Specialty Press

Northrop F-5/F-20/T-38 Warbird Tech Series, Volume 44

by  Frederick A. Johnsen

Reviewed By  Mike Howard, IPMS# 30741

MSRP: $16.95 I don't think it's possible to be a modern jet aircraft fan and not be familiar, at least to some degree, with the Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter. Warbird Tech's latest publication gives a great summary of this diminutive aircraft from its' early design concepts to its latest incarnations, still in use in many parts of the world. Though initially designed for use by the USAF, the aircrafts merits placed into the service of many, many different countries throughout the world. The book is broken down into 11 different chapters (including the preface, color sections, appendices and endnotes sections) covering various points of interest/importance related to the history of the F-5. The logical starting point is the concept and design. Northrop's concept of a "life cost", the value of an aircraft design throughout its full service life, rather than just the initial purchase cost, was innovative and set a precedent for future aircraft systems. The early design and mock-ups are well covered in both text and pictures, then moving into the actual production series of the A and B models. The next chapter jumps to cover the international users of the F-5 series, both early and late models. This is where the F-5 series made its' true mark with 31 different countries noted to have been F-5 clients at one time or another. Originally purchased for the MAP (Military Assistance Program) by the USAF, the ease of use and high capabilities of the aircraft drew attention from many other countries than were originally conceived. For each of the 31 countries (going in alphabetical order) a brief summary of service is listed. Chapter 3 covers the early use of the F-5 in combat during the Viet Nam war by the USAF, under the Skoshi Tiger program. The aircraft evaluation procedures and results are covered via pilot input and report excerpts. A good photo history is also included in these pages. Chapter 4 jumps to the T-38, the first Mach 1+ capable trainer used by the USAF. In this guise, the 2-seat trainer, based on the early F-5 designs, saw use as a supersonic trainer, an aggressor aircraft, and Thunderbird mount among others. It served for 4 decades and is still in use today in many arenas. Chapter 5 covers the improved designs, the F-5E and F-5F versions. Northrop took their already successful airplane and brought it to even higher standards of performance. Much of the impetus for these improvements was based on feedback from users of the A and B series aircraft. This version also saw a renewed interest from both the USAF and USN to apply the F-5 as a dissimilar air-to-air combat trainer: the Aggressor and Top Gun units, as they're mostly widely known. For modelers, the use of the aircraft in these roles brought about some of the most interesting color schemes to be seen anywhere. Great detail shots of interiors, exteriors, and engines, etc., abound throughout this chapter. It closes out with a review of the RF (reconnaissance) versions of the Tiger II. Between chapter 5 & 6 is a nice grouping of color photos from a vast array of users. This section is what modelers crave, and these 6 pages just leave you longing for more! Chapter 6 closes out with coverage of the final and what was to be the best of the F-5 series, the F-20 Tigershark. Though heavily endorsed by Gen. Chuck Yeager, the program was never accepted by the USAF during their ADF competition (won by the F-16). There were only 3 aircraft completed and 2 of these were lost in accidents during demonstration flights for potential customers. The appendices section includes aircraft stats, significant date timelines and a brief overview of some experimental types based on the F-5 platform (X-29 for example). Scattered among all of the chapters are line drawings, lots of very nice B&W photos and many different performance statistics all pulled together with thorough text explanations. For anyone interested in this very significant aircraft, this book comes highly recommended. As always, more color photos would be preferred, but then the current price (very reasonable) would climb in proportion. A big "Thanks" to IPMS/USA and Specialty Press for the opportunity to review this volume.

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