Northrop F-5
Enthusiast Page
Original illustration
Just for fun / Paint Shop

Paint your own aggressor

Adversary F-5s wear some of the wildest camouflage in naval aviation. Pick a pattern, mix your colors, add a tail code, and download your jet.

Side profile of a custom-painted F-5 Tiger II

Original schematic drawing for fun, not a technical reference.

Start from a scheme
Pattern
Colors
Markings

Want the real thing? Read how the Navy's adversary jets used paint, or see a real aggressor scheme at Pima Air & Space Museum.

Real schemes to try

Most F-5 paint jobs fall into a few families. Recreate a Skoshi Tiger jet in 1960s Vietnam greens and tan, a grey air-defence Tiger like Switzerland's, or a bold blue-and-white splinter scheme from the Navy's adversary squadrons. For something brighter, try the red and white of the Turkish Stars.

Paint is only a clue in real life, though. Jets get repainted, and museum aircraft often wear markings from another point in their history, so the serial number is what tells you which airframe you are looking at. The Identify page shows how to read one.