Talk:Northrop F-5

Moroccan F-5A or F-5E?
Does someone whether the aircrafts in this photograph (File:US supplied fighters of the Royal Moroccan Air Force.jpg) are F-5Es or F-5As? I don't know how do distinguish them. According to this source, Moroccan F-5s had the same camouflage in the 1980s.--Le Petit Chat (talk) 22:02, 18 November 2019 (UTC)


 * Doesnt help but Morroco received F-5A and F-5Bs in 1967 but also later acquired F-5Es from 1981. MilborneOne (talk) 22:38, 18 November 2019 (UTC)
 * It's a very low quality photo, so it's difficult to judge, but "maybe" an F-5A owing to the fact that where the radome would be on an F-5E is covered in the camouflage pattern. Don't quote me on that however.Nigel Ish (talk) 09:45, 3 October 2020 (UTC)


 * A bit of a late answer, but this has to be an F-5E. The main giveaway is the "dorsal spine extension" in front of the vertical stabilizer, which was issued to some variants of the F-5E, but never to F-5A's.
 * Moreover, the centerline pylon is placed way more frontal and partly underneath the cockpit on F-5A's. On F-5E's, it is placed more in the middle of the airframe and aft of the intakes. On the photo you can tell that the aircraft obviously has an F-5E-type centerline pylon location.
 * Lastly, the radome seems to be a different, darker color than the rest of the airframe, which indicates that it is treated with a special coating to permit the operation of a radar, which F-5E's have. F-5A's do not have a radar. LP98 (talk) 23:00, 24 June 2024 (UTC)

Confusing statement
"Another highly influential figure was chief engineer Welko Gasich,[14] who convinced Schmued that the engines must be located within the fuselage for maximum performance"

Well, where else would they be, outside the fuselage? Something is wrong about this wording but I can't say what it might be. Maury Markowitz (talk) 19:40, 11 May 2021 (UTC)


 * It is kind of random, and probably taken out of context that would clarify it. But yes, some jet fighters have had their engines outside the fuselage, including the first two production models, the Me 262 and Meteor. Others were in pods or fairings attached to the fuselage, such as the P-59 or CF-100. BilCat (talk) 19:50, 11 May 2021 (UTC)


 * (e/c) To me the article wording suggests engines mounted to the outside of fuselage as the alternative. There is also wing mounted engines such as with airliners and some older military aircraft.  The F-5 family was designed mostly in the late 1950s. -Fnlayson (talk) 19:55, 11 May 2021 (UTC)
 * At least one of the early concepts had podded underwing engines - I've added a note to clarify.Nigel Ish (talk) 20:05, 11 May 2021 (UTC)

Commons files used on this page or its Wikidata item have been nominated for deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons files used on this page or its Wikidata item have been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussion at the nomination page. —Community Tech bot (talk) 09:22, 30 June 2021 (UTC)
 * Brazil F-5 EM cockpit 3.jpg
 * F-5EM 4th GEN - Brazil FAB.jpg

Wing fences
Wing fences are not mentioned at all in the article at present.

I believe they were introduced on the F-variant? I was alerted to this by the description of the Swiss F-5E/F, which had the "wings of the F-5F". Since the wing area/span does not seem to have changed(?), I am guessing that this is probably a reference to wing fences.

Grant &#124;  Talk  05:28, 4 March 2022 (UTC)


 * I think it just means that wings taken off of an F-5F were added to an F-5E, presumably as replacements. Given that the claim is unsourced it's hard to know. BilCat (talk) 05:52, 4 March 2022 (UTC)


 * A wing fence is a like a vane to control air flow over the wing. See wing fence article for more. -Fnlayson (talk) 13:41, 4 March 2022 (UTC)

F-5Ns Still Operating In United States
In the Operators section of this page, the United States is listed as a former operator, but that's false.

VMFT-401 is a squadron of F-5Ns still in use by the USMC, and is used as their only adversary squadron. 70.60.85.121 (talk) 17:25, 13 April 2023 (UTC)

Vmax vs. Vne
Why is the maximum speed greater than the never exceed speed. 2601:300:8000:1BF0:3CC1:26FF:7F62:67B9 (talk) 16:12, 25 June 2023 (UTC)


 * Two different units are used, the max speed is a Mach number and the Vne is an indicated airspeed in knots. The section indicated airspeed might help. Nimbus (Cumulus nimbus floats by)  16:29, 25 June 2023 (UTC)

New Taiwanese F-5E/F on Display
Under the Aircraft on Display section, subsection United States, of this article, it might not be a bad idea to add a former Taiwanese F-5E/F that I saw recently being stored in a large hangar at Corvallis Municipal Airport in Corvallis, Oregon. Granted, this might need to be added in the future regarding that I was told by staff there that this aircraft was in the hangar, along with some old Migs, because they were building a small museum there. The museum is not yet complete since there are still multiple GA aircraft they need to clean out of the hangar and more classic planes they intend to buy, thus the F-5 in question is not yet on public display but will be in the near future. I suggest editing this article when Corvallis Municipal Airport opens their museum. I have 3 photos of this aircraft, one of the nose, one of the canopy warning label on the side, and one of the cockpit from the pilot's perspective. None of these photos show the registration or serial number unfortunately. Theastronurse (talk) 01:00, 7 August 2023 (UTC)