This is an independent, growing collection of Northrop F-5 aircraft and their history. It is not affiliated with Northrop Grumman, any air force, or the museums and agencies linked here.
What you will find
The airframe section begins with museum-documented aircraft. Each record separates an aircraft identity from display markings and links to its source. The aircraft pages answer specific questions and show the records behind their facts. The variant comparison helps separate the early Freedom Fighter from the later Tiger II. The identification page shows how to check a photograph without relying on paint alone.
How the information is checked
We use named sources such as the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, NASA and NAVAIR for dates, design changes and program history. Source links appear next to the relevant claims and again at the end of each aircraft page. Figures are identified with their source and context, since equipment and performance vary by aircraft and configuration.
Images and accuracy
The two images on the home page are original generated illustrations made for this site. They are labeled as illustrations and should not be used to identify a real airframe. When a page points to a documented aircraft, it links to the museum or agency record rather than presenting artwork as a photograph.
Corrections
Aircraft histories can be complicated by local modifications and reused designations. When a record is unclear, this site states the limit instead of inventing certainty. We will expand the records as reliable evidence becomes available.