Overview
The F-5E Tiger II is a small, cheap and easy-to-maintain fighter that Northrop designed for friendly nations that could not afford expensive jets. It won a US competition in 1970 for an "International Fighter Aircraft".
About 1,400 single-seat F-5Es and two-seat F-5Fs were built, serving more than 30 countries. The US Navy and Marine Corps still use them as "aggressors" that imitate enemy fighters in training, a role made famous by the film Top Gun.
Specifications
Dimensions
| Length | 14.45 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 8.13 m |
| Height | 4.08 m |
| Wing area | 17.3 m² |
Weights & fuel
| Empty weight | 4,349 kg |
|---|---|
| Max. take-off weight | 11,187 kg |
Performance
| Max. speed | 1,700 km/h |
|---|---|
| Max. Mach | Mach 1.60 |
| Range | 1,405 km |
| Service ceiling | 15,800 m |
| Rate of climb | 175.0 m/s |
Crew & capacity
| Crew | 1 |
|---|---|
| Hardpoints | 7 |
Powerplant
| Engines | 2 |
|---|---|
| Engine model | GE J85-GE-21 |
| Thrust (each) | 15.5 kN |
| Thrust with afterburner (each) | 22.2 kN |
Figures are compiled from public sources and may be approximate; they can vary by variant and configuration.
Armament
- 2 × 20 mm M39 cannons
- AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles
- About 3,200 kg of bombs and rockets on 7 hardpoints
Photos
Photo 1: Chris Lofting / Wikimedia Commons · GFDL 1.2
Some text and images come from Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA licences.
