Following the acceptance of the N-156F as the fighter for the Military Assistance Program, trials with the first two N-156F prototypes had indicated the need for a stronger wing structure that could accommodate an additional stores station underneath each wing and a stronger undercarriage to accommodate the added load. It was expected that up to 6200 pounds of ordnance could be carried on four underwing pylons and one under- fuselage pylon.
These changes were built into the third N-156F (59-4989), which was given the designation YF-5A and became in effect the first production F-5A. At the same time, uprated J85-GE-13 turbojets were fitted, each offering 3050 lb.s.t. dry and 4080 lb.s.t. with afterburning. 59-4989 took off on its maiden flight on July 31, 1963 with Hank Chouteau at the controls. The first and second prototypes were subsequently brought up to F-5A production standards.
An initial production contract for 71 F-5s was awarded on October 22, 1962, and a further contract for 99 was awarded on August 27, 1963. About 1 out of 9 of these machines were to have been two-seat F-5Bs. Each plane was to have cost about $600,000, with the bill being paid partially or wholly by the US government under the provisions of MAP. A production rate of twelve F-5s per month was to be attained by the end of 1964, with first deliveries taking place early in 1965.
The first two genuine production F-5As (63-8367 and -8368) joined the test program at the end of 1963. Initial deliveries, beginning in April of 1964, were to the 4441st Combat Crew Training Squadron based at Williams AFB in Arizona, where the USAF trained the pilots and maintenance personnel of nations receiving F-5s. This base acted as the instructional center for foreign personnel who were to act as instructors on the F-5 in their own countries.
The original configuration of the F-5A provided for only minimal fighter capability. In mid-1964, the Secretary of Defense directed a revision of the Specific Operational Requirement 199, requiring the addition of two internal 20-mm cannon in the nose and provision for nose fuel tanks and cameras. The two Colt-Browning M-39 cannon were fitted in the top decking of the nose, immediately ahead of the cockpit. This imposed a delay of four months while the cannon fit was designed and incorporated. The delay resulted in Category II and Category III testing taking place almost simultaneously between February and October of 1964.
The F-5A is optimized for the air-to-ground role and has only a very limited air-to-air capability. In the interest of achieving low cost, the F-5A was not equipped with a fire-control radar, the weapons being aimed by a simple optical sight acting in conjunction with a small Emerson radar ranging set installed in the extreme nose. The initial avionics fit was rather austere, the standard electronic equipment including an AN/ARC-34C UHF radio, PP-2024 SWIA Missile AVX, AN/AIC-18 interphone, J-4 compass, AN/APX-46 IFF and AN/ARN-65 Tacan receiver.
The first overseas order for F-5As was from Norway, which ordered 64 aircraft plus four attrition replacements on February 28, 1964. They differed in having a heated windshield, an airfield arrester hook, and provision for JATO.
The F-5A has very docile handling attributes. It is almost unspinnable, and exhibits little, if any, wing drop at the stall. By grouping the two J85 engines so closely together, Northrop has greatly reduced engine-out asymmetric effects.
Production of the F-5A by Northrop ended in June of 1972, after 636 examples had been manufactured.
Serial numbers of Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter:
59-4987/4989 Northrop YF-5A-NO Freedom Fighter
4988 at Seattle Museum of Flight
4989 on display at WPAFB Museum
59-4993 Northrop XF-5A static airframe c/n N6000
63-8367/8437 Northrop F-5A-15-NO Freedom Fighter
8367/8370 remanufactured to F-5B
(65-13071/13074)
8371 to Thailand
8373/8374 to South Korea
8375/8379 to Thailand
8381 to Greece
8382/8392 to Iran
8383,8385 later transferred to Vietnam
8405,8409,8420,8422,8423 to Greece
8393/8404,8406/8408,8431/8437 to Korea
8428 used in Skoshi Tiger, later to Korea
8429 used in Skohsi Tiger
8421 to Turkey
64-13306/13376 Northrop F-5A-20-NO Freedom Fighter
13306/13309 to Korea
13310 to to Philippines
13311,13312 to Korea
13313 to Philippines
13314,13315 to Vietnam
13317,13318 used in Skoshi Tiger, later to
Vietnam. 13317 later to Taiwan
13320/13324 to Philippines
13325/13331 to Taiwan as 1201/1207
13332 used in Skoshi Tiger. Later to Vietnam
13333/13351 to Turkey
13352/13353 to Greece
13354/13360 to Iran
13361/13367 to Greece
13368/13376 to Norway
64-13389/13408 Northrop F-5A/B Freedom Fighter - cancelled contract
65-10476/10581 Northrop F-5A-25-NO Freedom Fighter
10476/10480 to Greece
10481/10484 to Iran
10482 later to Vietnam
10485/10487 to Greece
10488/10498 to South Korea
10499/10507 to Philippines
10508/10512 to Ethiopia
10513/10515 to South Vietnam
10516/10517 to Taiwan
10518/10520 to South Vietnam
10521/10523 to Taiwan
10524/10526 to South Vietnam
10527/10532 to Taiwan
10533/10544 to Iran
10536 later to Vietnam
10545 to South Korea
10546/10547 to South Vietnam
10548/10554 to South Korea
10555/10560 to South Vietnam
10561 to Turkey
10562/10581 to Norway
66-8405/8515 Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter - cancelled contract
66-9119/9229 Northrop F-5A-30-NO Freedom Fighter
9119,9120 to Morocco
9121/9128 to Turkey
9129 to Thailand
9130,9131 to South Vietnam
9132,9133 to Greece
9134 to Turkey
9135/9138 to Greece
9139/9141 to South Vietnam
9142 to Greece
9143/9147 to South Korea
9148/9150 to Philippines
9151/9154 to Turkey
9155 to Iran
9156/9158 to Turkey
9159/9161 to Thailand
9162/9163 to Morocco
9164/9168 to Greece
9169 to Thailand
9170/9176 to Iran
9177/9188 to Taiwan
9189/9192 to Iran
9183/9195 to Taiwan
9196/9198 to Ethiopia
9199/9206 to Taiwan
9207/9229 to Norway
66-14457/14466 Northrop F-5A-30-NO Freedom Fighter
14457/14463 to Taiwan
14464/14466 to Turkey
67-14775 Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter - cancelled contract
67-14894/14905 Northrop F-5A-35-NO Freedom Fighter
to Norway
67-21153/21218 Northrop F-5A-35-NO Freedom Fighter
21153,21154 to Taiwan
21155,21156 to Norway
21157/21162 to Taiwan
21163 to Turkey
21164,21165 to Norway
21166/21174 to Taiwan
21175 to South Vietnam
21176/21180 to South Korea
21181,21182 to Turkey
21183/21191 to South Korea
21192/21195 to Turkey
21196 to Ethiopia
21197/21199 to Libya
21200 to Ethiopia
21201/21211 to Turkey
21212/21218 to Iran
67-21236/21258 Northrop F-5A-35-NO Freedom Fighter
21236,21237 to Thailand
21238/21242 to Turkey
21243/21247 to Morocco
21248/21256 to Turkey
21257,21258 to Thailand
67-21259/21271 cancelled contract for Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter
67-22548/22555 Northrop F-5A-35-NO Freedom Fighter
22548/22550 to Iran
22551/22555 to Libya
68-9043/9085 Northrop F-5A-40-NO Freedom Fighter
9043/9046 to Korea
9047 to Iran
9048,9049 to South Korea
9050,9051 to Taiwan
9052,9053 to Iran
9054/9056 to Greece
9057 to Iran
9058 to Greece
9059/9085 to Iran
69-6462/6483 Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter - contract cancelled
69-7091/7134 Northrop F-5A-45-NO Freedom Fighter
7091,7095,7105 to Iran
7092/7094,7099,7100,7106/7109 to Morocco
7096/7098,7101/7104,7110/7124 to Taiwan
7125/7134 to Norway
69-7174/7177 Northrop F-5A-45-NO Freedom Fighter
Sold to Iran
70-1373/1407 Northrop F-5A-50-NO Freedom Fighter
1373/1382 to Iran
1383/1388 to South Korea
1389 to Morocco
1390/1392 to Thailand
1393/1395 to Korea
1396,1397 to Taiwan
1398/1400 to Greece
1401/1404 to South Korea
1405/1407 to Turkey
71-0260/0276 Northrop F-5A-55-NO Freedom Fighter
0260/0262 to Ethiopia
0263/0265 to Thailand
0266/0275 to South Vietnam
0276 to Morocco
71-1276/1317 Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter
Ben Marselis thinks that these do not exist.
71-1377/1390 Northrop F-5A-55-NO Freedom Fighter
Specification of Northrop F-5A:
Engines: Two General Electric J85-GE-13 turbojets, rated at 2720 lb.s.t., 4080 lb.s.t. with afterburning. Performance: Maximum speed: 925 mph (Mach 1.4) at 36,000 feet. Maximum cruising speed without afterburning: 640 mph (Mach 0.97) at 36,000 feet. Stalling speed 147 mph with flaps extended. Initial climb rate 30,400 feet per minute. Service ceiling: 50,500 feet. Takeoff run: 2650 feet with two Sidewinder missiles. Landing run from 50 feet with braking parachute was 3900 feet. Range with maximum fuel was 1387 miles. Combat radius with maximum payload 195 miles. Combat radius with maximum fuel and two 530-pound bombs 558 miles. Fuel: Two internal fuel tanks composed of integral cells with total usable capacity of 583 US gallons. One 150 US gallon drop tank could be carried on the fuselage centerline pylon, two 150 US gallon droptanks could be carried underneath the underwing pylons, and a 50-gallon tank could be carried at each wingtip, bringing total fuel capacity to 1133 US gallons. Dimensions: wingspan 25 feet 3 inches, length 47 feet 2 inches, height 13 feet 2 inches, wing area 170 square feet. Weights: 8085 pounds empty, 11,477 pounds combat, 13,433 pounds gross, 20,677 pounds maximum takeoff. Armament: Armed with two 20-mm cannon in the fuselage nose. Two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles could be carried at the wingtips. Five pylons, one under the fuselage centerline and four under the wings that can carry up to 6200 pounds of ordinance or fuel tanks. A 2000-pound bomb or a gun pack can be carried from the centerline pylon. Underwing loads can include four air-to-air missiles, Bullpup air-to-surface missiles, bombs, up to 20 unguided rockets, gun packs, or external fuel tanks.
Sources:
-
The American Fighter, Enzo Angelucci and Peter Bowers, Orion, 1987.
-
Jane’s American Fighting Aircraft of the 20th Century, Michael J.H.
Taylor, Mallard Press
-
The World’s Fighting Planes, William Green, Doubleday, 1964.
-
Modern Air Combat, Bill Gunston and Mike Spick, Crescent, 1983.
-
United States Military Aircraft Since 1909, Gordon Swanborough and
Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.
-
Post-World War II Fighters: 1945-1973, Marcelle Size Knaac,
Office of Air Force History, 1986.
-
The World Guide to Combat Planes, William Green, Macdonald, 1966.
-
Fighters of the United States Air Force, Robert F. Dorr and
David Donald, Temple Press/Aerospace, 1990
-
The World’s Great Attack Aircraft, Gallery, 1988.
-
Northrop F-5/F-20, Jerry Scutts, Ian Allan Ltd, 1986.
-
Northrop F-5, Jon Lake and Robert Hewson, World Airpower Journal,
Vol 25, 1996.
- e-mail from Ben Marselis
