In this video, we’ll get acquainted with the Northrop F-5 fighter jet—an aircraft whose primary goal was to maintain a balance between affordability and combat capability. We’ll find out whether the aviators succeeded.
The Northrop F-5 is a family of lightweight, multirole supersonic fighters developed by the American company Northrop in the late 1950s. The first-generation F-5, known as the Freedom Fighter, was distinguished by its exceptional simplicity and low cost, making it quite popular on the export market. However, its simplicity came with limitations in combat capabilities. The next generation, the F-5E, was more advanced and boasted improved fighter performance. One of its distinguishing features was exceptional maneuverability with small size and light weight, making it a challenging opponent in close quarters combat.
The F-5, like its famous relative, the T-38 Talon trainer, was actively used for both pilot training and aerial combat training, including by the renowned Aggressor squadrons and the TOP GUN flight school. Besides that, the F-5 was the aircraft of choice for several aerobatic teams.
The F-5 has been the subject of numerous research programs, including serving as the basis for the Grumman X-29 prototype with a forward-swept wing. It can also be considered a direct relative of the carrier-based F/A-18 Hornet. However, the F-5 itself was abandoned in the 1990s—the F-20 Tigershark project reached the flight testing stage but was canceled.
Despite its advanced age, the aircraft continues to serve in the air forces of many countries.
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00:00 – Northrop F-5
00:32 – Expensive and Cheap Fighters
02:01 – T-38 Talon
02:54 – Fighter Jet
03:37 – Aircraft Description
07:37 – Birth of the Freedom Fighter
08:46 – Vietnam
10:15 – F-5E Tiger II
12:02 – F-5 Service
12:31 – F-5 in the USSR
13:30 – F-5 and F/A-18
14:24 – F-20 Tigershark
15:55 – Aerobatic, Tester, Aggressor
17:32 – Epilogue
Credit to : Skyships Eng