- Two seats
- Tiger II family shape
- Compare with the early F-5B
A long tandem canopy is a clue, but the serial and airframe family are stronger evidence.
Work through the identification stepsThe F-5F is the two-seat Tiger II. Its extended cockpit makes it easy to separate from a single-seat F-5E in a clear side view, and its training role is why two seats mattered.
At a glance
| Family | Tiger II |
|---|---|
| Crew | Two |
| Related single-seat version | F-5E |
| First F-5F flight | September 1974 in NASA's development history |
| U.S. Navy role | Training and adversary combat tactics |
Why two seats matter
NAVAIR describes the F-5F as a dual-seat, twin-engine fighter commonly used for training and adversary combat tactics. It lists a two-person crew and a longer fuselage than the single-seat F-5N in its current program summary. [1] The second cockpit makes transition and instructional flying possible within the Tiger II family.
Later Navy F-5Fs have their own history. NAVAIR reports that three two-seat aircraft were rebuilt using cockpit and tail sections from older F-5Fs with center sections from former Swiss F-5Es. These aircraft were known informally as Franken-Tigers. [2] That conversion history is specific to those airframes, not every F-5F.
By the numbers
| Feature | F-5N | F-5F |
|---|---|---|
| Seats | One | Two |
| Length | About 14.4 m (47 ft) | About 15.7 m (52 ft) |
| Height | About 4.1 m | About 4.0 m |
| Wingspan | About 8.1 m | About 8.1 m |
| Top speed at 36,000 ft | Mach 1.64 | Mach 1.56 |
| Navy fleet | 25 | 2 |
| Marine Corps fleet | 13 | 1 |
Source: NAVAIR program summary. [1]
The second seat costs a little speed: NAVAIR lists the F-5F about 1.3 m longer than the F-5N and slightly slower at altitude. Only three F-5Fs serve the Navy and Marine Corps, so most adversary flying is done in the single-seat F-5N.
How to recognize one
Look for two tandem cockpit positions and the longer forward fuselage. The early F-5B also has two seats, so a canopy count only narrows the choices. Use the Tiger II airframe shape, serial, operator and dated caption to confirm an F-5F.
NAVAIR's F-5F conversion record includes a photograph of a documented two-seat Navy aircraft. Its caption and conversion history make it a safer reference than an unlabeled image.
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