Northrop F-5E Tiger II
- Group
- Class
- Place of operation
Manufacturer: Northrop Corporation, Hawthorne, California, USA
Final construction: Federal aircraft construction plant Emmen (today's RUAG Aviation)
Year of Manufacture: 1976 and 1983/84
Purpose: Raumschutz
Crew: 1 pilot
Commenced service: 1978
Number of aircraft procured: 98
Number of aircraft still in operation: 20 (as per May 2021; without F-5F, two-seat fighter)
Registration: J-3001 to J-3098
At the end of the seventies, the retirement of the Venom and the increased use of the Hunter aircraft for air-to-ground attack caused a gap in the field of area air-defence which was to be closed with the Northrop F-5E Tiger II.
In 1976, after thorough evaluation, the parliament decided on the procurement of 72 Tiger fighter aircraft, 66 of the type F-5E (single seater) and 6 of the type F-5F (double seater). The parts and assemblies were manufactured in the USA, but the Swiss Federal Aircraft Factory, Emmen, carried out the final assembly.
| Technical data | |
|---|---|
| Max. speed: | Mach 1.64 or 1,700 km/h |
| Take-off speed: | 145 kts / 270 km/h |
| Landing speed: | 155 ktd / 290 km/h |
| Take-off roll: | 610 m |
| Initial climb speed: | 174 m/s |
| Service ceiling: | 15,590 m over sealevel |
| Max. load factor: | +7,3 / -3,9 g |
| Flight endurance: | 2 hours |
| Range: | 1,056 km |
| Ferry flight range: | 3.100 km (with an additional 1,000 litre tank) |
| Structure: | Structure: Low wing cantilever aircraft, swept back tapered wing, all metal construction |
| Length: | 14.68 m |
| Height: | 4.06 m |
| Width span: | 8.13 m |
| Empty mass: | 4,350 kg |
| Take-off mass: | 7,080 kg |
| Max. take-off mass: | 11,180 kg |
| Engine: | 2 General Electric Model J85-GE-21A |
| Type: | Axial-straight turbine |
| Idle rpm bench: | 8,300 rev/min |
| Full tonnage: | 16,600 rev/min |
| Maximum thrust without afterburner: | 3,114 daN (each 1,557 daN) |
| Maximum thrust with afterburner: | 4,448 daN (each 2,224 daN) |
| Equipment: | Ejection seat, pressurized cabin, retractable gear, brake shut, speed brakes, instrument and night-flight equipped |
| Armaments: | 2 guided air - air missiles SIWA AIM-9P, 2 20 mm bordcannons M 39 (560 rounds) |
| External carriage: | 3,170 kg, additional tanks |