The F-5B was the two-seat version of the F-5A. It was generally similar to the single-seat F-5A but had two seats in tandem for dual fighter/trainer duties. The two crew members sit in tandem rocket-powered ejection seats, and are separated from each other by a windscreen to protect the instructor from windblast in the event of an ejection. The cockpits have separate manually-operated rearward-hinged jettisonable canopies. The instructor's seat in the rear is raised 10 inches higher than that of the pupil in front to give an improved forward view. The length of the fuselage was the same (46 feet 4 inches) as that of the T-38.
The fuselage of the F-5B is quite similar to that of the T-38 Talon two-seat trainer, so similar, in fact, that one must look twice to tell the difference between the two aircraft. Unlike the T-38A, the F-5B retains the wing leading edge flaps and wing root extension of the F-5A, which is perhaps the easiest way to tell the difference between a F-5B and a T-38A. Other differences between the F-5B and the T-38A are a bit more subtle. The F-5B has a braking parachute housing at the rear of the vertical stabilizer just above the engine exhausts, which the T-38A lacks. The F-5B has a double fork on its noseweel in area and lack the square splitter plates of the F-5B.
The F-5B was fully combat-capable and was capable of carrying the same external ordnance load as the single seat F-5A. However, the nose cannon armament of the single-seat version was deleted. The takeoff weight was 19,700 pounds, considerably greater than the T-38s 11,700 pounds.
The first F-5B (63-8438) flew on February 24, 1964. 63-8343 went supersonic in a dive for the first time on February 28. The first F-5B was accepted in March, with the aircraft being declared operational on April 30, 1964, which was four months ahead of the single-seat F-5A.
The eighth F-5B (63-8445) was selected as a company demonstrator. It carried out a sales tour later in 1964, visiting 12 European and Middle Eastern countries in search of customers.
A total of 200 F-5Bs were built by Northrop's Palmdale facility, with the last deliveries to the Republic of Korea Air Force in the mid 1970s.
Serial numbers of Northrop F-5B Freedom Fighter:
63-8438/8451 Northrop F-5B-5-NO Freedom Fighter 8438,8439 to Thailand 8440,8441,8443 converted to GF-5B 8441 at Rantool Aviation Complex, Illinois 8445 used as prototype for YF-5B-21, testbed for F-5F. 8446,8447 to Iran 8448/8451 to Korea 63-13692 Northrop F-5B-5-NO Freedom Fighter to Greece 64-13377/13388 Northrop F-5B-10-NO Freedom Fighter 13377/13378 to Greece 13381/13382 to Taiwan 13383,13384 to Turkey 13385/13386 to Iran 13387/13388 to Norway 65-10582/10595 Northrop F-5B-15-NO Freedom Fighter 10582 to Greece 10583 to Korea 10584/10585 to Ethiopia 10586 to Vietnam 10587/10588 to Iran 10589 to Philippines 10590/10593 to Turkey 10594,10595 to Norway 65-13071/13074 Northrop F-5B-15-NO Freedom Fighter 13071 was ex-NF-5A 63-8367 -- to Korea 13072 was ex-NF-5A 63-8368 -- to China 13073 was ex-NF-5A 63-8369 -- to China 13074 was ex-NF-5A 63-8370 -- to Vietnam 66-8516/8530 Northrop F-5B Freedom Fighter - cancelled contract 66-9230/9244 Northrop F-5B-20-NO Freedom Fighter 9230 to Greece 9231,9232 to South Vietnam 9233,9235,9236,9238,9240 to Iran 9234,9237,9239 to Taiwan 9241/9244 to Norway 67-14906/14909 Northrop F-5B-25-NO Freedom Fighter to Norway 67-21272/21284 Northrop F-5B-25-NO Freedom Fighter 21272 to Taiwan 21273,21274 to Turkey 21275 to Taiwan 21276/21277 to South Korea 21278,21279 to Libya 21280 to Taiwan 21281 to Turkey 21282/21284 to Taiwan 67-22556/22557 Northrop F-5B-25-NO Freedom Fighter 22556 to Turkey 22557 to to Iran 68-9086/9096 Northrop F-5B-30-NO Freedom Fighter 9088/9090,9092 to Greece 9086,9091,9093 to Iran 9094,9095 to South Korea 9096 to China 69-6484/6486 Northrop F-5B Freedom Fighter - contract cancelled 69-7089/7090 Northrop F-5B-35-NO Freedom Fighter Sold to Iran 69-7135/7136 Northrop F-5B-35-NO Freedom Fighter Sold to Norway 70-1408 Northrop F-5B-40-NO Freedom Fighter to Turkey 70-1608/1613 Northrop F-5B-40-NO Freedom Fighter all to Iran 70-1948 Northrop F-5B-40-NO Freedom Fighter to Turkey 71-1033/1034 Northrop F-5B-45-NO Freedom Fighter 1034 to South Korea 72-0436/0449 Northrop F-5B-50-NO Freedom Fighter c/n N.8087/N.8100 0436,0437 to Turkey 0438 to South Korea 0440 to Turkey, 0441 converted to GF-5B 0442/0448 to South Korea 0449 to Turkey 72-1337/1356 Northrop F-5B-50-NO Freedom Fighter to Saudi Arabia 73-1602/1613 Northrop F-5B-50-NO Freedom Fighter 1604/1605 to Jordan 1606/1608 to South Vietnam - 1607 returned to USAF 1609 to Thailand 1610 was manufacturer's test aircraft 1611,1612 to Thailand 1613 to Iran 74-0775/0786 Northrop F-5B-50-NO Freedom Fighter 0775/0777 to China 0778/0779 to Malaysia 0780 to Taiwan 0783/0785 to Jordan 74-1576/1581 Northrop F-5B-50-NO Freedom Fighter to Brazil as 4800/4805 74-2097/2112 cancelled contract for Northrop F-5B-50-NO 74-2114/2129 Northrop F-5B-50-NO Freedom Fighter sold to Korea
Specification of Northrop F-5B Freedom Fighter:
Engines: Two General Electric J85-GE-13 turbojets, rated at 2720 lb.st., 4080 lb.s.t. with afterburning. Performance: Maximum speed: 885 mph (Mach 1.34) at 36,000 feet. Maximum cruising speed without afterburning: 640 mph (Mach 0.97) at 36,000 feet. Stalling speed 138 mph with flaps extended. Initial climb rate 30,400 feet per minute. Service ceiling: 52,000 feet. Takeoff run: 2200 feet with two Sidewinder missiles. Landing run from 50 feet with braking parachute was 3800 feet. Range with maximum fuel was 1393 miles. Combat radius with maximum payload 201 miles. Combat radius with maximum fuel and 2 530-pound bombs 570 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 46 feet 4 inches, height 13 feet 1 inches, wing area 170 square feet. Weights: 8361 pounds empty, 20,677 pounds maximum takeoff. Armament: 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:
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The American Fighter, Enzo Angelucci and Peter Bowers, Orion, 1987.
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Jane's American Fighting Aircraft of the 20th Centry, Michael J.H.
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Modern Air Combat, Bill Gunston and Mike Spick, Crescent, 1983.
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Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.
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Post-World War II Fighters: 1945-1973, Marcelle Size Knaac, Office of
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F-5: Warplane for the World, Robbie Shaw, Motorbooks, 1990
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The World Guide to Combat Planes, William Green, Macdonald, 1966.
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- e-mail from Ben Marselis
