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| F-5 Freedom Fighter
|
 Canadian Air Force CF-116 Freedom Fighters |
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
(for the F-5 Tiger II)
|
| Description
|
| Role
| Light tactical fighter
|
| Crew | 1
|
| Dimensions
|
| Length | 47 ft 4.75 in | 14.45 m
|
Wingspan
(without AAMs) | 26 ft 8 in
| 8.13 m
|
Wingspan
(with AAMs) | 28 ft | 8.5 3m
|
| Height | 13 ft 4.5 in | 4.08 m
|
| Wing area | 186 ft² | 17.28 m²
|
| Weights
|
| Empty | 9,558 lb | 4,349 kg
|
| Loaded | |
|
| Maximum take-off | 24,664 lb | 11,187 kg
|
| Fuel
|
| Internal | 677 US gal | 2,563 L
|
External
(up to 3 drop tanks) | 275 US gal per tank
| 1,040 L per tank
|
| Powerplant
|
| Engines
| Two General Electric
J85-GE-21B
|
| Thrust (dry) | 3,500 lbf | 15.5 kN
|
| Thrust (afterburner) | 5,000 lbf | 22.2 kN
|
| Performance
|
| Maximum speed | 917 knots | 1,700 km/h
|
| Combat radius | 760 nautical miles | 1,405 km
|
| Ferry range | 2,010 nautical miles | 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 20-mm Pontiac (Colt-Browning) M39A2 Cannons
|
| Bombs
| Up to 7000 lb (3175 kg) mixed
M129 Leaflet
500-lb (225-kg) Mk82
2000-lb (900-kg) Mk84
CBU-24/49/52/58 Cluster
|
| Missiles
| AIM-7 Sparrow
AIM-9 Sidewinder
AGM-65 Maverick
AIM-120 AMRAAAM and Python-4 (on Singapore's upgraded F-5S/T)
|
The F-5 Freedom Fighter (or Tiger) is a fighter aircraft, designed and built by Northrop in the USA, beginning in 1962.
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's most advanced operational version, prior to the of Singapore F-5S/T, the F-5E became known officially as the Tiger II (. As such, it is sometimes (incorrectly) thought to be the only aircraft designated as its own replacement. The Grumman F11F (numbered under the old US Navy system) was the previous "Tiger" designee. (The AV-8B Harrier II, which followed the AV-8A/C Harrier, is the only aircraft to have truly been designated as its own replacement.) There have been many variations on the basic design of the F-5, including reconnaisance versions. It has been sold to many nations, and became the primary fighter for numerous air forces.
The F-5 was adopted for an OPFOR training role because of its performance similarities to the Soviet MiG's. A trainer version, the T-38 Talon, was adopted by the U.S. Air Force as a pilot's first introduction to supersonic flight.
This design has served as a basis for other notable aircraft such as the F-20 Tigershark. The F/A-18 Hornet was derived from the YF-17 Cobra which in turn was based, in part, on the F-5 Tiger II.
Singapore is known to be operating approximately 49 F-5 fighters. These are modernised and re-designated F-5S and F-5T (single/two-seaters respectively). Upgrades include new radar/MFD and AIM-120 AMRAAM capability.
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