F-5a Deliveries Fl Intl Dec 1964

7/30/2019 F-5a Deliveries Fl Intl Dec 1964

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1046 FLIGHT Internat ional , 17 December /

F-5A DELIVERIES BEGIN: MORE ORDERS IN PROSPECTTHE lightweight, low-cost fighter championed by so manydesigners and committees during the mid-1950s resulted inproduction of only the very conservative Fiat G.9 1. Thoughthe basic thinking behind such ventures is probably even m ore validnow than then, the very small aircraft projected proved to have alimited capability mainly because there is no really effective wayof uplifting alarge load of conventional stores other than underan aircraft of adequate size. Given a certain military loadthere isalso aminimum overall size of aircraft. Itwas saidatthe time that the popular weight target of 5,0001b was unrealisticand that aweight ofabout 14,0001b was more probable. TheLockheed F-104A was originally inthis weight bracket and hassince grown to far beyond that figure in the F-104G.

It was in 1955 that Northrop began design studies leading to theN-156 with the basic concept that propulsion weight was the domi-nating factor in determining the final size of atactical aeroplane.On this basis they chose the then-new GE J85 engine and arrivedat an aircraft with abasic "clean" gross weight in the region of12,0001b. From this original tactical specification, the USAFdeveloped the T-38 Talon supersonic advanced trainerand notthe other way round , as has frequently been stated. The historyand engineering of the N-156 were described in considerable detailin Flight for January 8, 1960. The F-5, as the tactical aircraft hassince been designated, was ordered into production in 1962 and isnow entering service with the background experience of the verylarge Talon programme, for which the 500th aircraft was deliveredthis month.The F-5, though not initially adopted by the USAF, has estab-lished itself as aMilitary Assistance Programme type by sheerquality, in the sense that ithas proved to be the only aircraft ofadvanced performance and wide tactical capability to prove emi-nently suitable for operation by the less rich countriesin no sensea second-rate aircraft, but one which does not involve the tremen-dous financial outlay, engineering complexity and operating coststypical ofthe most advanced aircraft now coming into service.And n ot only is the F-5 now established a s amajor MAP type, butseveral air forces, including the USAF itself, are actively investi-gating the F-5 with aview to outright purchase and even licenceconstruction.Though the intention to issue the F-5, in both its single-seat -Aand two-seat -B versions, was announced during 1962, the firstofficial disclosure of a recipient country came from Norwayearly this year. By cancelling one ofthree originally intendedsquadrons of F-104Gs and cutting back on certain naval buildingprogrammes, the Norwegian Government was able to pay some-thing over one-third of the total 26.5m cost of 64 F-5s to be deli-vered during 1966 and 1967. At the time of the a nnouncem entsome 170 other F-5s were scheduled for delivery under MAPthou gh no specific recipients had been nam ed. Five aircraft were

in USAF test flying at Edwards AFB and production was building

up towards the final rate of 12 aircraft per month, in the ratio ofone F-5B to nine F-5As.Now the F-5 has completed its final Category 3USAF testingphase and has full operational and weapons clearance, apro-gramme which remarkably did not occasion asingle accident. Atotal of 42 F-5s of bo th types ha ve now flow n and the first deliveries,to the Iranian Air Force, are under way. US AF Tactical Air Com-mand has set up a training establishment for both pilots andgroundcrews at Williams AF B. In Euro pe, Turkey and Greece arealso to receive F-5s under MA P and Norway , as mentioned above,is paying pa rt of the cost of its 64 aircraft. In the F ar E ast, SouthKorea , Na tionalist China and the Philippines have agreed to makethe F-5 their standard fighter and will receive them under MAP.The total ofF-5s scheduled for the current three financial yearsfrom 1963 to 1966 has no w reached 250 and m ore will undoubtedlyfollow in subsequen t years . Prod uction is already foreseen until atleast 1968.Of even greater interest th an the success of the F-5 as an AmericanMAP venture is the fact that four nations quite outside the MAPprogramm e are considering adopting the type. Canad a has beenevaluating the F-5 in relation to the F-4 Phantom and seems likelyto adopt the F-5. New Zealand and Spain are also considering it.Italy, as part of a major analysis of its defence and industry relatedto the fast-ageing Air Force operational equipment and the rapiddecline of F-104G production work-load, is very likely to adopt theF-5and possibly to produce itunder licence. The m ain reasonfor the great attraction of the F-5 is ha t itinvolves astructurewhich the Italian industry is capable of producing in its entirety,without a ny major technological proble ms . The same cannot besaid for such aircraft as the F-4 . The F -5 is also an ideal replace-ment for the F-84F in terms of operational characteristics, cost andcomplexity of mainten ance. Her e, the basic concept of the F-5 isfully vind icated. Her e, too , lies the first real justification of theoriginal light fighter concept as an aircraft of adequate perform-

ance, but of manageable technological and financial implications.From the production point of view, it seems logical that Italy andSpain might in some way share or co-operate in produc tion; and amajor justification for Canadian interest is that Canadian manufac-turers might well obtain ashare of the MAP production work, asthey did in the F-104G progr am me . The F-5 therefore looks likeachieving auniversality almost as great and even more importantand successful than that of the F-104G.As far as equipm ent is concerned , the F-5 ha s proved capable ofcarrying the air-to-surface and air-to-air missiles which will com-pensate for its very slight inferiority in she#r supersonic perform-anceMach 1.4 as distinct from the presently current Mach 2.0.To the full complement of conventional stores it adds a twin 20mmgun installation, which can alternatively be replaced by a consider-able weight of special mission electronics. In fact, each recipientnation isspecifying slightly different weapon delivery equipment

J4 DIRECTIONALGUN CAMERA G U N s , G H T VERTICAL GYRO

LINK STOWAGECHUTE

HORIZONTAL REFERENCE

AN/ARW77 TRANSMITTER ^ / A ^ T ^ U A ^ A R N 6 5 " T A C A N LINK STOWAGECONTAINER

AN/ARW 77AMMUNITION CONTROLLERCHUTE


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International,December 1964

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Northrop Norair F-5A with allseven pylon stations occupiedby external tanks and weapons.Current orders for 1963-1965amount to about 250 aircraft,with considera ble additionalorders n prospect

Second F-5B leaving EdwardsAFB for Tactical Air Commandservice trials during April thisyear. Two-seaters are beingproduced ct the ratio of oneto every nine single-seaters

Viewed in conjunction with the new cutaway drawing overleaf, this "Flight"drawing of the inboard profile of the F-5A indicates the location of ma jorequipment within the compact airframe. Fire control and radar equipment,not shownhere, is chosen by recipient air force s

B R E A K E R P A N E LA N T E N N A

Iliffe Transport Publications Ltd 1964


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1048 FLIGHT Internat ional , 17December 964

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F-5A . . .according to itsparticular tactical requirements. The F-5s arealsobeing delivered inplain metal finish, national markings and regionalcamouflage schemes being added by individual recipients. A cur-rent development project is a camera nose, which would be inter-changeable with the existing nose of all variants. The two-seatF-5B retains theoperational capability of thesingle-seater, exceptthat thefront cockpit occupies thespace devoted to the guninstal-lation, or other equipment planned for this area. Therear seat israised lOin above the front to provide the instructor pilot withadequate forward view.Though theadoption of the twoafterburning GEJ85s was fun-damental to theoriginal lightweight powerplant concept, thetwin-engined safety thus conferred must count as a major operationaladvantage of the type, particularly in relation to thepoor, if notoutright dangerous, engine-out characteristics of current super-sonic operational aircraft. On one engine, the F-5 has demon-strated performance equivalent to that of current subsonic combataircraft. Inother systems features, the F-5makes noconcession tothe more extreme light fighter thinking . Aerody namic layout is aneffective compromise between sheer speed requirements and goodlow-speed handling and landing behaviour. The effectiveness ofthe solution has been adequately demonstrated by the time-to-height records set bythe Talon and bythe outstanding safety recordof both the F-5 and the T-38 during their respective test pro-grammes, and by theT-38 during several years of intensive opera-tion.This new and up-dated "Flight" copyright drawing of the Northrop'F-5 indicates the structural arrangement and systems layout ofthis highly successful lightweight supersonic strike fighter. Aperformance summary is given on the facing page

1 Dielectric honeycomb fin cap2 Honeycomb panel assemblies3 Honeycomb access door (under-surface)4 One-piece etched top and bottomskins5 Finspars integral with fuselage6 Main aft-fuselage machined forging7 Titanium frame8 Magnesium skin9 Machined leading edge, honeycombfilling10 Variable geometry intake11 Air-conditioning pack12 Air-cond itioning heat-exchangerintake13 Liquid-oxygen convenor14 Honeycomb-stabilized ailerons15 Aileron power units16 Aileron system interconnect cart-ridge17 Aileron beam linkage18 Leading-edge flaps19 Hinges and power units for (18)20 Trailing-edge flaps21 Flap torque tube22 Flap actuator23 Honeycomb-stabilized rudder24 Duplicated rudder power units25 Stability augmentor26 Honeycomb-stabilized tailplane27 Tailplane power control unit28 Steel spars and torque tube29 Yawactuator (autostabilizationsystem)

30 Directional gyro31 Stabilization servo amplifier32 Manually operated canopy ^33 Canopy thruster and damper34 Canopy spring balance35 Stand-by compass36 Rear-view mirrors37 External canopy jettison38 Ejection seat handgrips andtriggers39 Fire suppression bottles40 Forward dorsal fuel cell41 Aftdorsal fuel cell42 Aftfuel cell43 Centre fuel cell44 Pressure refuelling socket45 Actuating jack46 Braking parachute compartment47 Break forengine removal48 Bleed tocabin airsystem49 Packaged engine controls andaccessories50 Forged engine-mount trunnions51 Rail forengine removal52 Engine cooling-air inlet53 Engine cooling-air outlet54 Generator and hydraulic pump55 Finnavigation light56 Utility andflight control reservoirs57 Sidewinder IR-homing missiles58 Bull Pup59 Pylon tank (150 US gal)60 Tip-tanks (50US gal)61 Bomb

copyright Ulffc^P International

V I C B E R . r 3 . l 5 Iliffe Transport Publications Ltd 1964

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fi./GH"' International 17 December 1964 1049

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Nor t hro p N ora i r F-S (Tw o Genera l Electr ic J85-GE- I3 : 4 ,0801b thrust each wi thaf terburner, 2 ,7201b without )Span, 25ft 3in; length, including pi tot boom, 47ft 2.3in (46ft4.4in); total wing area, 170 sq ft; internal fuel capacity, 583 USgal ; empty weight, 7,7331b (8,1471b); gross weight, basic mission,13,3371b (12,9821b); max gross wei gh t, a ltern ate missio n, 19,7561b(19,4581b).Pe r f orma nc e : (with clean wing-tips and in certain cases atrepresentative reduced weight) max Mach number at tropopause,1.4 (1.34); range cruising Mach number, 0.8S: max sea-levelMach number, 0.99 (0.98); take-off distance, 2,220ft (1,860ft);take-off speed, ISOkt (I44kt); t ime from brakes-off to 40,000ft,4.2min (4.lmin); landing speed, l30kt at 9,730lb(l29kt at 9,1801b);landing distance 2,050ft (1,810ft); intercep tion combat radius wit hinternal fuel and two Sidewinders, 200 n.m. (195 n.m.): maxpower combat ceiling (500ft/min climb), 50,000ft at 11,1001b(50,000ft at I0.600lb); ferry range, 1,620 n.m. (1,645 n.m.);lo-lo-lo attack mission radius, 350 n.m. with max fuel (355 n.m.)or 160 n.m. wi th max bom b-load and reduced fuel (165 n.m.).* F-5A: figures in brackets refer to F-5B where significantlydi fferent.

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F-5a Deliveries Fl Intl Dec 1964