Air Power Series>1:72 die-cast display model>F-5>HA3365
Northrop Grumman F-5N Tiger II 761554, VFC-111 Sundowners, US Navy, 2021
General Background
The Northrop F-5 tactical fighter was designed as an extremely maneuverable, supersonic fighter with a high rate of reliability at a low operating cost. The F-5 first flew on July 30, 1959 with the first customer delivery in 1964. The last of more than 2,600 F-5’s was produced in 1989 and about two-thirds of these are still in service with 26 countries more than 4 decades later. The F-5 was manufactured by Northrop Grumman and under license in Canada, Taiwan, South Korea, Spain and Switzerland.
The Aircraft
F-5 761554 MSN L. 1028 was formerly owned by the Swiss Air Force as J-3029 and acquired by the USN when the Swiss were retiring these planes. The aircraft underwent upgrades to an “N” variant and became active with VFC-111 “Sun Downers” in 2008. VFC-111 is an Aggressor Squadron with the mission to train USN and USMC pilots in the art of aerial combat. Many VFC-111 F-5s are painted in a two-tone blue scheme to visually mimic Russian latest aircraft. Several of these paint schemes differ from the others by using the two blues in various patterns.
Specifications :
| Number Built : | 1,400 + E/F |
| Role F-5F: | Two-seat Combat Trainer Version Of The F-5E Tiger II |
| Dimensions | |
| Length: | (F-5E) - 47 feet 4.75 inch (14.65 m) |
| (F-5F) - 51 feet 4 inch (15.65 m) | |
| Height: | 26 ft 8 in Height (F-5E) |
| 13 feet 4 inch (4.06 m) Height (F-5F) | |
| Wingspan: | 13 feet 1.75 inch (4.01 m) |
| Powerplant: | 2 x General Electric J85-GE-21B Turbojets With 5,000 lb.s.t. With Afterburning |
| Weight | |
| Empty weight: | (F-5E) – 9,723 lb (4,410 kg) |
| (F-5F) - 10,576 lb (4,797 kg) | |
| Max takeoff weight: | (F-5E) - 24,722 lb (11,214 kg) |
| (F-5F) - 25,152 lb (11,409 kg) | |
| Performance | |
| Maximum speed: | F-5E – Mach 1.64 @ 36,000 ft |
| F-5F – Mach 1.55 @ 36,000 ft | |
| Range: | (F-5E) - 1,545 nm (2,863 km) |
| (F-5F) - 1,270 nm (2,353 km) | |
| Service ceiling: | (F-5E) - 51,800 ft (15,780 m) |
| (F-5F) - 50,800 ft (15,484 m) | |
| Rate of climb: | (F-5E) - 34,500 feet/min |
| (F-5F) - 32,900 feet/min | |
| Armament: | 1 x In-Nose 20mm M39A2 Cannon With 140 Rounds |
| 2 x AIM-9 Sidewinder Missiles On Wing Tips | |
| 5 x Pylons Capable Of Carrying Up To 7,000 lbs. Of Ordnance Or Fuel | |
| 1 x Under Fuselage Center-line | |
| 4 x Under Wing (2/Wing) |