Conceived as a private venture and initially relying on internal funding only, the Northrop F-5 “Freedom Fighter” design (N-156) was initiated in the 1950s. The goal was to provide a lightweight, inexpensive, easy-to-maintain fighter aircraft. At first, it looked like the program was going to be less than a success, but that soon changed. As the U.S. Air Force was looking for a new trainer to replace their aging T-33As at the time, the N-156T (T = trainer and redesignated as the T-38) became a natural fit, making its first flight in June of 1956. It was low cost, had a supersonic ability, and was selected to replace the legacy Shooting Stars.
The F-5 ABCs
The N-156F (F = fighter and later designated YF-5A) first took to the skies just after the T-38, in July 1956. While the T-38 was churned out, with nearly 1,200 ultimately coming off the assembly line in the end, the F-5A light fighter was only ordered in relatively small numbers by U.S. Air Force. However, the F-5A did make an excellent fit for more defensively postured small countries. Thus, foreign sales of the F-5A, along with F-5B two-seat models, blossomed in a big way, with over 25 different countries flying F-5s.
The F-5 saw action in the Vietnam conflict, and the F-5C “Skoshi Tiger” was born, locking in the “Tiger” nickname change for the F-5 series. They slapped on some armor, a refueling probe, and some additional instruments (although there were only a handful of F-5Cs made). The F-5C’s biggest shortcoming was its limited combat range, and later the F-5Cs were handed off to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force. Some of these, along with F-5A/ Bs, were later captured by the North Vietnamese after the fall of the South. There was a proposed F-5D fighter/trainer model, but it was never manufactured.
This story is from the November - December 2020 edition of Flight Journal.
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This story is from the November - December 2020 edition of Flight Journal.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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Scourge of the Allied Fighters
IT HAD TO BE THE MOST HELPLESS FEELING in the world: you're at 25,000 feet over Europe knowing that your primary function is to drop bombs-or flying escort for the bombers while being a slow-moving target for some of the world's finest shooters. However, you have John Browning's marvelous .50 caliber invention to give some degree of protection. Unfortunately, you're absolutely helpless against flak. Piloting and gunnery skills play no role in a game where sheer chance makes life and death decisions. For that reason, the Krupp 88 mm Flak 18/36/37 AA cannon could be considered WW II's ultimate stealth fighter. You never saw it coming.
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