Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II

The Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II is an American twin-engined, supersonic lightweight, day air superiority and attack aircraft, an improved variant of the F-5A/B Freedom fighter. The F-5E single-seat version first flew on August 11, 1972, entering service on April 6, 1973, the F-5F, tandem seat combat-capable trainer’s first flight took place on September 25, 1974. It first saw combat during the Vietnam War with both the USAF and the Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVAF). Also, used by the US military as an “aggressor” due to similarities with the MiG-21. Production ended in 1987, with 1,400 airframes built. Canada, Spain, South Korea, and Taiwan manufactured the type under licence.

Airframe construction is mainly of aluminium alloy, a semi-monocoque fuselage with the engine air intakes located on the fuselage sides, a low-mounted cantilevered trapezoidal wing with leading-edge extensions (LEX). The tail unit is a cantilever swept-back structure with a single fin, all-moving tail-planes. The undercarriage is a retractable tricycle type.

It uses two General Electric J85 afterburning axial-flow turbojet engines, mounted in the fuselage. The F-5E has a cruising speed of 850 km/h (528 mph), a maximum speed of 1,741 km/h (1,081 mph), a service ceiling of 15,800 m (51,800 ft), combat range of 1056 km (656 mi) and ferry range of 2,863 km (1,779 mi).

Armament consists of two 20 mm (0.787 in) M39A2 Revolver cannons mounted internally in the nose. seven external hard-points able to carry up to 3,200 kg (7,000 pounds) of stores. : one on each wing-tip, two under each wing and one under the fuselage. Ordnance includes air-to-air, air-to-ground missiles, unguided rockets, guided or unguided bombs and drop tanks.