Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter / F-5E Tiger II
Fighter
Photo ©: Karsten Palt
The Northrop F-5 is a twin-engined single-seat light jet fighter aircraft produced by the US-American manufacturer Northrop Corporation (today Northrop Grumman Corporation). Main versions are the F-5A Freedom Fighter and the F-5E Tiger II with their two-seat trainer variants F-5B and F-5F.
The F-5E Tiger II differs from the F-5A Freedom Fighter in having more powerful General Electric J85-GE-21 (22,2 kN / 5000 lbf) engines instead of the J85-GE-13 (18,2 kN / 4080 lbf). The fuselage is enlarged and the wings were modified with an increased wing area. The more modern avionics equipment includes a radar system. The F-5 was also licence-built in Canada by Canadair, in Spain by CASA, in the South Korea and Taiwan.
| Crew | 1 | |
| Propulsion | 2 Turbojet Engines | |
| Engine Model | General Electric J85-GE-21 | |
| Engine Power (each) dry/with Afterburner | 15,6 / 22,2 kN | 3500 / 5000 lbf |
| Speed | 1743 km/h | 941 kts 1083 mph |
| Service Ceiling | 15.789 m | 51.800 ft |
| Range | 1.406 km | 759 NM 873 mi. |
| Empty Weight | 4.410 kg | 9.722 lbs |
| max. Takeoff Weight | 11.214 kg | 24.723 lbs |
| Wing Span | 8,13 m | 26 ft 8 in |
| Wing Area | 17,3 m² | 186 ft² |
| Length | 14,45 m | 47 ft 5 in |
| Height | 4,06 m | 13 ft 4 in |
| First Flight | 30.07.1959 | |
| Production Status | out of production | |
| Total Production | 2622 | |
| Data for (Version) | Northrop F-5E Tiger II | |
| Variants | A-9 (F-5A), AR-9, CF-5 (CF-116), F-5A, F-5B, F-5E Tiger II, F-5E Tiger III, F-5EM, F-5F Tiger II, F-5F Tiger III, F-5FM, F-5N, F-5S, F-5T, F-5T Tigris, F-5TIII, KF-5E, KF-5F, NF-5A | |
| [Photo-ID: 7524] © Karsten Palt 2013-07-19 | |
 | Northrop (Canadair) CF-5A Freedom Fighter Canadian Armed Forces Reg.: 116757 c/n: 1057 |
| Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum [Hamilton, Mount Hope] | |
| [Photo-ID: 5576] © Karsten Palt 2012-04-29 | |
 | Northrop F-5A Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) Reg.: 89-046 c/n: N6412 |
| The War Memorial of Korea [Seoul] | |
| [Photo-ID: 7614] © Karsten Palt 2013-08-16 | |
 | Northrop F-5A Turkish Air Force Reg.: 66-14466 c/n: N6320 marked as 14460 |
| Turkish Air Force Museum [Yesilkoy, Istanbul] | |
| [Photo-ID: 7615] © Karsten Palt 2013-08-16 | |
 | Northrop F-5A Turkish Air Force Reg.: 66-14466 c/n: N6320 marked as 14460 |
| Turkish Air Force Museum [Yesilkoy, Istanbul] | |
| [Photo-ID: 7616] © Karsten Palt 2013-08-16 | |
 | Northrop F-5A (NF-5A) Turkish Air Force Reg.: 70-3022 c/n: 3022 ex Turkish Stars, ex RNAF K-3022 |
| Turkish Air Force Museum [Yesilkoy, Istanbul] | |
| [Photo-ID: 7617] © Karsten Palt 2013-08-16 | |
 | Northrop F-5A (NF-5A) Turkish Air Force Reg.: 70-3022 c/n: 3022 ex Turkish Stars, ex RNAF K-3022 |
| Turkish Air Force Museum [Yesilkoy, Istanbul] | |
| [Photo-ID: 3304] © Karsten Palt 2010-06-18 | |
 | Northrop F-5A (NF-5A) Turkish Air Force Reg.: 70-3036 c/n: 3036 Turkish Stars |
| Luchtmachtdagen 2010 [Gilze-Rijen (EHGR)] | |
| [Photo-ID: 288] © Karsten Palt 2007-06-15 | |
 | Northrop F-5A (NF-5A) Turkish Air Force Reg.: 70-3039 c/n: 3039 Turkish Stars |
| Open Dagen Koninklijke Luchtmacht 2007 [Volkel (EHVK / UDE)] | |
| [Photo-ID: 3305] © Karsten Palt 2010-06-18 | |
 | Northrop F-5A (NF-5A) Turkish Air Force Reg.: 71-3066 c/n: 3066 Turkish Stars |
| Luchtmachtdagen 2010 [Gilze-Rijen (EHGR)] | |
| [Photo-ID: 7618] © Karsten Palt 2013-08-16 | |
 | Northrop F-5A (NF-5A) Turkish Air Force Reg.: 71-3070 c/n: 3070 ex RNAF K-3070 |
| Turkish Air Force Museum [Yesilkoy, Istanbul] | |
| [Photo-ID: 7619] © Karsten Palt 2013-08-16 | |
 | Northrop F-5A (NF-5A) Turkish Air Force Reg.: 71-3070 c/n: 3070 ex RNAF K-3070 |
| Turkish Air Force Museum [Yesilkoy, Istanbul] | |
| [Photo-ID: 11360] © Karsten Palt 2015-05-31 | |
 | Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter Royal Norwegian Air Force Reg.: 207 c/n: N7030 |
| Western Museum of Flight [Torrance, CA] | |
| [Photo-ID: 11361] © Karsten Palt 2015-05-31 | |
 | Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter Royal Norwegian Air Force Reg.: 207 c/n: N7030 |
| Western Museum of Flight [Torrance, CA] | |
| [Photo-ID: 6424] © Karsten Palt 2013-02-09 | |
 | Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) Reg.: KH18-1-10 c/n: N6263 |
| Royal Thai Air Force Museum [Bangkok] | |
| [Photo-ID: 6425] © Karsten Palt 2013-02-09 | |
 | Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) Reg.: KH18-13/17 c/n: N6008 |
| Royal Thai Air Force Museum [Bangkok] | |
| [Photo-ID: 12016] © Karsten Palt 2003-06-21 | |
 | Northrop F-5B (NF-5B) Turkish Air Force Reg.: 4013 c/n: 4013 ex RNAF K-4013 |
| Open Dagen Koninklijke Luchtmacht 2003 [Vliegbais Twente (EHTW / ENS)] | |
| [Photo-ID: 6426] © Karsten Palt 2013-02-09 | |
 | Northrop F-5B Freedom Fighter Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) Reg.: KH18K-1/09 c/n: N8001 Thailand's oldest Tiger |
| Royal Thai Air Force Museum [Bangkok] | |
| [Photo-ID: 11166] © Karsten Palt 2015-06-03 | |
 | Northrop F-5B Freedom Fighter United States Air Force (USAF) Reg.: 72-0441 c/n: N8092 |
| Pima Air and Space Museum [Tucson, AZ] | |
| [Photo-ID: 11167] © Karsten Palt 2015-06-03 | |
 | Northrop F-5B Freedom Fighter United States Air Force (USAF) Reg.: 72-0441 c/n: N8092 |
| Pima Air and Space Museum [Tucson, AZ] | |
| [Photo-ID: 6282] © Karsten Palt 2012-06-12 | |
 | Northrop F-5E Republic of China Air Force (Taiwan) Reg.: 5243 c/n: V1143 |
| Yanks Air Museum [Chino, CA] | |
| [Photo-ID: 3403] © Karsten Palt 2010-06-11 | |
 | Northrop F-5E Swiss Air Force / Schweizer Luftwaffe Reg.: J-3085 c/n: L.1085/1182 |
| ILA Berlin 2010 [Berlin - Schönefeld (EDDB / SXF)] | |
| [Photo-ID: 11646] © Karsten Palt 2015-08-22 | |
 | Northrop F-5E Tiger II Republic of Vietnam Air Force Reg.: 73-0852 c/n: R1033 was captured by the North Vietnam Air Force |
| Polish Aviation Museum [Krakow] | |
| [Photo-ID: 10553] © Karsten Palt 2014-06-08 | |
 | Northrop F-5E Tiger II Republic of Vietnam Air Force Reg.: 73-0878 c/n: R1059 |
| Letecke Muzeum Kbely [Prague] | |
| [Photo-ID: 10554] © Karsten Palt 2014-06-08 | |
 | Northrop F-5E Tiger II Republic of Vietnam Air Force Reg.: 73-0878 c/n: R1059 |
| Letecke Muzeum Kbely [Prague] | |
| [Photo-ID: 5830] © Karsten Palt 2012-06-10 | |
 | Northrop F-5E Tiger II United States Marine Corps (USMC) Reg.: 741529 c/n: R1186 Agressor c/s |
| Joe Davies Heritage Airpark Plant 42 [Palmdale, CA] | |
| [Photo-ID: 5831] © Karsten Palt 2012-06-10 | |
 | Northrop F-5E Tiger II United States Marine Corps (USMC) Reg.: 741529 c/n: R1186 Agressor c/s |
| Joe Davies Heritage Airpark Plant 42 [Palmdale, CA] | |
| [Photo-ID: 5893] © Karsten Palt 2012-06-13 | |
 | Northrop F-5E Tiger II United States Navy Reg.: 741574 displayed in US Marine Corps VMFT-401 aggressor c/s |
| Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum [San Diego, CA] | |
| [Photo-ID: 5894] © Karsten Palt 2012-06-13 | |
 | Northrop F-5E Tiger II United States Navy Reg.: 741574 displayed in US Marine Corps VMFT-401 aggressor c/s |
| Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum [San Diego, CA] | |
| [Photo-ID: 2486] © Karsten Palt 2009-06-25 | |
 | Northrop NF-5B (Canadair CL-226) Royal Netherlands AF / Koninklijke Luchtmacht Reg.: K-4011 c/n: 4011 |
| Militaire Luchtvaart Museum [Soesterberg] | |
| [Photo-ID: 6461] © Karsten Palt 2013-02-09 | |
 | Northrop RF-5A Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) Reg.: TKH18-3/13 c/n: RF1038 |
| Royal Thai Air Force Museum [Bangkok] | |
| [Photo-ID: 6462] © Karsten Palt 2013-02-09 | |
 | Northrop RF-5A Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) Reg.: TKH18-3/13 c/n: RF1038 |
| Royal Thai Air Force Museum [Bangkok] | |
| [Photo-ID: 7628] © Karsten Palt 2013-08-16 | |
 | Northrop RF-5A Turkish Air Force Reg.: 69-7147 c/n: RF1027 |
| Turkish Air Force Museum [Yesilkoy, Istanbul] | |
| [Photo-ID: 2969] © Hartmut Ehlers 2009-12-01 | |
 | Northrop RF-5E Tigereye Royal Malaysian Air Force Reg.: M29-19 c/n: RA1001 One of TUDM |
| LIMA 2009 [Pulau Langkawi - International (WMKL / LGK)] | |
| [Photo-ID: 10724] © Karsten Palt 2014-10-23 | |
 | Northrop (CASA) SF-5A Spanish Air Force Reg.: A.9-050 c/n: 2050 |
| Museo del Aire [Madrid] | |
| [Photo-ID: 10725] © Karsten Palt 2014-10-23 | |
 | Northrop (CASA) SRF-5A Spanish Air Force Reg.: AR.9-062 c/n: 2062 |
| Museo del Aire [Madrid] | |
| [Photo-ID: 12461] © Karsten Palt 2016-04-12 | |
 | Northrop YF-5A Freedom Fighter United States Air Force (USAF) Reg.: 59-4987 c/n: N6001 first of three prototypes |
| Museum of Flight [Seattle, WA] | |
| [Photo-ID: 5522] © Karsten Palt 2012-01-11 | |
 | Northrop YF-5A Freedom Fighter United States Air Force (USAF) Reg.: 59-4989 c/n: N.6003 one of three prototypes |
| National Museum of the United States Air Force [Dayton, Ohio / USA (Wright-Patterson AFB)] | |