กองทัพอากาศไทย - Kongtap Agard Thai - Royal Thai Air Force

       Credit:  Roundels of the world
Roundel                      Fin flash

                                        Last update 10-07-2022

Colours
Northrop F-5 obtained during their long operational life several colours:

Freedom Fighters were delivered in metal colours, except to the one formerly destined to South Vietnam, but received a local developed camouflage at a later stage. Longer operating aircrafts double-seaters
obtained the same camouflage (at least till 1996), followed by one similar to the Tigers, two shades light grey camouflage, and, at a later date, a two shades blue camouflage.

                                                                              
                                                                            Northrop F-5A 1314/69129 at Don Muang AFB, urgently diverted to Thailand before delivery to
                                                                            the Vietnam Republic AF (SVN); note unusual camouflage, different from the Thai one

                                                                               .
                                                                                       Northrop F-5B 23101/384038 landing in a two shades light grey camouflage.

                                                                              

An eye catching inscription on the tail and a tiger below the cockpit were painted in 1996 on the first ever built Northrop F-5B (serial 38438) for the celebration of the 30th anniversary of its in service entrance
(with USAF). The tail inscription was updated each following year; by the time of its decommissioning ceremony on 18-12-07 at Don Muang AFB it had reached 44 years! The aircraft can now be admired at the
same base museum.                         
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Tiger

Each of the two batches aircrafts' had a different camouflage; the first one had three different shades of blue, while the second had a two shades air superioty grey.

Airframes of the first batch were painted in a three-tone camouflage:      Photo: Michael Grove
                                                                                                                          Northrop F-5E 61668 at McClellan AFB on 28-04-78
                                                                                                          
Underfuselage view of 701 Squadron Northrop F-5Es. nearest code 70141 on  06-07-12          Air-to-air view of three Northropa F-5Es of the 701st Squandron, of note new camouflage,
                                                                                         Photo: Fly Team - RA86141        each aircraft slightly different.                                                 Photo: Royal Thai Air Force

                                                                                                  
                                                                                     Code 7113 erronously painted on aircraft (instead of 71113), Air Force museum at Don Muang on 21-02-04
Special colours
 Remembrance of several anniversaries prompted the Air Force to decorate the tail of some Tigers:

                                                          
To mark the 30th anniversary of 21 Wing at Ubon Ratchathani F-5F 21105/91692 was painted in special markings seen for the first time on 11-10-05 at Don Muang AFB. This was the first Tiger with special colours             
          
                                                               Photo: Royal Thai AF
                         Northrop F-5TH 21124/91687 in colours marking 100 years of aviation in Thailand in January 2013 in company with 211-32 armed with Python 4 missiles
                                                                                                                                                                                            
                                 
                                                                              Old and new: inflight view of Northrop F-5E 70143/61672 with a tail inscription "100 - centennial" of the RTAF
                                                                              Founding Fathers' Aviation" accompanied by Saab J-39 Gripen 70106.                                Photo: R. Thai AF

                                                                                      
                                                                Tails of one double-seater(21106/91708) and one single-seater (21119/91682) were adorned beginning 2011 with a
                                                                "30 years shark nose (1981-2011)" painting, respectively in colours and in grey/white to remember delivery of the
                                                                second batch, shark-nose equipped Tigers

          A new livery was applied in 2018 on the tails of Northrop F-5Ts. Tails of two aircrafts were painted in new colours to commemorate the 40th years of Northrop F-5E/F's operation (since 1978).

                                                                           .                      Photos: archive The Northrop F-5 Enthusiast

                                                                                                Photo: via Small cale Art
                                                                                                                     Overwing view of Northrop F-5ETH, without code

            
  211 Squadrom line-up; tails serial 21128 in colour and 2112 in black and white.                          Underwing view of serial Northrop 21128                                          Photo R. Thai AF
                                                                       Photo: Sukasom Hiranphan/TAF
                       Photos: Arrow    
                              Landing of new camouflaged single-seater, plus underwing view of both prototypes double- and single-seater, armed with air-to-air missiles Iris-T