aluminum alloys; in lightly loaded areas, the casing is made of magnesium alloys. The structural elements most exposed to heat are made of steel and titanium.

Nizkoplan scheme was chosen in order to simplify the connection of the wing and fuselage. Wing mechanization includes slats and flaps.

N-156 was calculated for two General Electric TRDs J85-GE-5 with a load of 1,130 kgf each. However, the company experienced serious difficulties in developing a J85 turbofan with an afterburner, so the first T-38 and F-5A prototypes were equipped with unformatted J85 -GE-1.

 

The possibility of installing the Pratt-Whitney J60 or Rolls-Royce TR. RB.153 was considered, but the customers did not express such a wish. Air intakes - unregulated, semicircular. To increase engine thrust at speeds corresponding to numbers M> 1.5, water is injected into the air intakes that cool the air in its channel. This allowed theoretically to raise the speed to M = 2.2, but the strength of the airframe was calculated only for flying at a speed corresponding to the number M not more than 1.72.

 

Control system - booster with mechanical wiring. Flaps and slats are electric.

 

Initially, the N-156F was the basis of the Rapier weapon system with the Taran sighting and navigation complex with a multi-function radar similar to the MG-13 system used on the F-101B I Will. However, subsequent analysis showed that a sharp increase in the cost of the aircraft, associated with the installation of the "Taran", can significantly reduce the export potential of the machine. The presence of sophisticated and expensive electronic equipment was in conflict with the very concept of the “extremely cheap and simple” fighter. As a result, the avionics of the future F-5A reduced to a minimum.

Accordingly, the range of outboard weapons has decreased. The overly “smart” missiles, which require radar targeting, had to be excluded, only the Sidewinders remained. A marketing study conducted by Northrop also affected the main purpose of the aircraft. Conceived as a pure fighter capable of striking ground targets, the F-5A began, as one Northrop engineer noted, "an 85% strike aircraft and only 15% a fighter."

All sighting equipment is limited to the simplest optical sight of the company "Nordik", which is used when firing at ground and air targets. Built-in gun armament source project was not provided. For the suspension of the combat load, there are five nodes: one under the fuselage, two under the wing, and one more at its ends.

The chassis is designed to use the aircraft from unpaved runways, aided by a large gauge and low pressure tires. Managed front support retracts forward, the main - towards the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. All support - one-wheel. If the hydraulic system fails, the landing gear can be released under its own weight and air flow.

Considerable attention in the design of a fighter was paid to reducing its vulnerability to air defenses, primarily from small arms fire. So, all the fuel tanks are located in the fuselage and its garrote, because statistics show that most often bullets and shells fall into the wing. Each TRD has its own fuel system, at the same time they are "looped" - any of them can power any engine. Hydro and electrical systems are duplicated. The total capacity of the five internal tanks is 2270 liters.

 

Maximum simplified maintenance work on the aircraft and preparing it for re-departure. Access to all systems and units is provided from the ground without the use of stepladders. Almost a quarter of the fuselage surface is occupied by manhole covers and removable surfaces. Engines can be easily removed along the guides after disconnecting the rear fuselage.

Solemn roll-out of the first prototype took place in May 1959, after which it was transported to the Edwards US Air Force Test Center. July 30, test pilot Liu Nelson in the first flight broke the sound barrier. Tests were held "without a hitch, without a hitch." The Pentagon even refused to purchase the third prototype (of course, there were also economic considerations) and by August 1960 the flight tests were successfully completed. At the same time, the United States Air Force concluded that they did not need such a fighter and that the F-5 could be promoted to the external market.

 

The lifebuoy to the Northrop company and the F-5 fighter was thrown by President Kennedy, who came to the White House in 1962. His administration urged not to spare any means for "defending freedom and fighting communism." For this, a wide sale of supersonic fighters to allied US countries was envisaged. It was then that the F-5 claimed, having received a suitable name for the wave - “Freedomfighter”.

But seriously, as mentioned above, the “hundredth” series fighters were too expensive and difficult to operate, while the simpler and cheaper “Net” had insufficient combat load. However, even in these conditions, the project “N-156” was not at all lighted by the “green street”. Lockheed’s powerful lobby was very successful in promoting the “flying coffin” of the Allied countries - the F-104G. By the way, for the delivery of these cars to friendly states, the US Air Force commanders actively supported the F-5 negatively, however, the brainchild of Gasich was actively supported by the State Department.

The US Navy, together with the firm "Chance Vout" very much wanted "to attach" to the third countries "Kruseydery." Northrop beat its competitors with two cards - cheap (the F-5A cost $ 100,000 less than the cheapest version of the F-104, devoid of radar and navigation systems) and the possible "international" choice of the T-38 as a single training NATO aircraft. Officially, the Pentagon announced the choice of an F-5A as a fighter intended for deliveries within the framework of mutual assistance in April 1962, and in August of the same year a contract was signed for the serial production of 170 single-seat F-5A and combat double F-5A 5B (not to be confused with TC-T-38).

 

The third experienced "Freedom Fighter" was being completed on a somewhat modernized project. On it for the installation of two more suspension assemblies, the wing was reinforced and a J85-GE-13 turbofan was installed with an afterburner. The first flight of the YF-5A made in May 1963. In a short time in the same year, the first two prototypes were finalized to the standard YF-5A.

Serious problems with engineers "Northrop" appeared in mid-1964, after the revision of the requirements of the "international" fighter by the Pentagon. The edited document specifically stipulated the presence on board of at least two built-in guns and a replaceable bow with photo reconnaissance equipment. It turned out to be extremely difficult to shove two 20mm Colt-Browning M39 cannons with 285 rounds of ammunition into an extremely tightly assembled aircraft. The guns were installed in the nose of the fuselage on the sides of the nose landing gear, directly in front of the cockpit. At the same time, aerodynamics practically did not suffer, but other problems appeared. So, when shooting a gun, the pilot created a real smoke screen of powder gases, some of the gases got into the air intakes and caused the engines to surge.

Despite all these difficulties, the “Northrop” celebrated the victory.

 

In February 1964, the company received the first export order - 64 aircraft for Norway. The customer demanded to refine the original version of the F-5A, in order to ensure normal operation in the Arctic. On the Norwegian F-5A (G) were mounted device heating the windshield of the cab, brake hook for landing on short runways of mountain airfields. This was followed by offers from Iran, Greece, South Korea, and by the end of 1965, the firm’s order book was about 1,000 fighters. The F-5A really became an "international" fighter.

The requirement of the Air Force to use the promising light fighter as a day-time photo reconnaissance on the Northrop had been foreseen, work on the N-156C project with a replaceable nose fuselage began in October 1963. The basis for the design took special equipment intelligence RF-104G with four cameras. Work on the RF-6A were carried out slowly and he took to the air only in May 1968. It was envisaged, as the Air Force demanded, the interchangeability of the nose of the F-5A and RF-5A, but because of the complexity of such a replacement is not practiced.

In February 1964, the F-5B double fighter flew its first flight. In contrast to the TC-38, the air intakes of the F-5B were of a larger section, there were underwing pylons. The nose section of the F-5B fuselage is shaped in a certain way to create lift, since the placement of the second crew member led to the forward center of gravity of the aircraft and the appearance of an additional dive moment in flight. The additional lifting force to some extent compensated for the diving moment.

 

Simultaneously with the development of mass production of the F-5A / B, the design of the specialized reconnaissance modification RF-5A began. The new aircraft received a specially designed oblong nose with three, and later four 70-mm KS-92 cameras. The design of the compartment made it possible to replace the AFA films within 5 minutes. At the same time, the staff cannon armament of the aircraft was retained. Deliveries of serial RF-5A began in 1965, and a total of 89 of them were produced.

At the beginning of 1965, on request from USAF, Nothrop retooled 12 F-5A specifically for participation in the Skoshi Tiger operation in Vietnam. The lower part of the cab and fuselage fuel tanks covered with armor weighing 100 kg. On the left side of the cockpit canopy, equipment was installed for refueling in the air, and the cockpit was equipped with a gyroscopic indicator of the aircraft’s location. The planes were given the designation F-5C and on October 23, 1965, a unit armed with them flew across the Pacific Ocean, with two refueling in-flight from the KS-135 tanker to the Bicn Noa base in South Vietnam. Five hours after the squadron arrived, her first combat sortie was made. F-5C was intensively used to accompany attack aircraft, reconnaissance flights, strike operations over Vietnam for four months. The average flight time was 62. 5 hours per aircraft per month. The aircraft was rated as very effective, and from that moment began its widespread use.

An important step in the improvement of aircraft of the F-5 family was the F-5N (F-5A-15), created on the basis of the F-5A. A new J85-GE-15 engine with a load of 1327 kg was installed on the aircraft. (1950 kg. Afterburner). Its main external difference was the placement on the sides of the fuselage, between the wing and the stabilizer, of additional air intake valves for the engine. The use of the F-5N's new nose strut, which allowed the aircraft to change the angle of inclination when starting from 0 to 3 degrees, reduced the run-up length. Significant difference from the F-5A was the replacement in the nose of the gun on the radar. F-5N carried five pylons for the suspension of weapons.

 

Managers of Northrop initially counted not only on the export of fighters, but also on their licensed production in third countries. Negotiations with the European aircraft manufacturing firms SABCA, Fiat and Fokker on the possibility of producing the N-156 began back in 1959. The possibility of assembling aircraft in England, Japan and Australia was studied. However, the European countries of NATO have chosen not the F-5A, but the F-104G, which they began to produce in Europe under license, as the main fighter. The Northrop company had to postpone its plans - to postpone, but not to bury.

The increased demand for the F-5A / B required the creation of modifications that more fully satisfy customer requirements. Thus, by order of Norway, F-5A (G) and F-5B (G) were created, adapted for operation in severe northern conditions. Compared with the base model, they had an improved cab, a modified equipment, a brake hook to reduce mileage when using the ground aero-finisher. 75 F-5A (G) and 22 F-5B (G) were released.

Now the green light for the light fighter was lit up by Canada. In the 60s, this country sharply reduced its military budget, it was a question of its demilitarization. However, it soon required replacing the outdated "Super Sabram" and the unsuccessful "Starfighter". The most likely candidate was Phantom. However, it was considered too expensive, while the F-5, in terms of cost and efficiency, was close to perfect. The contract for licensed production of the F-5 was concluded in 1965.

 

The Canadian CF-5A fighters differed from the original version with the J85-GE-15 engines, which allowed the aircraft to develop supersonic speed at low altitudes, a telescopic nose landing gear, the elongation of which increased the take-off angle by 3 °, the expanded composition of the suspended arms.

In Canada, the F-5 was used as a tactical fighter. RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) believed that the aircraft most fully meets the military doctrine, climatic conditions and production capacity of the country. The aircraft were assigned new designations. At the same time, F-5A began to be designated as CF-5A, and F-5B - CF-5D. On the aircraft installed engines J85-Can-15 1950 kg Canadian production. Part of the aircraft F-5A, released under license by Canactair received the designation CL-219. CF-5A differed significantly from their American counterparts. An air refueling system was installed on the right side of the fuselage, the windshield was reinforced, additional air intake flaps were installed on the sides of the fuselage, the nose strut was mounted the same as on the F-5N, a brake hook and a modified electronics. The CF-5D had the same changes, but was additionally equipped with a laser target designator. Thanks to a more powerful engine, Canadian CF-5A models had a take-off weight of 13%, and a CF-5D was 17% more than American-made aircraft. February 28, 1968 RCAF was renamed the CAP (Canadien Air Force), in connection with which the CL-219 received a new designation - CF-116. In total, the Canadian Air Force delivered 89 single and 46 two-seat local aircraft, some of which were later sold to Venezuela. in this connection, the CL-219 received a new designation - CF-116. In total, the Canadian Air Force delivered 89 single and 46 two-seat local aircraft, some of which were later sold to Venezuela. in this connection, the CL-219 received a new designation - CF-116. In total, the Canadian Air Force delivered 89 single and 46 two-seat local aircraft, some of which were later sold to Venezuela.

After the conclusion of the Canadian contract and the start of deliveries of fighters to various countries of the world, Northrop did manage to break through to the European market. In 1967, the contract for licensed production of the F-5A was signed with the Spanish company CASA, and in 1969 with the Dutch Fokker.

 

The Spaniards chose the standard F-5A, although they were offered an option equipped with radar, but the Dutch made a lot of improvements to the aircraft. Thus, an intermediate position for the production of slats and flaps was introduced, which improved the horizontal maneuverability of the aircraft. The simplest optical sight was replaced with a gyro-stabilized computer with the Sperry company, and a Doppler navigation system with a moving map of the terrain was introduced. On the reinforced underwing pylons, it became possible to hang fuel tanks of 1040 liters each. Airplanes intended for deliveries to Spain in the United States were designated SF-5. Directly in Spain they received new designations. So 18 SF-5A received the designation C-9, 36 SF-5B - CE-9 and 18 SRF-5A - CR-9. The aircraft were originally assembled from ready-made units supplied from the USA and subsequently licensed by the Spanish company CASA. They were installed on American engines J85-GE-13.

Currently, several hundred fighter jets of the F-5 family are in service with the Air Force of nearly thirty countries of the world. A number of companies offer projects to modernize them in order to extend their service life by ten to fifteen years. So, with the help of the Israeli firm IAI, fighters from Chile and Singapore were modernized. The Belgian SABCA is modernizing Indonesian aircraft, and Northrop-Grumman, in cooperation with Sam-Sung, is South Korean vehicles. Thus, the F-5 fighter will remain in service in the first quarter of the XXI century.

 

The first seven F-5A and five F-5B arrived at the 4441st crew training center in August 1964. This center was specially formed at the Williams Air Force Base to retrain foreign pilots for F-5 aircraft. In September, the first group of six Iranian cadets, four Koreans and two Americans began their studies. The Americans had to study the new fighter in order to subsequently, if necessary, assist in the development of aircraft outside the United States.

The first combat unit that received the F-5 fighters was the Iranian squadron. In June 1965, the squadron reached its initial state of alert. A month later, F-5 341th Squadron of the Greek Air Force launched combat duty, in September the 10th Squadron of the South Korean Air Force.

F-5 various modifications consisted or are in service with the Air Forces of Bahrain, Brazil, both Vietnamese, Holland, Honduras, Indonesia, Jordan, Spain, Yemen, Canada, Kenya, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sudan , USA, Thailand, Tunisia, Taiwan, Turkey, Philippines, Switzerland, Ethiopia.

 

The first in combat conditions checked light fighters Americans in Vietnam. In July 1965, the 4503rd Tactical Aviation Squadron with 12 fighter jets of the 1963rd and 1964th years was formed specifically for military trials. Before being sent to Vietnam for airplanes, they installed armored protection weighing 90 kg, dropped underwing pylons for armament, an in-flight refueling system and sights with calculators (sometimes called F-5C). In conclusion - silver aircraft received a three-color camouflage color. The only pilot of the squadron, who had experience of flying the F-5, was its commander, Lieutenant Colonel Edward Johnson.

The test program of the aircraft in Indochina was named "Scoti Tiger" (a distorted Japanese "little tiger"), thanks to which the inconceivable official name of the Freedom Fighter fighter was replaced by the resounding "Tiger".

Trials for combat use began immediately after takeoff from the Williams airbase in October 1965. Twelve vehicles made a long flight across the Pacific Ocean, accompanied by the C-130 transport, performing sixteen refueling in the air and landing at airfields in Hawaii and the Philippines. His first combat mission "Tigers" made just four hours after landing at Bien Hoa.

At the first stage of the test, the squadron was supposed to operate from a well-equipped base, such as Bien Hoa, on the second - from a field airfield. However, to transfer the newest aircraft to relatively poorly guarded forward airfields did not become due to the inability to ensure the safety of fighters on the ground. Viet Kong has achieved great success in the attacks on US and South Vietnamese air bases. Even large bases such as Bien Hoa, Da Nang and Cha Lai were attacked with mortars and recoilless guns, with airplanes and helicopters being damaged during each shelling. As an alternative, the field airfield had to choose the Da Nang air base. Also excluded from the program and flights over the territory of North Vietnam.

 

After the end of the first stage of testing in December 1965, the squadron was transferred to the Da Nang air base. In February 1966, the aircraft returned to Bien Hoa, and soon the operation "Scotia Tiger" was completed. For three and a half months, the pilots of the squadron made about 2,700 sorties, having flown in 4,000 hours. They destroyed at least 2,500 various buildings, 120 sampans, about 100 trucks, about 50 fortifications. Own losses amounted to one F-5, shot down in December from small arms. The pilot ejected unsuccessfully and died in the hospital. Two more "tiger cubs" got hits of the Strela missiles in the engines, but were able to return to the base on the same TRD. All combat missions were made only to combat ground targets.

Reviews on the combat work of fighters were very controversial. The pilots noted the excellent stability and controllability of the aircraft for all types of combat load. Emphasizing that the aircraft is almost impossible to enter into a corkscrew, due to its small size and good maneuverability, the F-5 was a difficult target for Viet Cong anti-aircraft guns (according to statistics, the Super Saber hit once at ninety sorties, at F-5 - once 240 sorties), ease of maintenance and reliability of the machine. At the same time, the range was insufficient, the mass of the combat load was also small, but the take-off distance was too large.

On takeoff, foreign objects were often sucked into the engines. By the end of December, the United States had to send 41 engines for repairs due to damage received during take-off, that is, in two months, almost all aircraft had their engines changed twice!

 

As the Americans note, the operation "Scotia Tiger" pursued political goals - in case of success, "Northrop" hoped to push through its product into the US tactical aircraft. The air force, as they could, unlocked this aircraft and did not even begin to seriously analyze the results of the Vietnamese experience. But South Vietnam mastered the F-5 and A-37 attack aircraft.

Certain difficulties in the learning process were caused by a small increase in the Vietnamese pilots; I had to put special pillows on the chair, wooden bars and pedals and lengthen the control stick. The retraining of pilots of the 522nd squadron of the Air Force of South Vietnam at the Williams airbase ended in August 1966.

Along with the pilots of the squadron, Air Force Marshal Nguyen Cao Qi, Commander of the Air Force, also retrained the F-5.

In addition to military vehicles, several RF-5A reconnaissance aircraft were based at Bien Hoa airbase. In total, the Vietnamese received 120 F-5A / B and RF-5A and at least 118 F-5E, with some of them going to Vietnam from Iran and South Korea. There is no information about air battles with MiGs, but it is known that at least four RF-5A reconnaissance aircraft were shot down over the Ho Chi Minh trail. In April 1975, Lieutenant of the Air Force of South Vietnam Nguyen Thanh Trang in his F-5E bombed the presidential palace in Saigon, after which he flew to one of the airfields captured by Viet Kong. This bombing was the prologue to the victory of North Vietnam and the stampede of Americans from Saigon.

 

In May, the war ended. From the once mighty South Vietnamese air force, which ranked fourth in the number of aircraft in the world, there is almost nothing left. A few days before the fall of Saigon 26 F-5 flew from Da Nang to the Thai airfield Utapao. As trophies, Viet Kong got 87 F-5A / B and 27 F-5E. Some of them entered service with several mixed squadrons, which also had a MiG-21. Due to the lack of spare parts, the number of combat-ready "Tigers" constantly decreased and by 1978 all fighters of this type were concentrated in the 935th Fighter Aviation Regiment based in Da Nang.

In the same year, F-5s with gold stars on the sides were supported by Vietnamese units operating in Cambodia. For the battles in Cambodia, two F-5 pilots were awarded the title Hero of the People's Army. The Vietnamese handed over several captured aircraft to the USSR, Czechoslovakia and Poland, where they underwent a comprehensive assessment and testing. One F-5E is shown in aviation museums of Krakow and Prague.

In the sky of Cambodia, the Vietnamese "Tigers" could easily meet with the F-5 Thai Air Force, who also attacked the positions of the Khmer Rouge. In the 1970s, the enemy was common for the pilots of both countries, but in 1983–87, Thai planes were already striking against the Vietnamese army units operating in Cambodia. Around the same time, the Thai participated in the battles on the border with Laos. In the course of this conflict, at least one F-5T shot down by the Arrow was lost.

 

Cases of F-5 use by the Pakistani side were noted by Indian pilots during the 1971 war, apparently, they were Saudi fighters, with Saud fighters being pilots.

The F-5 fighters of the Ethiopian Air Force were used in a conflict with Somalia in 1977. Due to the absence of their own pilots, volunteers flew at them from Israel, at least six F-5s were lost in air battles with Somali MiGs and air defense weapons.

 

Iran, which was one of the largest buyers of the Tigers (in 1965-74, about 300 aircraft of various types were purchased), made extensive use of them in the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-88.

Moroccan air forces used the F-5 during the long war in the Sahara with the Polisario front. The fighting began in 1976 and continued intermittently until the 1990s. Several Tigers were shot down by Strela MANPADS and anti-aircraft artillery in 1976. In October 1979, another F-5 was added to them; in 1985 and 1987, the mobile Kvadrat air defense system shot down one “Tiger”. The Moroccan F-5s were used exclusively for strikes against ground targets, and they were modernized for the use of SDMM-65B Maverick and adjustable Rokai bombs.

The "simple and cheap" fighter participated in the "Desert Storm". Saudi F-5s were involved in striking the troops of Saddam Hussein. In February 1991, one fighter shot down Iraqi air defense weapons.

The last war to date, in which the Tigers were used, was the fighting in Yemen in 1994.

In conclusion, a brief overview of the combat use of the F-5, I would like to note that in no military conflict he did not take part as a fighter, while at the same time he established himself as a strike aircraft.

In the United States, the Tigers entered only the specialized units of the “aggressors” of the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. They turned out to be the closest to the MiG-21 - the main likely opponent of American aces. The squadrons of the “aggressors” selected the best pilots, and it is not surprising that they often won fights with much more modern F-14, F-15 and F-16.

The fighter had excellent maneuverability and rarely went into a tailspin. Thanks to these properties, F-5 flight teams were created in many countries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cockpit:

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

Internal Components:

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

Camouflage:

 

 

Specifications

 

 

Spoiler

 

Northrop F-5C Skoshi Tiger

 

 

General Characteristics

 

First flight: 31/7/1963

Role: Multipurpose jet fighter

Number built: 636

Crew: 1

Length: 14.38 m (47.17 ft)

Wingspan: 7.7 m (25.26 ft)

Wing area: 15.79 m² (51.8 ft²)

Height: 4.06 m (13.32 ft)

Empty weight: 3,667 kg (8,085 lbs)

Loaded weight: 6,080 kg (11,477 lbs)

Max. takeoff weight: 9,379 kg (20,677 lbs)

Powerplant: 2 x General Electric J85-GE-13 afterburning turbojets

• without afterburner: 1,233.8 kgf (12.1 kN, 2,720 lbf) each, 2,467.7 kgf (24.2 kN, 5,440 lbf) total
• with afterburner: 1,850.6 kgf (18.1 kN, 4,080 lbf) each, 3,701 lbf (36.2 kN, 8,160 lbf) total

Fuel capacity:

• two internal tanks with a capacity of 2027 liter (446 Imp gal, 535 US gal)
• one 568 l additional tank on the substructure hull (125 Imp gal, 150 US gal)
• two 568 liters of additional tanks for underframes (125 Imp gal, 150 US gal each, (1,136 liters, 250 Imp gal, 300 US gal) total
• two 189 l at both ends of the wing (41.57 Imp gal, 50 US gal)

 

Performance

 

Maximum speed: 1,489 km/h (925 mph, 804 knots) at 10,973 m (36,000 ft) (full power)

Cruise speed: 1,030 km/h (640 mph, 566 knots) at 1,0973 m (36,000 ft)

Never-exceed speed: Mach 1.4 (1,728.72 km/h, 1,074 mph, 933 knots)

Rate of climb: 145.8 m/s (478.34 ft/s)

Service ceiling: 15,392 m (50,500 ft)

Range: 314 km (195 mi, 169.5 nmi)

Max. range: 2,232 km (1,378 mi, 1,205 nmi)

Wing loading: 

• Empty weight: 232.235592 kg/m² (47.57 lb/ft²)
• Loaded weight: 385.053832 kg/m² (78.87 lb.ft²)
• Max. takeoff weight: 595.123496 kg/m² (121.89 lb/ft²)

Thrust/weight (without afterburner):

• Empty weight: 0.67
• Loaded weight: 0.40
• Max. takeoff weight: 0.26

Thrust/weight (with afterburner):

• Empty weight: 1.0
• Loaded weight: 0.60
• Max. takeoff weight: 0.39

 

Armament

 

Guns: 2 x 20mm M39A2 revolver cannons (280 rpg, 560 rds total)

Other:

• 4 x AIM-9B Sidewinder infrared homing air-to-air missiles

or

• 2 x AGM-12 Bullpup air-to-ground missiles

or

• 1 x 907 kg bomb (2 x 2,000 lbs) and 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder infrared homing air-to-air missiles

or

• 2 x 454 kg bomb (2 x 1,000 lbs) and 2 x 227 kg bomb (2 x 500 lbs)

or 

• 19 x 70mm rockets in four rocket pods each

(more here)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources/References:

 

(N-156F prototype in flight)

 

Spoiler

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_F-5

https://www.fighter-planes.com/info/f5.htm

https://forum.valka.cz/topic/view/1229/Northrop-F-5A-Freedom-Fighter

http://www.wmof.com/f5a.htm

Wings of the motherland. Mikhail Nikolsky. Fighter "Free World" 
Aviafan. Terrible "kids" company Northrop. About the fighter Northrop F-5 Edmund Tsikhosh. 

Supersonic aircraft Viktor Shunkov. 

Modern military aircraft Joe Baugher. 

Encyclopedia of American Military Aircraft.

Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter / Tiger II Global Security.org. 

US Military Aircraft. Northrop F-5A Fred Anderson.Northrop An aeronautical history Squadron / Signal. 

Lou Drendel. F-5 In Action WarbirdTech 44.

Frederick A. Johnsen. Northrop F-5 / F-20 / T-38

 

 

Edited March 22, 2019 by EpicBlitzkrieg87

[Radom 4,245]

Open for discussion

[sh4d0w 1,693]

+1 

[SkyEye 857]

Ah yes the plane that made the Air Force eat it's own words for bad mouthing it, It's got my +1.

[Z3r0_ 4,128]

I'll support this.  It's one of the most underrated jet fighters of its time.

[seadogpirate@psn 888]

+1 i want all the freedom fighters.

[Gavin_Mactavish 943]

[___SlimShady___ 1,056]

MiG-28 soon™

[AxEON 50]

F-5A would be an awesome aircraft to add because like the two current "top jets" it cannot achieve its true top speed at low altitude. It has two afterburning engines. It is marginally higher performing than the current jets so perhaps it could be seen as a 10.0 or even a 10.3+ aircraft sitting after the F-100D. Internal cannons are the slightly more modern version of the F-100D guns currently in game (M39A2, F-100D has M39A1) so for purposes of programming they are remarkably similar, one is more modern. The guns mounted in the nose, slightly off centre have 280rpg and a rate of fire of 1,500rpm.

 

Load out options 

-4 Aim-9B missiles

-4x1000lb

-2x500lb

-4x500lb

-A mix of wingtip Aim-9B and lighter load of bombs

e.g. 

2xAim-9B + 2x500lb

or 

2xAim-9B + 2x750lb

or

2xAim-9b + 2x1000lb

 

A load of 2xAim-9b and 4x1000lb bombs is possible but may be chosen to be omitted for balance purposes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: (also data on other F-5 variants)

http://www.alexstoll.com/AircraftOfTheMonth/8-01.html 

 

 

Please consider this aircraft for the game and contact me for any more information or sources regarding possible implementation of this aircraft!

[TyphoonCro 6,833]

I support this suggestion, yes +1

[Gavin_Mactavish 943]

No AGMs...?

Aww....

I generally despise jets with bombs...AGMs is the way to go.

[EpicBlitzkrieg87 8,350]

5 hours ago, AxEON said:

F-5A would be an awesome aircraft to add because like the two current "top jets" it cannot achieve its true top speed at low altitude. It has two afterburning engines. It is marginally higher performing than the current jets so perhaps it could be seen as a 10.0 or even a 10.3+ aircraft sitting after the F-100D.

 

Not marginally though. The MiG-19's 180 m/s climb rate beats its 145.8 m/s. It would also be slower in acceleration in the game, have a slower top speed than the F-100 but the F-5A had a significantly higher thrust/weight than the Super Sabre. Good trade-off imo. 

[FursuitKnitter911 2,122]

1 hour ago, EpicBlitzkrieg87 said:

 

Not marginally though. The MiG-19's 180 m/s climb rate beats its 145.8 m/s. It would also be slower in acceleration in the game, have a slower top speed than the F-100 but the F-5A had a significantly higher thrust/weight than the Super Sabre. Good trade-off imo. 

Would easily outmaneuver both as well. 

[Z3r0_ 4,128]

3 hours ago, Dreamtree15 said:

Would easily outmaneuver both as well. 

 

This right here.  The Soviets got their hands on some former South Vietnamese F-5As and tested them against their own MiG-21s, and were quite shocked to find that the F-5s easily turned inside the MiG-21's turning radius.

[AxEON 50]

4 hours ago, EpicBlitzkrieg87 said:

 

Not marginally though. The MiG-19's 180 m/s climb rate beats its 145.8 m/s. It would also be slower in acceleration in the game, have a slower top speed than the F-100 but the F-5A had a significantly higher thrust/weight than the Super Sabre. Good trade-off imo.  

Going off of the stat card of the Mig-19 in game, it has a rate of climb of 140m/s, (unknown if this is initial or sustained) this is why I came to the conclusion that the F-5A would out climb and out turn it. However if the stat card climb rate is sustained then the Mig-19 will continue to have the best climb rate, while the F-5 will be small, nimble and fast. And yes the Thrust/weight ratio is around 0.67 at combat weight with after burner.

[EpicBlitzkrieg87 8,350]

On 30/12/2018 at 00:29, AxEON said:

Going off of the stat card of the Mig-19 in game, it has a rate of climb of 140m/s, (unknown if this is initial or sustained) this is why I came to the conclusion that the F-5A would out climb and out turn it. However if the stat card climb rate is sustained then the Mig-19 will continue to have the best climb rate, while the F-5 will be small, nimble and fast. And yes the Thrust/weight ratio is around 0.67 at combat weight with after burner.

 

Going with the stat card is not wise. We all know the MiG-19's true climb rate and top speed. I reached 1,450 km/h in it, while the stat card says 1,397 km/h spaded.

 

And it won't out-turn the MiG-19.

 

F-5A: 

 

On 25/12/2018 at 23:49, EpicBlitzkrieg87 said:

• Loaded weight: 385.053832 kg/m² (78.87 lb.ft²)

 

The MiG-19's wing loading is significantly less. It's calculated by dividing the weight of the plane with its wing area. MiG-19 gets 302.4 kg/m², F-5A gets 385 kg/m².

[Ska_King_Felix 1,450]

GIBGIBGIBGIBGIBGIBGIB!

+1

[RanchSauce39 397]

I would say no. Would have voted yes if it was the F5C

 

F5A was never used in us service. purely export plane. Unlike f5e which at least saw service in aggressor units or the f5c that was flown by usaf for combat evaluations in Vietnam.

 

Closest thing was 16 or so f5a modified into f5c skoshi tiger. 

 

Modd3d with New navigation new gunsight and external refueling probe combat evaluated in vietnam. 

 

Canadian cf5 was basically f5c  standards but with upgraded engines should be treated as another aircraft

On 29/12/2018 at 09:55, Gavin_Mactavish said:

No AGMs...?

Aww....

I generally despise jets with bombs...AGMs is the way to go.

 

F5a manual shows it can carry agm12 bullpup on inner and outerboard wing hardpoints. ( so up to x4)  and has the nessary avionics  toggle control panel.

 

 

On 29/12/2018 at 07:02, AxEON said:

F-5A would be an awesome aircraft to add because like the two current "top jets" it cannot achieve its true top speed at low altitude. It has two afterburning engines. It is marginally higher performing than the current jets so perhaps it could be seen as a 10.0 or even a 10.3+ aircraft sitting after the F-100D. Internal cannons are the slightly more modern version of the F-100D guns currently in game (M39A2, F-100D has M39A1) so for purposes of programming they are remarkably similar, one is more modern. The guns mounted in the nose, slightly off centre have 280rpg and a rate of fire of 1,500rpm.

 

Load out options 

-4 Aim-9B missiles

-4x1000lb

-2x500lb

-4x500lb

-A mix of wingtip Aim-9B and lighter load of bombs

e.g. 

2xAim-9B + 2x500lb

or 

2xAim-9B + 2x750lb

or

2xAim-9b + 2x1000lb

 

A load of 2xAim-9b and 4x1000lb bombs is possible but may be chosen to be omitted for balance purposes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: (also data on other F-5 variants)

http://www.alexstoll.com/AircraftOfTheMonth/8-01.html

 

 

Please consider this aircraft for the game and contact me for any more information or sources regarding possible implementation of this aircraft!

 

This is incorrect

 

Basic f5a cannot carry 4 sidewinders. 

 

 

This wiki is innacurate. Official manual shows its only able to carry 2 sidewinders on wingtips instead of the external wingtip fuel pods

 

 

 

Edited January 1, 2019 by RanchSauce39

[Wogmidget 73]

If added, I'd prefer it went in the same line as the A-4 series

[RanchSauce39 397]

On 23/01/2019 at 05:19, Wogmidget said:

If added, I'd prefer it went in the same line as the A-4 series

 

? we dont have A4 series in war thunder, and the F5 isnt a dedicated CAS attacker.

 

Its a "no frills"  Tactical Fighter bomber primarily for export sale so it could be affordable  for countries with modest defense budgets

Edited January 25, 2019 by RanchSauce39

[Milocat 4,857]

This would be a good tier 6 jet.  +1.

[Wilhuff_Tarkin_ 467]

+1 yeah sure. Consider changing title for F-5C. Not quite sure what could other nations get. British/French SEPECAT Jaguar, Mig-27 or early 21 models maby. T-2 is coming for japanese so it would be nice to see some counterparts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZQir_yH_J8

[Cam_the_man 146]

Even the NAME screams "America". And two 20mm Gatling's plus 4 sidewinders? And it looks the part too? GIB! +1

 

 

[RanchSauce39 397]

On 15/03/2019 at 01:31, Cam_the_man said:

Even the NAME screams "America". And two 20mm Gatling's  Revolving Cannons plus  4     

2 sidewinders? And it looks the part too? GIB! +1

 

 

 

 

FTFY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On 31/12/2018 at 23:03, RanchSauce39 said:

 

This is incorrect

 

 

 F5A cannot carry 4 sidewinders. 

 

 

This wiki is inaccurate. Official manual shows its only able to carry 2 sidewinders on wingtips as alternative option to the external wingtip fuel pods

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 18, 2019 by RanchSauce39

[EpicBlitzkrieg87 8,350]

Suggestion changed a bit