Northrop F-5E Tiger II - McMinnville, Oregon
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 45° 12.223 W 123° 08.665
10T E 488658 N 5005591
Fighter aircraft on display on the grounds of the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.
Waymark Code: WM62AT
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 03/21/2009
Views: 10
Northrop F-5E Tiger II - 1970
General History:
The F-5 started life as a variant of the T-38A Talon supersonic jet trainer which was built in quantity for the U.S. Air Force. Utilizing profits from that program, Northrop took the daring step of creating a lightweight fighter based on the Talon as a private venture. Quickly seeing the value of it, the Defense Department acquired hundreds of these aircraft, dubbed the F-5A Freedom Fighter, to supply to anti-communist allies.
In 1972, Northrop introduced a higher performance model designed the F-5E. With a larger wing, longer fuselage, more powerful engines and an advanced radar, the Tiger II was similar in size and capability of the Soviet MiG-21. This made it a perfect aircraft for the U.S. Air Force's Aggressor Squadrons, which "fought" other Air Force squadron in realistic combat exercises.
This Aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of Naval Aviation and is painted as a U.S. Air Force agressor.
| Specifications: |
|
| Type: |
Fighter |
First Flight:
|
August 11, 1972
|
Wing Span:
|
26.8 feet
|
| Length: |
48.2 feet
|
Height:
|
13.4 feet
|
Weight, Empty:
|
9,558 pounds
|
Weight, Loaded:
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24,664 pounds
|
| Power: |
2x General Electric J85-GE-21B turbojet
|
Normal Crew:
|
1 |
|
Typical Armament:
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2 x 20mm M39 A2 cannon
Up to 7,000 lbs of missiles
Up to 2,000 lbs of bombs |
| Performance: |
|
Cruise Speed:
|
645 miles per hour
|
Top Speed:
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1,060 miles per hour
|
Rate of Climb:
|
32,700 feet per minute
|
Range:
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870 (combat) - 2,310 (ferry) miles
|
Service Ceiling:
|
51,800 feet
|