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I downloaded this mod for the F-5 and all of the skins for the aircraft are black, which means the textures aren't loading but I can't find out why it isn't loading. There is no exact installation instructions other than extract it into the mod folder which I did and there doesn't look like there are any issues with the file placement compared to the other aircraft files. Can anyone help me out? P.S. the drop tanks have the textures working and the cockpit, loading screen, menu, etc all work. Everything but the skin.

View File F-5GN(Soviets) F-5GN(Soviets) (What if) ***************************************************** This mod is made for SF2. ---------------------------------------------------------- I. History (fiction) In 1969 there were decisive elections in West Germany. In reality, the Social Democrats won. A new foreign policy followed and a period of reduction of tensions between East and West. WHAT IF, the other side had won? What if the conservatives had won and Franz Joseph Strauß (an old bavarian Commie eater) would have become Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany? And so it starts. In 1969 Strauß was elected as Chancellor. A period of rising tensions between East and West started. To protect the sea lanes between Europe and America the west german parliament Bundestag decided to build up a west german carrier force consiting of 3 carriers. The american gouvernment was pleased and offered to sell 3 carriers of the Essex class (subclass Ticonderoga). The first ship which was handed over was CV-34 Oriskany in 1969. Renamed in R-22 Theodor Heuss it was core of the first west german carrier group. 1973 CV-38 Shangri-La became R-23 Heinrich Lübke (later renamed in Walter Scheel) and two years later CV-45 Valley Forge became R-24 Gustav Heinemann. The americans offered A-4 Skyhawk and F-8 Crusader as planes for the carrier group. The Bundesmarine accepted the A-4, but rejected the Crusader, because the Bundesmarine wanted a more multi role capable plane, not only a pure fighter. At this moment Northrop entered the competition and offered a navalised version of the brand new F-5E Tiger. Under the designation F-5GN (German Navy) it should be produced in America and Germany. The west german government accepted the offer and the serial production of the F-5GN started. During flight tests on the way the US Marines decided, that it would be a good idea to replace their old F-8 Crusaders with F-5GN planes. So the F-5GN became a Marine plane. Later, when the Marines retired their attack carriers the surviving F-5GN were transfered to Top Gun school. 1973 the government of South Vietnam demanded more F-5E Tigers to fight the communist forces. Because there was a shortage of F-5E the american leaders decided to send the first batch, which was intended for the Marines, to the Republic of Vietnam. So 40 F-5GN were handed over. On May 1st 1975 Saigon was taken by the communist forces. the war was over. 36 surviving F-5GN were captured by the north vietnamese. To pay war depts Vietnam handed all 36 F-5GN and 12 F-5E to the soviets. In the USSR the planes were tested very hard. Finaly the decision was made to use the F-5GN in the Soviet Navy. The canceled carrier project Oriol was revitalized and in 1976 the first soviet carrier squadron was formed. The soviets modified only the RWR and the air to air missiles. Air to ground weapons were taken from captured stores in Vietnam. The US Navy realized very soon that the soviets had a new plane. Analysts believed, that the soviets copied the F-5GN and gave her the designation MiG-28. The F-5GN alias MiG-28 had only a short service time in the Soviet Navy. 1982 the F-5GN was withdrawn from service. The reason was missing spare parts. Afterwards the planes were sold to Iran. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- II. CREDITS: The F-5GN(Marines) based on Centurions 2014 released F-5E package. A lot of files i have taken from this package. Thanks for this files! The skin: ~~~~~~~~~~~ The camo skins are mods of skins available in Centurions Package The blue skin is a modification of a grey skin available in Centurions package. The flight model : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The FM i made by using parts of the stock F-16A FM made by TK. ---------------------------------------------------------- III. INSTALLATION: -Unzip the folders into your SF2 mod folder ---------------------------------------------------------- IV. For remarks, comments, bugs, etc please use the forum or send me a PM. ------------------------------------------------------------- V. The F-5GN(Soviet) and all other files are FREEWARE. COMMERCIAL USE IS NOT ALLOWED! ------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ Hope you enjoy it. Michael (Gepard) Made in Germany December 2020 Submitter Gepard Submitted 12/26/2020 Category F-5  

View File Hellenic Air Force F-5A Volume I July 2020 =============== Hellenic Air Force F-5A Freedom Fighter Volume I VERSION 1.0 ------------------------------------------------------------ F-5A variants included in the Package: HAF F-5A standard version (1965 - 1974) HAF F-5A with Martin Baker IRQ-7a ejection seat (1975 - 1999) HAF Rf-5A reconnaissance variant with 4 K-92a cameras We are proud to present the F-5A HAF Volume I, the first of many to come, focusing on one of the most enduring American military aircraft designs ever produced during the Cold War period. This first Volume depicts the following Hellenic Air Force variants; the HAF F-5A standard, the HAF F-5A with the Martin Baker IRQ-7a ejection seat, and the HAF RF-5A reconnaissance variant. It has been our goal to provide to the simmer a highly detailed model and texture base which preserve the beautiful lines of this aircraft; and to engineer flight files and a cockpit/gauge file-set that are authentic and add to the immersion of the flying experience within the Strike Fighters 2 series. INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS: -------------------------- 1. Copy the contents of the "To Mods Folder(S)" to your SF2 Mod directory. Allow directory merging and overwrites, provided the overwrites pertain to "fake pilot" entries, as well as weapons made by ravenclaw_007, which are included in this and many other releases. 2. Add the entries of "ADD_TO_SOUNDLIST.txt" to your SOUNDLIST.INI (located in the "user\Saved Games\ThirdWire\StrikeFighters2\Flight" folder).If one does not exist, then you will need to extract it using the 3rdWire CAT extract utility. You are simply required to substitute the "XXX"s with the next sequential number in the sound file section of the file. NOTE 1: ------------ Both Regular and Higher resolution cockpit textures are included in their own distinct folders in the package. The user may alternate between the two by "commenting out" the relevant line in the F-5A_STANDARD_COCKPIT.ini [CockpitData] //Directory=cockpit Directory=cockpit_Lo-Fi <---This is the default In order to "activate" the higher resolution textures you would decomment the previous line and comment out the next line, thus: [CockpitData] Directory=cockpit <---This is now Hi-Res //Directory=cockpit_Lo-Fi NOTE 2: ------------ Another frame-rate friendly option for those with older hardware is to use the Next level of Detail Model as the primary external model. This simply involves changing the first line in the F-5A_HAF.ini from this.. [LOD001] Filename=F-5A_STANDARD.LOD to this.. [LOD001] Filename=F-5A_STANDARD_002.LOD Much effort was made to provide those with lower end systems an alternative lower poly-model to be able to enjoy the F-5a, so please take advantage of this _002.LOD model should you experience frame-rate issues. While not as "rounded" as the Higher poly version, it is nonetheless just as detailed and extensive. NOTE 3: ------------ For those who may find loading times excessive, the .jpg files in the texture folders can be reduced to 50% of their size without sacrificing too much surface detail. Keys: ------- SHIFT+0 -> canopy open CREDITS: sophocles - 3D Model, Cockpit, textures ravenclaw_007 - 3D Modeling, Animations, Weapons,textures baffmeister - Flight model, testing crusader - Avionics and data tweaks, Beta testing Guuruu - Sounds and Afterburner effects, Beta testing Guest contributors: Alfa2 - Loadouts and a wealth of info on the HAF variants. gkabs - pilot figure Special Thanks to the staff and members of Combatace.com whose passion and efforts have enabled this game to endure, and to provide so much fun and excitement! Additionally, many thanks to the following Combat-Ace Modders, who either actively contributed to the project over the years, or who invested their time either providing much needed hints and help, or researching various aspects of the model. Brain-32 - Modeling advice, initial cockpit.cfg + more NeverEnough - Initial work on the Flight model Russouk2004 - Always answering questions when I needed help..Cheers!! Dag - RoNAF textures and research (to be included in a dedicated future RoNAF F-5a module) Derk - Many, many references!!! Blade - Excellent mini-tutorial on damage textures Finally, thanks to TK and Thirdwire for creating such a fantastic game. **************************************************************** FEATURES: * Three model set including the HAF F-5A standard version (1965 - 1974), the HAF F-5A with Martin Baker IRQ-7a ejection seat (1975 - 1999), and the HAF RF-5A reconnaissance variant with 4 K-92a cameras; each with their own custom loadouts. * Three, highly detailed external 3d models, including the RF-5A, whose nose was graciously modeled by ravenclaw_007. * Specular color and Normal (bump) maps on all models * Seven Level of Detail models (LODs) for each model, providing an almost seamless transition from distance to distance; and perhaps more importantly, ensuring that the frame-rate "impact" of the aircraft is as low as possible. * Two sets of highly detailed external Fuel Tanks by ravenclaw_007; both the Factory variety and the Sargent Fletcher variants. * Fine-tuned flight parameters in three distinct aircraft data configuration files for all 3-D models, emphasizing the F-5A's agile and highly maneuverable characteristics - courtesy of Baffmeister. * 8 high resolution texture sets; thoroughly researched historic depictions of the Aircraft fielded by many HAF Wings and Squadrons. * Quality sound-set included. Base sounds, by Guuruu, were sourced from existing recordings of various aircraft at air-shows and were modified to match the prominent characteristics of the F-5A General Electric turbojets, the "buzz" of the M39 Pontiac 20mm machinegun, and the flap/Air-brake, undercarriage deployment and retraction sequences of the Freedom Fighter. * Super detailed 'Virtual Cockpit' with animated throttle control, rudder pedals, control stick, landing gear lever, canopy, canopy lever, drag-chute lever, weapons selectors and weapon station arming flick switches. *Accurate and functional representation of the Norair F-5A gun sight, with animated Mils selector and accompanying animated combining glass. (Mechanics by Crusader) * A full complement of highly (or should I say "insanely" detailed HAF weapons carried by the HAF F-5A, all by ravenclaw_007. * Complex animation of canopy opening mechanism, and animated Turbine blades; both thanks to ravenclaw_007 * GKAB's superb highly detailed crew figure with authentically modeled oxygen mask and flight helmet. * All new afterburner, emitter, and engine smoke effects by Guuruu. ****************************************************** PILOT NOTES ----------- F-5A Limit and Reference Speeds. [Indicated Airspeeds] FLAPS: 300kts for both leading and trailing edge. NOTE: The F-5A uses full flaps for take off but due to a game bug you must manually select full flaps for take off when player flown. The AI will use full flaps although you can hear the flap sound cycling between flap 1 and flap 2. LANDING GEAR: 240kts DRAG CHUTE: 165kts CANOPY: 50kts NOSE WHEEL STEERING: 65kts MAXIMUM INDICATED AIRSPEED: 710kts [redline] MAXIMUM MACH: 1.72 Mach design limit but thrust/drag limited to about mach 1.50 in a 60deg dive from 50,000ft. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TAKE OFF ROTATION SPEEDS 13500lbs: 155kts [full internal fuel and two sidewinders] 20500lbs: 195kts [about the maximum weight possible with included stores] NOTE: Use full flaps for take off! Adding 6kts for every 1000lbs above 13500lbs should give good aft stick/rotation speeds. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIMB SPEEDS Military Power 13500lbs: 375kts with a transition to mach 0.89 20500lbs: 310kts with a transition to mach 0.74 Maximum Power 13500lbs: 595kts with a transition to mach 0.93 20500lbs: 480kts with a transition to mach 0.85 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FINAL APPROACH SPEEDS With 500lbs fuel remaining and some empty racks use 160kts. Add 5kts for every additional 500lbs of fuel. NOTE: Target touch down speed is 20kts less than final approach speed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ************************************************************* THIS AIRCRAFT MOD OR ANY PART OF IT ARE TO BE EXCLUSIVELY HOSTED BY COMBATACE.COM AND MUST NOT BE HOSTED OR POSTED FOR DOWNLOAD ON ANY OTHER WEB SITE. THIS PACKAGE AND ANY PARTS HEREIN MAY NOT BE UPLOADED AS PART OF ANOTHER MOD NOR MUST THEY BE SOLD OR OFFERED FOR SALE EITHER IN PART OR AS A WHOLE WITHOUT MY EXPRESS PERMISSION. ************************************************************* Sophocles July 2020 Submitter sophocles Submitted 07/16/2020 Category F-5  

View File F-5GN (Marines) F-5GN(Marines) Sea Tiger (What if) ***************************************************** This mod is made for SF2. ---------------------------------------------------------- I. History (fiction) In 1969 there were decisive elections in West Germany. In reality, the Social Democrats won. A new foreign policy followed and a period of reduction of tensions between East and West. WHAT IF, the other side had won? What if the conservatives had won and Franz Joseph Strauß (an old bavarian Commie eater) would have become Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany? And so it starts. In 1969 Strauß was elected as Chancellor. A period of rising tensions between East and West started. To protect the sea lanes between Europe and America the west german parliament Bundestag decided to build up a west german carrier force consiting of 3 carriers. The american gouvernment was pleased and offered to sell 3 carriers of the Essex class (subclass Ticonderoga). The first ship which was handed over was CV-34 Oriskany in 1969. Renamed in R-22 Theodor Heuss it was core of the first west german carrier group. 1973 CV-38 Shangri-La became R-23 Heinrich Lübke (later renamed in Walter Scheel) and two years later CV-45 Valley Forge became R-24 Gustav Heinemann. The americans offered A-4 Skyhawk and F-8 Crusader as planes for the carrier group. The Bundesmarine accepted the A-4, but rejected the Crusader, because the Bundesmarine wanted a more multi role capable plane, not only a pure fighter. At this moment Northrop entered the competition and offered a navalised version of the brand new F-5E Tiger. Under the designation F-5GN (German Navy) it should be produced in America and Germany. The west german government accepted the offer and the serial production of the F-5GN started. During flight tests on the way the US Marines decided, that it would be a good idea to replace their old F-8 Crusaders with F-5GN planes. So the F-5GN became a Marine plane. Later, when the Marines retired their attack carriers the surviving F-5GN were transfered to Top Gun school. In west german service the F-5GN stayed till 1995. Then it was replaced by F-31 Mustang II. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- II. CREDITS: The F-5GN(Marines) based on Centurions 2014 released F-5E package. A lot of files i have taken from this package. Thanks for this files! The skin: ~~~~~~~~~~~ The Marines skin is a mod of the Southvietnames skin available in Centurions Package The flight model : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The FM i made by using parts of the stock F-16A FM made by TK. ---------------------------------------------------------- III. INSTALLATION: -Unzip the folders into your SF2 mod folder ---------------------------------------------------------- IV. For remarks, comments, bugs, etc please use the forum or send me a PM. ------------------------------------------------------------- V. The F-5GN(Marines) and all other files are FREEWARE. COMMERCIAL USE IS NOT ALLOWED! ------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ Hope you enjoy it. Michael (Gepard) Made in Germany May 2020 Submitter Gepard Submitted 05/18/2020 Category F-5  

View File F-5GN F-5GN Sea Tiger (What if) ***************************************************** This mod is made for SF2. ---------------------------------------------------------- I. History (fiction) In 1969 there were decisive elections in West Germany. In reality, the Social Democrats won. A new foreign policy followed and a period of reduction of tensions between East and West. WHAT IF, the other side had won? What if the conservatives had won and Franz Joseph Strauß (an old bavarian Commie eater) would have become Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany? And so it starts. In 1969 Strauß was elected as Chancellor. A period of rising tensions between East and West started. To protect the sea lanes between Europe and America the west german parliament Bundestag decided to build up a west german carrier force consiting of 3 carriers. The american gouvernment was pleased and offered to sell 3 carriers of the Essex class (subclass Ticonderoga). The first ship which was handed over was CV-34 Oriskany in 1969. Renamed in R-22 Theodor Heuss it was core of the first west german carrier group. 1973 CV-38 Shangri-La became R-23 Heinrich Lübke (later renamed in Walter Scheel) and two years later CV-45 Valley Forge became R-24 Gustav Heinemann. The americans offered A-4 Skyhawk and F-8 Crusader as planes for the carrier group. The Bundesmarine accepted the A-4, but rejected the Crusader, because the Bundesmarine wanted a more multi role capable plane, not only a pure fighter. At this moment Northrop entered the competition and offered a navalised version of the brand new F-5E Tiger. Under the designation F-5GN (German Navy) it should be produced in America and Germany. The west german government accepted the offer and the serial production of the F-5GN started. During flight tests on the way the US Marines decided, that it would be a good idea to replace their old F-8 Crusaders with F-5GN planes. So the F-5GN became a Marine plane. Later, when the Marines retired their attack carriers the surviving F-5GN were transfered to Top Gun school. In west german service the F-5GN stayed till 1995. Then it was replaced by F-31 Mustang II. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- II. CREDITS: The F-5GN based on Centurions 2014 released F-5E package. A lot of files i have taken from this package. Thanks for this files! The skin: ~~~~~~~~~~~ The blue skin is a modification of a grey skin available in Centurions package The Marines skin is a mod of the Southvietnames skin available in Centurions Package The flight model : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are 2 flightmodels. One is a modified FM from package. I made the plane able to land on a carrier. The other FM i made by using parts of the stock F-16A FM made by TK. You find both FM in the folder "Goodies". You may change them as you want. ---------------------------------------------------------- III. INSTALLATION: -Unzip the folders into your SF2 mod folder ---------------------------------------------------------- IV. For remarks, comments, bugs, etc please use the forum or send me a PM. ------------------------------------------------------------- V. The F-5GN and all other files are FREEWARE. COMMERCIAL USE IS NOT ALLOWED! ------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ Hope you enjoy it. Michael (Gepard) Made in Germany April 2020 Submitter Gepard Submitted 04/11/2020 Category F-5  

View File Republic of China Air Force F-5F Tiger II Skins & Decals Formosa Republic of China Air Force F-5F Tiger II (2018.08.01) All Squadron Skins & Decals 3072 * 3072 HD Realistic detail Skins ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1st Tactical Fighter Group 4th Tactical Fighter Group 5th Tactical Fighter Group 7th Tactical Fighter Group 8th Tactical Fighter Group 4th Tactical Recon Squadron 12th Tactical Recon Squadron 46th TFS Aggressor ----------------------------------------------------------------- good flight ! Taylor Gavin 2018.08.01 Submitter Gavin1976 Submitted 08/01/2018 Category F-5  

View File Northrop's F-5F Ejection Seat Northrop's F-5F Ejection Seat v1.00 (2018.07.28) Northrop's F-5F ejection seat with front and rear seats for finer details ----------------------------------------------------------------- [StudentPilot] SystemType=PILOT_COCKPIT Position=0.0,3.10,0.620 PilotModelName=16th_TFS_Pilot_Orange_02 SeatModelName=NorthropSeat_F-5F_Front SeatPosition=0.0,3.11,0.620 MinExtentPosition=-0.32,3.78,0.75 MaxExtentPosition= 0.32,2.65,-0.50 CanopyNodeName=RearCanopyFrame CanopyAnimationID=8 SeatID=1 [Pilot] SystemType=PILOT_COCKPIT Position=0.0,1.70,0.820 PilotModelName=16th_TFS_Pilot_Orange_01 SeatModelName=NorthropSeat_F-5F_Rear SeatPosition=0.0,1.70,0.820 MinExtentPosition=-0.32,2.18,1.0 MaxExtentPosition= 0.32,1.07,-0.800 CanopyNodeName=FrontCanopyFrame CanopyAnimationID=9 SeatID=2 ----------------------------------------------------------------- good flight ! Taylor Gavin 2018.07.28 Submitter Gavin1976 Submitted 07/28/2018 Category Pilot Mods  

Turkish Air Force NF-5A View File . Submitter falcon16fighter Submitted 07/16/2018 Category Removed / Under Review Files  

In part 2 we continue to look at the Northrop F-20A Tigershark and how its story intertwines with other aircraft programs of the 1980s. Another F-20 is flown The second Pre-production F-20 (82-0063 / GI1001) was flown in August 1983. This configuration included a bigger radome, enlarged canopy, and an up-rated 17,000 lb thrust F404 engine. (Note: The first pre-production jet mentioned in part 1 (82-0062) also received the 17,000 lb thrust engine in 1983.) Also note: “Pre-production” means that Northrop was not going through a Prototype or Full Scale Development (FSD) phase so these aircraft were actually intended to be sold with the F-20 upgrades and changes. F-20 #2 (Northrop Grumman) Let’s get some people on board to really help sell it (F-20 Tigershark Vs F-15) You remember the Light Weight Fighter Mafia right – well they had mostly since left the Pentagon and had reformed as the err “Reformers” (or “Critics” to the USAF), which included John Boyd, Ex USAF Col Everest Riccioni, Pierre Sprey, Chuck Spinney and James Fallows. James Fallows was Washington editor for The Atlantic Monthly.( Described as an anti-military liberal journalist) Fallows had cottoned onto the Reformers in 1979 when researching ideas on how to cut military budgets and had interviewed John Boyd who was still smarting over what was done to the F-16. Fallows was able to gain publicity for the Reformers and their ideas, for example through the best-selling book National Defense in 1981. The Reformers had jumped on the AIMVAL/ACEVAL (Air Intercept Missile Evaluation / Air Combat Evaluation) results in the late 1970s where Red force F-5s had faced off against a blue force of F-15 and F-14s, and the book National Defense was the perfect platform to spin the results. The book took choice cuts from the results carefully omitting information that didn’t fit their agenda and the press went for it, with the Chicago Tribune printing that the F-15 had been “fought to all but a draw” by the F-5 and CBS calling the F-15 a “turkey”. In National Defense reformer Everest Riccioni claimed F-15s couldn’t fly many sorties and so the Air Force actually had a “Phantom fleet”. He then claimed the Air Force could buy 1000 advanced F-5s (The F-20) for the cost of 250 F-15s and generate 10 times more sorties in wartime (2500 v 250). Did I mention that Northrop had hired Everest Riccioni and Pierre Sprey at the time and Riccioni was working on the F-20 program. In reality what had happened in AIMVAL/ACEVAL was that tactics used were not entirely realistic and a lot of it was skewed in favour of the F-5. Despite this the F-15 still had a 2.5 Kill ratio in favour and the AIM-7 (another Reformers target) was responsible of the majority of the simulated kills. From the USAF point of view neither Pierre Sprey or Everest Riccioni had any credibility compared to John Boyd (who had taken a back seat at this stage) and the scraping nails account of this episode suggests this did more harm than good to the F-20 program regarding US support. F-15C - Can you say “it’s a Turkey” in a Pierre Sprey accent? (Airliners.net) What else could have upset the USAF Although a typical sales tactic, Northrop had no real data to back up any claims they were making for the F-20 such as cost, reliability and sortie rate. For example, as RAND point out………. Northrop claims of reliability on the F-20 were pretty much irrelevant. Only 1500 flights in a “test” environment with hand-picked engineers cannot be compared to years of “operational” experience the F-16 had around the world maintained by guys with varied experience in different environments. True cost and sortie rate could never be known as none ever went operational. Some of Northrop’s claims also seemed to stay the same despite airframe and avionics changes that would increase cost. F-20 goes to Top Gun Back in the mid-1970s the USAF were allocated F-5s that never made it to South Vietnam that were wanted because they were very similar in performance and some other aspects to the MiG-21 and so were perfect to use as aggressors at Red Flag. Naturally in 1984 when the US Navy wanted a MiG-29 simulator / aggressor for Top Gun, Northrop seeing a way in offered the F-20A at a low price with its promise of lower operating costs. Senator Pete Wilson had managed to get money through congress in the hope the F-20 was selected. General Dynamics also offered the F-16N (F-16C Block 30 with gun replaced by ballast) for a very low £11m each which was the same unit price as the F-20. The USN went with the F-16 which they believed to be a better simulator for 4th Gen threats…and it probably was being a bit larger with superior performance, also high-tech avionics were not required, in fact they stuck in the basic APG-66 radar from the A model. The USN literally got steal of the century on unit cost here…………. or they would have done if someone at the Navy hadn’t specified titanium wing attachment brackets without testing them (another story). F-16N (Lockheed Martin) Another F-20A flies The third pre-production F-20 (82-0064 / GI1002) first flew on May 12 1984 and was similar to 82-0063 / GI1001 in configuration it seems. F-20 Pre-production figures from Flight Manual F-20 #3 (Northrop Grumman) Tragedy befalls Northrop and the program On the 10th October 1984 the first pre-production F-20 (82-0062) crashed at Suwon Air Base in Korea killing pilot Darrell Cornell. Cornell had apparently succumbed to G-LOC after a 9G pull up as part of practicing an established demonstration routine with the aircraft appearing unresponsive after the maneuver. The Northrop F-18L and McAir All this time Northrop had been having a handbag face slapping argument with McDonnell Douglas (McAir). In October 1979, Northrop filled a $700 million antitrust suit against McAir. Northrop had developed the YF-17 for the Light Weight Fighter (LWF) competition in 1974 and this was later developed into the FA-18 carrier-based fighter under some kind of teaming agreement. Under this agreement McAir as prime contractor would build 60% of the carrier capable FA-18 and Northrop would build 40%. For the land-based F-18L Northrop were prime contractor building 60% and McAir building 40%. The Northrop F-18L was what might have been if the YF-17 had won in 74. Without all the extra weight needed for carrier ops and a totally different 9G structure it was over 2500 lbs lighter with a top end of M2.0 and was initially specified with a hard wing losing 3000 lbs of fuel reducing its range. Northrop basically had accused McAir of trying to monopolize the business and basically interfering with the F-18Ls chances of success in the export market by launching active sales efforts for the FA-18 to potential customers when they showed interest in the F-18L. Another suit also claimed McAir was unfairly using Northrop technology from the F-18L to sell its own FA-18. McAir then counter-sued against Northrop, claiming that the Northrop F-20 avionics had been taken from the McAir FA-18……. The suit was finally settled by April 1985……. which meant McDonnell Douglas would pay Northrop $50 million and become the prime/sole contractor for all FA-18s including export sales, and thus the F-18L was never heard from again………….. The F-18L - another unloved Light Weight Fighter devoid of orders (Northrop Grumman) F-16C v F-20A merge head on In April 1985 to try and finally get some sales from the US Government, Northrop offered 396 F-20s to replace current F-16C production at a fixed price of $15 million, undercutting the F-16C fixed price of $18 million. General Dynamics hit back with a 720-plane proposal for stripped down F-16s at $13.5 million each with cheaper avionics. These were apparently jokingly referred to as the “F-16C-minus”. This clearly came to nothing. F-20 #3 again (Northrop Grumman) Another Tragedy On the 14th May 1985 at Goose Bay, Canada the second pre-production F-20 (82-0063 / GI1001) crashed in a similar manner to the first killing Dave Barnes. Barnes was incapacitated during or after a 9G pull up as part of the demonstration being practised for the Paris air show. With no flight recorder on board the enquiry attributed this again to G-LOC and possibly a result of reduced G tolerance after flying four high G demonstration flights that day. The Air Defense Fighter (ADF) competition In 1986 the US Air Force (as ordered by Congress) held a competition for 270 mainland Interceptors for the defense of the Continental US. Both the F-20 and F-16 were contenders, and good point defense fighters despite the reservations of some. Sadly, again the F-20 was not favoured for a few reasons: · The F-20 was not in production so the costs couldn’t be guaranteed The cost to operate and maintain it would be higher than Northrop had claimed. In the end neither the General Dynamics or the Northrop proposal were selected by the Air Force, instead it was decided to take 270 F-16A Block 15s in service from the Air National Guard (ANG) and modify them to an ADF and OCU (Operational Capability Upgrade) standard, with: A higher thrust F100-PW-220 engine Capability to use bigger 600 US Gal drop tanks An Advanced IFF interrogator An upgraded APG-66 (V) 1 radar with increased range, small target capability and the capability to fire AIM-120 and AIM-7. F-16 A Air Defense Fighters (USAF) Making the F-20 better (The fourth Pre-production jet) Interestingly by the 1986 ADF competition there had been changes to the F-20 to increase range and deal with carriage of AIM-7s with proposals to: Increase internal fuel to 5050 lbs by replacing the fuselage bladder with integral fuel tanks. Increase external drop tank size. Increase thrust of the F404 to 18000 lbs to offset the extra weight and drag. New Electromagnetic Maneuvering flaps. Fly By Wire control system with backup Hydromechanical controls (similar to FA-18) Northrop & GE were also working on an upgraded APG-67 radar with enhanced range. This was proposed by putting a bigger antenna on it and moving it back in the nose. Luckily, they also intended to replace the obsolete M39s with a single modern gun to make some room for the radar move. This is said to have been planned for the fourth Pre-Production aircraft (82-0065/ GI1003) but was only 25% compete when cancelled. This remained a paper airplane but nonetheless a valiant effort to reduce some of the performance deficiencies. Of course, the glaring problem here is that by making these changes the cost and complexity increases, reducing its advertised selling points and ending up with a jet that offers nothing significant over the F-16 and FA-18…………and unfortunately the US was still not interested in buying it. The end Northrop closed the F-20 program at the end of 1986 at the cost of around $1.2 billion……… it just was not meant to be with everything against it. However, despite the loss Northrop were still doing okay out of the FA-18, ATF (YF-23) and B-2 programs at that time. No conciliation to them but perhaps an example of how competition can sometimes benefit US services by keeping cost down. Summary of the F-5G/F-20A Pre-Production Aircraft F-20A on Display at the California Science Center https://californiasciencecenter.org/exhibits/air-space/air-aircraft/f-20-tigershark Sources F-20A Utility Flight Manual (NTM 1F-20A-1) for GI1001 & GI1002, Jan 1984 (Northrop) Northrop F-5G/F20A Tigershark (Baugher J ) 2000 online at http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_fighters/f5_51.html A Case study of the F-20 Tigershark (Martin, Schmidt) 1987, RAND Corporation The Reformers (Correll JT), Feb 2008 Air Force Magazine. P40-44 The Revolt of the Majors How the Air Force changed after Vietnam (Michell III, ML) Auburn University Sierra Hotel: Flying Air Force fighters in the decade after Vietnam. (Anderegg CR) 2001 Air Force History and Museums Program Boyd (Coram R) 2002, Back Bay Books F-20A Tigershark (Wade, M) 2007 online at http://www.thecid.com/f20a/index.html F-16.net online at http://www.f-16.net/ Code One Magazine (General Dynamics) Northrop F-18L (Baugher J), 2000 online at http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_fighters/f18_9.html Huge Lawsuit settled, ( AP News archive) 1985, online at http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1985/Huge-Lawsuit-Settled/id-cca766d9766ec7f4d1aa29c5ca5db7cb The Land Based F-18L, Flight International December 1978 p2034-2035 Title Photos for Part 1 and Part 2 from Northrop Grumman

Well, the N-156 family of aircraft make up the entirety of my top 5 favourite aircraft list. And I have a few questions about them, and although I could probably just spend some 15 minutes and google them I'd like to have the answers directly from you who most likely have worked with these sexy jets. So, going through images of the Swiss Air Force F-5E/Fs, I noticed that the centerline pylon is always present. It's as if it was fixed, like the wingtip pylons. The same goes for USN aggressor F-5Ns and actually every single image I can remember of pretty much every variant except the T-38, F-20 and X-29. In fact, I've only seen one image of Freedom Fighters/Tiger IIs where there was no centerline pylon present, it was a civilian F-5A. Is it actually fixed or semi-fixed, thus making it a waste of time to remove it, or is it something else...? I personally really dislike empty underside pylons, so it's disappointing to see that there's no image available of a truly clean F-5E. Also, does anyone know how is it that the Swiss Air Force F-5s have the F-20 LERX, and the nosecone of one of the F-20 prototypes (the one with the completely glass canopy)? I haven't been able to get information about this and I'm really curious. And the final one, how come only these two modifications from the F-20, the LERX and the nosecone made it to other F-5s? The modified canopy comes to mind as something useful (in Ace Combat 5/Zero, where you can "check six" from the cockpit, the F-20 has better rear visibility than the F-5E, so I assume the same would apply IRL), and also the avionics and glass cockpit, they should be compatible with at least F-5Es, right? Was it because they came too late? Or too early? Thanks for your time!

File Name: Fictional Romanian F-5E File Submitter: ctb File Submitted: 11 February 2017 File Category: What If Hangar This is my first mod, so excuse the mistakes! Works in SF1&SF2 if you have the stock Mirage Factory F-5E installed, skins updated after Paulopanz Austrian skins. The aircraft is a What if... plane, supposedly the USA agreed to the Romanian request to sell F-5E Tiger II to SRR (Socialist Republic of Romania, the official name then) back in 1974-1975. At the time relations between Soviet Union and Romania were cold, the soviets were suspecting that SSR might jump in the PRC lap or even worse, defect to the USA sphere of influence. This ”what if” is based on an official Romanian request made in June 1975, after the exposing of the F-5E in the hands of the soviets due to the fall of South Vietnam. North Vietnam captured more than 50 such aircraft and 4 or 5 were shipped immediately to Soviet Union, the rest were used by VPAF. This give the arguments to the Romanian delegation to request the aircraft, motivating that the plane is now no longer a secret to the communist world. In the real life USA said no ... Click here to download this file

View File Iran-Iraq War Terrain/Campaign Included in this package is a brand new Iran-Iraq/Western Asia Terrain with 4 campaigns. Three of the campaigns compose the three periods of the Iran Iraq War- 1st- the initial invasion which spans from 1980 through 81- Lots of CAS and Intercept as well as strike missions. 2nd The War of the Cities and Tanker War from 1982-1987-Many interdiction anti-shipping and strike missions similar to Rolling Thunder 3rd The Battle For Al-Basrah all of 1988- Lots of CAS, anti-ship and strike missions The 4th campaign is a semi-fictionalized Project Dark Gene/Ibex campaign from 1970-77 with USAF and IIAF units conducting recon missions against Soviet Installations and protecting Iranian borders from Iraqi Incursions. Because the terrain doesn't extend to the Soviet Border the campaign was turned 90 degrees with northern Iraq-Mosul/Tikrit acting as our stand in Soviet area. Includes all the required aircraft and skins including Ravenclaw's Beautiful new IIAF/IRIAF F-4's and Iranian weapons and new F-4D and RF-4E skins to match from Yakarov79! A separate install is not required and will work best if incorporated into a big everything thrown in Mod Folder. This mod package is meant to be an addition to Operation Darius or Operation Desert Storm and NATO Fighters 5 from Eburger68. Ground Objects from Mr Burgers packages are required for example Iranian Destroyers. Here is a link to Op Darius- http://combatace.com/topic/74627-operation-darius-final-part-1-of-4/ And Desert Storm- http://combatace.com/topic/84643-operation-desert-storm-for-sf2-redux-part-1-of-3/ Nato fighters 5- http://combatace.com/files/file/13332-nato-fighters-5-part-1-of-8/ The Aircraft included in this mod are readily available here at CA and the thank you/credits list is too large to name everyone! See the credits list for NATO Fighters 5 that should cover everyone! A HUGE thanks to Blaze for Letting me tinker with his new Western Asia Terrain to make it Perfect for an Iran-Iraq War Campaign! This Mod is a combination of many people's work here at CA thank you everyone who helps contribute to the Community! I am by no means an expert but I have had a blast putting this together over the last few months if someone can add more realism to the campaigns PM me and let know! I hope everyone enjoys this! Submitter Spudknocker Submitted 01/29/2017 Category User Made Campaigns  

Some clips of my first flight in Belsimtek's F-5E Tiger II module for DCS. I normally fly the F-15 so it has taken some getting use to the flight controls and the weapons delivery system for this little bugger. I miss the F-15's power, speed, and avionics but with the F-5 I get a better turn rate down low. Flying this little fighter is a blast as well as a challenge as she is very forgiving and resistant to buffeting/departure; but, she needs a lot of trimming and has a much slower throttle response than the mighty Eagle. Also, not use to flying without a HUD and advanced avionics to help me "see" what is out there. Hopefully I can get the systems and switches down to muscle memory like I have done in previous sims like Jane's F-15.

File Name: SF2 USAF Red Flag Nellis AFB Proving Grounds File Submitter: viper63a File Submitted: 22 September 2015 File Category: User Made Missions SF2 USAF Red Flag Nellis AFB Proving Grounds Viper63a This is my mod install for testing new aircrafts, objects and weapons. Once installed, I backup/zip the whole mod folder so I can reset it after testing whatever mod I am testing. It's also a Red Flag simulator. So if you want to take your favorite plane to Red Flag, here you go! Red Flag Nellis AFB is a stripped down Strikefighter2 installation based in Nellis AFB with only a handful of flyable planes against the pre-loaded USAF F-15s/16s and Navy A-4s/F-5s/F-14s Aggressors (All AIs). There are no Campaigns, only Instant Action and Single Missions. I recommend setting the Enemy AI to "Hard" to get the most out of this install. I added, tweaked, adjusted and created new items for this mod, but the lions share of this mod was created by other faithful modders on CombatAce - ALL CREDITS TO THEM! Thank you! This mod is an expansion for "Hurc's Nellis Range Mod 2.0" mod, so you will need that mod as well... http://combatace.com/files/file/12573-hurcs-nellis-range-mod/ Enjoy! ******************************************************************************* Installation for fully merge installs only...Using SF2 Europe as an example. * Creating a new "StrikeFighters2 Nellis" Mod Folder: In the "C:\...\Thirdwire\" folder.. 1) Copy "StrikeFighters2 Europe.exe" to "StrikeFighters2 Nellis.exe" 2) Copy "StrikeFighters2 Europe.ini" to "StrikeFighters2 Nellis.ini" 3) Create a short cut of "StrikeFighters2 Nellis.exe" on your desktop. 4) Run the "StrikeFighters2 Nellis.exe" short cut. Once the game starts, Exit. 5) You have now created a new "StrikeFighters2 Nellis" mod folder in \user\...\Saved Games\... Mine looks like this...Yours may/will look different. C:\Users\<Your_Name>\Saved Games\ThirdWire\StrikeFighters2 Nellis\ * Download and install "Hurc's Nellis Range Mod 2.0": 1) If you haven't already - download, uncompress and install "Nellis Range 2.0" into your new SF2 Nellis Mod Folder. http://combatace.com/files/file/12573-hurcs-nellis-range-mod/ 2) Run the "StrikeFighters2 Nellis" short cut to start the game. 3) In the Single Missision Menu, Ensure\Select the F-15A and the Nellis Terrain. Exit Menu to Main. 4) Optional, set up the Pilot and Options menus to your liking or do this later. Exit Menu to Main. 5) Exit from Main. * Configure and install the "Red Flag Nellis" Mod: In the "C:\Users\<Your_Name>\Saved Games\ThirdWire\StrikeFighters2 Nellis\" folder... 1) Under the "Objects" folder, delete both "Aircraft" and "Decals" folders. 2) Uncompress "USAF RED FLAG..." zip file... 3) Copy the contents of "To_Mod_Folder" to your SF2 Nellis Mod Folder. Overwrite. * Last steps... 1) Copy the "INITNELLIS.BMP" file from the new "Red Flag Nellis" Mod folder to "C:\...\Thirdwire\Menu" folder... 2) Edit "C:\...\Thirdwire\StrikeFighters2 Nellis.ini"... a) Under [startup], change "LoadingScreen=" from "Menu\INITSCREEN.BMP" to "Menu\INITNELLIS.BMP". Save. 3) Edit "C:\Users\<Your_Name>\Saved Games\ThirdWire\StrikeFighters2 Nellis\Options.ini" file. a) Under [instantAction], change "MissionMap=" from "GermanyCE" to "NELLIS_RANGE". Save. * Now you have completed the install of the "USAF Red Flag Nellis AFB" and "Nellis Range" mod packs. * I recommend setting the Enemy AI to "Hard" to get the most of this pack. * Install any new or your favorite plane mods to test at the Nellis AFB. ******************************************************************************* ********* Credits ******** ******************************************************************************* Hurc's Nellis Range Mod 2.0 - Steve "Hurc" Crane http://combatace.com/files/file/12573-hurcs-nellis-range-mod/ Original Bombing Range/Mescalero Proving Grounds: - Deuces - Bunyap - Wrench - ChampionsVA56 Objects & Mods used for the Nellis Range Update: - Nellis Airbase, buildings/hangars and terrain mod: Me - Static and Target versions of several vehicles or A/C: Me - BANIDOS TEAM: Aircraft Weapon Loading Set (A-10 and F-16 static models) - Amokfloo: ControlTower, ForkLift, FireExtinguisher - Ravenclaw: Fire Trucks - Pureblue and Sundowner: FloodLight, SmallGenerator, ConcreteBlock, SunShelter, and most of the ground equipment - Factory and building Models: Wingwiner - Generic Hangars: CA_Stary - Hi-Res Desert tiles: JSF_Aggie - ChampionsVA56: Mockup AAA and radars, basic range target layout Drones and A/C included: (All downloaded from CombatAce.com) - QF-100D drone - A-4F Aggressor - F-5E Aggressor - F-16C Aggressor - F-16C Thunderbirds - QF-106A drone - BQM-34 Firebee drone ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* SF2 Scooters! Vol.2 - Aggressors for TW A-4 and Fractures TA-4 Skyhawks 1.0 - Nyghtfall http://combatace.com/files/file/15560-sf2-scooters-vol2-aggressors-for-tw-a-4-and-fractures-ta-4-skyhawks/ Credits ======= - Thirdwire and TK for a great game, models and the cockpit-parts I used. - Fracture, Wrench for the original TA-4J Pack and Model. - dtmdragon for his A-4 Aggressor pack, on which this is based. - RAVEN - LAU-129 missile-rail - ravenclaw_007 - ACMI-Pod - 331Killerbee - CAP-9 from his Ordnance Shop II Pack - Alejandro - Escapac seat - FastCargo - FakePilot - ???? - TopGun pilot - ???? - J52-Sound - ???? - 150gal OV-10A-tank - Nyghtfall skins, decals, loadingscreens, ini-work, modified A-4E cockpit. ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* F-16C Block 30/32 Aggressors by The Viper Team 1.2 http://combatace.com/files/file/12949-f-16c-block-3032-aggressors-by-the-viper-team/ Pit by ravenclaw. (Ok now he has gone too far.....) Models by bpao, modified highly by Jat and ravenclaw. Skins templates by Migbuster and EricJ MFD panel glass by Stary Units skins by Sony Tuckson, Jat, Migbuster and EricJ ACMIs, CATM-9's and ALQ-167 by ravenclaw Technical adviser, Sony Tuckson (If we got it wrong he cracked the whip!) Avionics by Jat and Crusader (You cant get anything past Crusader, the best MK1 eyeball in SF) Brain32, for FM, Avionics work. Crash test Dummy and screens, Dave CrazyhorseB34, the other dummy ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* TMF F-14 Tomcat Superpack v1.21 Full - Spectre8750 http://combatace.com/files/file/12327-tmf-f-14-tomcat-superpack/ Credits: Model: Flying Toaster, Oli Cockpit: Chris (original), reworked and updated by Brain32 FM: ThirdWire, Column5, Spectre8750, Caesar Avionics: Crusader, ThirdWire, Sup Gen, Caesar, Dave, CrazyhorseB34 Pilots: Old_Diego, CrazyhorseB34 Skins: Dave, Spectre8750, Column5 NATOPS Textures: HomeFries Extra Hangar, Loading and Main Screens: Dave, Spectre8750 Ejection Mod: Stary Testing: Sup Gen, Caesar, Dave, EricJ, Spectre8750 TARPS: Bunyap and Spectre8750 Weapons: Ravenclaw, wpnssgt, Bunyap and others ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* TMF F-14D_96 Aggressor flanker scheme V1.01 - Blackburn32 http://combatace.com/files/file/15733-tmf-f-14d-96-aggressor-flanker-scheme/ I think someone requested an F-14 aggressor/flanker style skin for the Tomcat, so here is my effort! Keep in mind this is the first time I've attempted to skin a bird so it's a not the best possible version of this yet! ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* F-15 Super Pack (Version 2.4) - FastCargo http://combatace.com/files/file/10443-f-15-super-pack-version-24/ TK - For the ThirdWire series of sims. The Mirage Factory - For the nice F-15D MSIP aircraft...in particular Flying Toaster, wpnssgt, and Dave for making the F-15 MAX files available for me to play with. Kei Nagase - For the awesome skins for the F-15 ACTIVE. AleDucat - For the nice ACES II ejection seat models. Deuces - For the F-15 Afterburner and weapon effects. Diego - For the Modern USAF Pilot skins. Fubar512 - For the FM work. JimmyBib - For the F-15C cockpit flight control textures. MoonJumper - Avionics work. Sundowner - Textures. USAFMTL/Dave - Decals. Wpnssgt - Models, Textures. Kesselburt - Original F-15C cockpit. Kout - Loading and Hanger Screens. Kct - Textures and decals for the F-15SG. Brain32 - Improved/new textures for F-15C cockpit. Mago - F-15E Cockpit. 331KillerBee - SF2 Weapons Pack (basis for some of the weapons included). Lexx Luthor - Siberian Sky Experimental 3-D Rocket Exhaust JAT81500 - F-15E Cockpit avionics and HUD work. To my fellows at Combatace for helping me beta test and work out bugs. ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* F-15C "Grim Reapers", 493rd TFS 48th TFW, RAF Lakenheath Version 1 - Viper63a http://combatace.com/files/file/15308-f-15c-grim-reapers-493rd-tfs-48th-tfw-raf-lakenheath/ Credits: Fastcargo, Sundowner, Dave. James Fox, Wrench et all for the EXCELLENT mods in CombatAce! ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* Hollywood Explosions - Stary http://combatace.com/files/file/10391-hollywood-explosions/ What can I say...just love his effects!! ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* SF2 TopGun F-14 Pilots: Maverick/Goose, Viper/Jester & Iceman/Slider! Version 2 - Viper63a http://combatace.com/files/file/15578-sf2-topgun-f-14-pilots-maverickgoose-viperjester-icemanslider/ Western Style Pilot Models (SF1/SF2) - Florian - "AmokFloo" http://combatace.com...e-pilot-models/ ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* QF-16 Zombie Viper (SF1) - LeL http://combatace.com/files/file/15834-qf-16-zombie-viper/ DAVE for the F-16C Block 30 Version 1.0 RavenClaw and TEAM VIPER Original Model by Swede Additional Model Work by Wpnssgt Flight Model by Column5 Skins by Wpnssgt & USAFMTL F-16A Cockpit by ??? Briliant work Loading & Hangar Screens by LeL ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* I think that about covers it. If I missed anyone, I am sincerely sorry...please let me know and I will update the Credits list... =Viper= Click here to download this file

About the Author Paco Chierici is a retired Naval Aviator. Paco accumulated 3,000 hours and nearly 400 traps flying the A-6 Intruder and F-14 Tomcat on active duty for ten years, and the F-5 as a Navy Adversary pilot for the subsequent ten years in the Navy Reserves. Paco is the Creator and Producer of the award winning Naval aviation adventure-documentary Speed and Angels. Paco flies for a major airline and is type rated in the Boeing 757/767 and the Airbus 330. After leaving military aviation, Paco discovered pistons and props and he now flies his family around in a Mooney and borrows friends Yak-50s for weekend warrior dogfighting. I was a reservist in this squadron and thus had the benefit of perspective, having already given up flying a magnificent flying machine, the F-14 Tomcat. I knew that every flight was a gift, every dogfight a treasure, every merge one step closer to the day when Peter Pan would have to leave and grow up. With just a few years remaining for me to fly the F-5, I realized that I wanted to preserve the moment for as long as possible, to distill it as I was experiencing it so that I could dip into it in the years of ordinary life and take a sip. I decided that I wanted tell the story of this world in a visual way. I enlisted a spectacular director, wrangled some cash from enterprising investors, and the result, three years later, was an award-winning documentary about the spirit and adventure of Naval Aviation, Speed and Angels. It is an unvarnished, full-throttle, pulse-pounding peek into the heart of flying fighters for the U.S. Navy told through the eyes of two young aviators. But the genesis of the film had always been the concentrated passion for air combat that we enjoyed flying F-5s in Fallon. The F-5 is a peculiar bird (VFC-13 currently flies F-5Ns, most of which were procured after 2006 from Switzerland). It is tiny for a fighter, especially one with two engines. It has no modern systems, unless you consider hydraulics to be modern. No Anti-Skid. No INS nor GPS. No HUD. Just a simple old-fashioned pulse radar and a basic gunsight. It has no defensive systems, no RWR nor expendable countermeasures, other than the fact that when pointed nose-on to an adversary it completely disappears, like a cloaking device being activated. There is no sophisticated technology required to enable the disappearing act, just the fact the pilot sits in a cramped little cockpit on the head of a needle with tiny, razor-thin wings behind him. And when that needle is nose on to a student pilot who has lost radar lock or situational awareness, that pilot’s skin will crawl and the hairs on the back of his neck will bristle, because he knows the very next time he is sure of where the bandit is will likely be when he hears the dreaded, “Trigger down, tracking, tracking…” It is a plane perfectly suited to the role of adversary; fast, simple, nimble, eminently beatable by a competently flown front-line fighter; but capable of pouncing on an error and creating a learning point in the form of a simulated kill. If you lose to the F-5, you have something to learn, and that’s the way it should be. It’s often mentioned that the F-5 is used as an adversary because it is a perfect simulator for the Mig-21, and it’s true: the V-n diagrams superimposed show almost identical maneuvering performance characteristics. That is a great serendipity, but in truth, it would have been a perfect adversary platform regardless. VFC-13 models its presentations to what is known as the ‘percentage threat’, the most likely global scenario for our fighters to face in combat. Think North Korea. Lots and lots of small, fast, simple enemy fighters swarming the technologically superior but numerically challenged Navy forces. Topgun, which is across the street on NAS Fallon at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, specializes in teaching the skills needed to defeat the more modern threat aircraft. To this end, Topgun flies the F-16 and F/A-18. Fantastic, superior platforms that can superbly simulate MiG-29s and Su-27s. Instead, VFC-13, known as The Saints, specializes in the Stalinist principle of ‘Quantity has a Quality all its Own’. North Korea operates over 400 Third Generation fighters and only 35 Mig-29s. Before any U.S. Navy pilots would get to test themselves against those Fulcrums, they would have to cut a swath through a cloud of Mig-21 and 23s. As a reservist who flew no more than 120 hours per year, .8 at a time, the F-5 was a dream. It is inexpensive to operate, therefore plentiful, and painfully simple, thus always mission ready. We flew as much as we could stand, often against each other to maintain tactical proficiency and to sharpen the dogfighting skills which we held in such high regard. One of the most dramatic differences between fleet pilots and VFC-13 pilots is the amount of time devoted to BFM, both in the air and in the briefing room. Coming from the F-14 community, I felt I had a pretty good grasp of BFM fundamentals; but, a Bandit pilot lives and breathes air combat. There are none of the distractions that a fleet pilot must deal with, like air-to-ground, CAS, LATT, SES and much more. It is pure air-to-air, with an emphasis on close-in maneuvering. New adversary pilots, many with 1,500 hours or more, are greeted with a demanding syllabus in graduate-level air combat that takes at least a year to complete, despite having fewer than 20 graded hops. The meticulousness, precision and professionalism required to represent the squadron as a fully qualified Bandit means that there will be many a re-fly. Often one particularly onerous event can be re-flown a number of times before the aspiring Bandit meets the standards required to move to the next sortie. It’s a humbling and sometimes frustrating year. But coming out the other side is a finely honed, meat-eating BFM machine–a Shaolin monk of aerial hand-to-hand combat, broken down and rebuilt without the distractions of advanced radars and electronic crutches When you are one of the Saints, you use all of your senses to build situational awareness, you use the earth and the sun as your allies, you use the simple tools at your disposal to maximum effect. And when you have completed your task, you have sacrificed yourself for the good of your student, imparting as much of your wisdom as possible through lessons of quiet victory. When it comes to aerial presentations, the Saints give their students two basic types: long range BVR scenarios with multiple groups of bandits that challenge the Fighter’s ability to effectively target and maneuver as a team, and BFM. BFM is the fighter pilot’s staple, the skills required to maneuver against and destroy a bandit in the visual arena. It is a skill that has been kicked to the curb by aircraft designers and war planners since the conclusion of WW II, yet grudgingly refuses to die in the real world of aerial warfare. There are a variety of reasons why a modern fighter, bristling with data links, AESA radar, active missiles and JHMCS will find itself pulling max G and dumping flares against an actual enemy fighter across the turn circle. Sophisticated jamming systems are relatively inexpensive and surprisingly capable, ROE frequently demand the Blue Fighter must put itself inside the ranges of IR missiles to confirm the identity of a bogey, and most likely, in the era of Self-Escort strikers, there is a very real chance that they will have to fight their way out of country with a limited Air-to-Air load because their hardpoints were laden with ordnance designed to move dirt and pulverize concrete. In any event, despite the belief to the contrary, it is highly likely that a Blue Fighter will find itself turning in the visual arena in any future conflict. An F-5 against an F/A-18 is not a fair fight. The Hornet has a spectacular radar with extremely capable ACM modes. At “Fight’s On,” a pilot has just to flick on his VACQ, select AMRAAM, put lift-vector on and pull until he gets a SHOOT cue. “Kill…Knock it off.” The Super Hornet (Boeing F/A-18E/F)has an even more capable ACM suite when the JHMCS is paired with the amazing AIM-9X. The ability to slew the AIM-9’s seeker head to the pilot’s line of sight at ridiculous off-boresight angles is an inescapably lethal combination. By comparison, the F-5 has no radar missile. The Saints use only an IR seeker head and a restrictive envelope from the 1970s limited to a few degrees off boresight. And the dreaded guns. There is no known countermeasure that can distract 30mm rounds. To build a fighter plane without a gun is as foolhardy as sending an infantry soldier into battle without a knife. The only time he will miss it is when he desperately needs it. The Navy version of the Vietnam-era F-4 didn’t have a gun, and it was sorely lacking. Ignoring the wisdom that “past is prologue,” the Navy variant of the F-35 again will not have an internal gun. In any event, because of this advantage in armament and capability, the majority of engagements end quickly with a decisive victory for the Hornet, especially after the first or second engagement once the rust and jitters have been shaken off. But with a few real-world limitations put on a Hornet to limit his first-shot kill ability, the fight becomes far more balanced. Scenarios in which the fighter is placed in a defensive perch, or is limited to an off-target weapons load, force the Hornet pilot to consider follow-on engaged maneuvering. The longer an F/A-18 is tied up in a dogfight with an F-5, the higher the chances that he will lose sight or commit a BFM error, and when either of those occur, the advantage tilts rapidly in favor of the Bandit. The real-world corollary is the off target strike-fighter, momentarily blind to the Air-to-Air picture after the drop, caught unawares by a Mig-21. Suddenly defensive, turning for his life and scrambling to take advantage of his superior platform, with every second that he delays in splashing the MiG, or bugging out, his risks increase exponentially. There was a huge amount of satisfaction derived from providing the students with valuable, challenging, realistic training. But as fun as the engagements themselves were, they were always tainted. Either the Blue fighter was sufficiently skilled that the engagements were clinical and perfunctory, or the students made enough errors to lose, and that wasn’t the goal. The supreme pleasure was in fighting in-house. An in-house BFM sortie between two seasoned pilots would consist of a short brief, a quick candy bar and a walk from the Ready Room 20 to 30 minutes before takeoff. Once airborne off of Runway 31, it was a quick right 90 degree turn, a push into combat spread and a climb. Two or three minutes later, after crossing over high terrain into Dixie Valley, there would be a G-warm, “Vipers ninety left…resume…Viper One FENCEd.” A quick TAC left and a short climb up to 16K’ and it was time for Fight’s On. With two skilled pilots the engagements would last two, three, sometimes four minutes if taken all the way to a kill, an eternity for a dogfight in the jet age. But the dance is nuanced at this level, even more so with the limitations of the basic weapons systems. In fact, during the in-house events, most of the best pilots would limit themselves to what we referred to as a knife fight, guns kills only. There is no arguing the victor when one plane is saddled behind the other with his pipper on the cockpit. I flew hundreds, if not thousands of these engagements in the years I spent in Fallon, and I remember them all fondly. Even the ones where I was stuck looking over my shoulder like a PEZ dispenser, which happened more often than I would have liked. Most in-house hops consisted of three, or rarely four, intense high-aspect abeam or butterfly starts. Once BINGO was reached and the bandits FENCEd out, it was a quick RTB for the 600 knot carrier break, the most intense, action-packed .7 you could ever put into your log book. I was fortunate enough to fly with some truly amazing aviators. And now, long after the fact, I still have detailed memories of some of the fights as if they happened just hours ago. I can still see Bat Masterson’s jet gaining 10 to 15 degrees on me with each merge, and feel the wonder and frustration of flying the machine as best I could, yet realizing that in a matter of two or three more merges I was going to be practicing my Last Ditch Guns-D. Bat, a small man with a large mustache, taught me one of my most enduring BFM lessons. In the debrief, I petitioned his expertise. “How the hell did you do that every engagement? I was fighting as hard as I could!” A man of few words, he answered simply, “When you’re fast, be fast. When you’re slow, be slow.” Believe it or not, that bit of wisdom taught me more about fighting the F-5 than the countless losses I had suffered through previously. I can close my eyes and picture chasing Kemo Percival through a very offensive Rolling Scissors, only to have him execute the most perfect Pirouette and pass me 180 out, neutralized, with my jaw hanging open. If this had happened just once, I would have chalked it up to an accident of aerodynamics. But time and again I watched as a rare offensive position was eliminated by this impossible escape. When flying by myself, I would practice over and over: 45-60 degrees nose high, 220-180 knots, full aileron deflection, full opposite rudder, stick first full aft then quickly to full forward. When Kemo did it, his plane rotated horizontally, swapping ends in a blink while still maintaining enough energy to continue flying and fighting. When I tried it, following his recipe to the letter, I ended up either mushing through a reversal of direction but completely without airspeed, or rolling sideways and pulling through a slow speed wingover. No help at all. And finally, I’ll never forget a late afternoon fight against Monty Montgomery in planes that were laden with external tanks. The positive was that we had 1,000 pounds of extra gas, which doubled our number of engagements. The negative was that the F-5 handled like a pig at high Alpha burdened by the effect of the 150 gallon tank. We fought six times with the blood red Sierra Mountains as a backdrop, each a decisive victory, three of which were Monty’s. They were, each and every one of them, amazing duels filled with feigns and deception, flying at the very edge of the envelope, cautious and cunning. But neither pilot was to be satisfied with a neutral Lufbery on the deck. Chances were taken and BFM errors made, and each time an opening was given the opponent was able to capitalize. This was one of the most pure and well flown hops I ever experienced. Two fairly matched pilots in like aircraft using every bit of experience and trickery at their disposal. The knowledge that it would take only one error to seal one’s fate, added to the challenge of flying at the maximum limits of performance with the additional load of an external tank, and the race to complete before sunset, added to the intensity. The F-5 was the enabler of this amazing flying club. It was a link between the pure era of fighting machines to the modern age of digital combat. The plane was essentially a jet-powered P-51 Mustang, and those days if you flew it well, you were really flying well. Cables linked the stick to the ailerons and elevator. Dancing on the pedals directly affected the movement of the rudders. When you flew it well you felt the plane speak to you through the whisper of the wind over the canopy and the Bernoullis nibbling at the wing. It was a plane with a reputation for biting the unwary, often with disastrous consequences. But if you respected it, and knew it well, and listened when it spoke, it was a plane that would reward the pilot by exceeding its expectations. I once matched an F-14D through a double-Immelman, though at the top I was desperately stirring the pot clawing for purchase. But the Tomcat driver was so unnerved that he was off his game for the rest of the fight. It was in this way that the F-5 actualized its mission. It was a pilot’s machine that rewarded its devotees, and it was a perfect foil for testing the overconfidence of Blue pilots in their advanced platforms. The F-5N carries forward that tradition today and for the foreseeable future with some significant enhancements. It sports RWR and chaff dispensers and it has the capability to carry a jamming pod. But the newer lot Rhino is no Classic Hornet or Tomcat. The ability of the F-5 to continue to provide a credible opposition in the face of AESA and AIM-9X is diminishing. The challenge in the future for VFC-13 will be to match the evolving ‘Percentage Threat’ in the world. Over 11,000 Mig-21s alone have been produced. There are three companies which specialize in upgrading the airframe to modern capabilities. A radar, HUD, data link, active-missiles, high off-boresight IR missiles and effective RWR can all be strapped into a Fishbed for a fraction of the cost of a new fighter and provide almost all of the capabilities. If the Saints hope to continue flying the F-5 and providing realistic training, efforts in this direction will have to be made. As for me, I will always be grateful for my years as a member of the Bandits. They were (and are) a badass bunch of dogfighting ninjas. It was an honor to walk with them and learn from them, and to share a drink and a laugh. Likewise, the F-5 will forever be under my skin, an integral part of the story of that time. It infected my dreams and dominated my imagination. I obsessed over perfecting it. Of absorbing from my peers how to cajole every last knot and degree-per-second. I will miss flying it, with them, every day, for as long as I live. from http://fightersweep.com