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F-5C

2023-05-29T06:36:51Z

U135975529: /* Usage in battles */

{{About
| about = American jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = F-5 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=f-5c
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|StoreImage F-5C 001.jpg|StoreImage F-5C 002.jpg|StoreImage F-5C 003.jpg|StoreImage F-5C 004.jpg|StoreImage F-5C 005.jpg}}
|store=10174
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} American jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Red Skies"]].

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}

The F-5C is generally an all-round good fighter. It's not the fastest plane and not the most manoeuvrable, but the combination of its decent speed, acceleration, and manoeuvrability make it a joy to fly and fight in.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 10,668 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 1,429 || 1,421 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 27.1 || 28.2 || 112.7 || 99.2 || rowspan="2" | 850
|-
! Upgraded
| 1,460 || 1,443 || 26.9 || 27.0 || 159.1 || 133.6
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="6" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear !! Drogue chute
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || ✓ 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 926 || 560 || 555 || ~11 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 680 || < 750 || < 700 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="5" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | {{Annotation|Basic mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="3" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | General Electric J85-GE-13 || 2
| colspan="2" | 4,051 kg || colspan="3" | 366 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="4" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 11m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 37m fuel
|-
| 271 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet
| 4,580 kg || 4,992 kg || 5,463 kg || 5,814 kg || 9,000 kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="5" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 11m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 37m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 960 kgf || 1,426 kgf
| 0.62 || 0.57 || 0.52 || 0.49 || 0.32
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 1,200 kgf (1,400 km/h) || 2,459 kgf (1,400 km/h)
| 1.07 || 0.99 || 0.90 || 0.85 || 0.55
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}


* Self-sealing fuel tanks (2 in fuselage - centreline)

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|M39A2 (20 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* A choice between two presets:
** 2 x 20 mm M39A2 cannons, nose-mounted (280 rpg = 560 total)
** 2 x 20 mm M39A2 cannons + 60 x countermeasures

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}

{{main|LDGP Mk 81 (250 lb)|LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|M117 cone 45 (750 lb)|LDGP Mk 83 (1,000 lb)|LDGP Mk 84 (2,000 lb)}}
{{main|AGM-12B Bullpup|AIM-9E Sidewinder|FFAR Mighty Mouse|Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP|BLU-1 incendiary}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance presets:

* Without load
* 2 x AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles
* 18 x 250 lb LDGP Mk 81 bombs (4,500 lb total)
* 5 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (2,500 lb total)
* 5 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs (3,750 lb total)
* 3 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 1 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bomb (2,000 lb total)
* 76 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 8 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
* 4 x AGM-12B Bullpup missiles
* 5 x BLU-1 incendiary bombs

==== Custom loadout options ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! !! width="6%" | 1 !! width="6%" | 2 !! width="6%" | 3 !! width="6%" | 4 !! width="6%" | 5 !! width="6%" | 6 !! width="6%" | 7
| rowspan="11" width="30%" | <div class="ttx-image">[[File:Hardpoints_F-5E_(China).png]]</div>
|-
! 250 lb LDGP Mk 81 bombs
| || || 6 || 6 || 6 || ||
|-
! 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs
| || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 ||
|-
! 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs
| || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 ||
|-
! 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs
| || || 1 || 1 || 1 || ||
|-
! 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs
| || || || 1 || || ||
|-
! BLU-1 incendiary bombs
| || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 ||
|-
! FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
| || 19 || 19 || || 19 || 19 ||
|-
! Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
| || 4 || || || || 4 ||
|-
! AGM-12B Bullpup missiles
| || 1 || 1 || || 1 || 1 ||
|-
! AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles
| 1 || || || || || || 1
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


In air RB, the F-5C can be played as both a support and offensive plane. In medium range engagements, it plays well as a support fighter, either baiting enemies to use up missiles with the large amount of flares/chaff or launching missiles at enemies who are chasing friendly aircraft to give a chance to let your teammate get in a better position. In close range engagements, with some effort you can stay on the tail of the enemy, if possible making the enemy pull as many manoeuvres as possible to slow them down so you can get a short burst from the respectable 20 mm cannons mounted in the nose. Due to the plane's characteristics, overshooting an enemy won't be the end of a dogfight, the F-5C is able bleed enough speed in a quick turn to get right back on the enemy if they don't take advantage of the overshoot or if they are going too slow to be able to make any quick counterattack. Being slow and at a disadvantage, which is bad for any other jet at this tier, is especially terrible for this plane. The weak engines compared to its adversaries and the wing shape combine to give you great AoA but poor energy retention. At speeds above Mach 0.9, this is not an issue, but any lower than 850 km/h you will start to lose speed rapidly in a sharp turn. It is therefore recommended to pick 1v1 fights against weaker aircraft or enlist the help of teammates to secure kills.

In mixed ground battles (RB), the F-5C is able to function as a light strike aircraft, while also being able to maintain air supremacy. The F-5C's versatile loadout of air-to-ground ordnance allows the player to choose what range they want to do air support, for example the 4 x AGM-12B loadout is great for medium range engagements against enemy ground units.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Small size makes for a harder target to hit
* Has countermeasures
* Guns are effective
* Good turn rate
* Wide variety of weapon loadouts
* Engine does not tend to overheat even in afterburners

'''Cons:'''

* Only two fairly weak AIM-9Es air-to-air missiles
* No radar
* Below average top speed
* No CCIP or CCRP for guns, rockets, or bombs, limiting its ground attack potential

== History ==

In 1965, after the outbreak of the Vietnam War, the US government decided to send troops to South Vietnam to counter the threat of North Vietnamese forces. At that time, many tactical wings of USAF were sent to Thailand and South Vietnam for Operation Rolling Thunder, as well as to support the South Vietnam Army in countering the Viet Cong forces in the South Vietnam. In the meantime, many countries were reluctant to purchase the F-5, as it hadn't yet been adopted by the USAF. Thus, the USAF decided to let Colonel Frank Emory lead a special provisional squadron named 4503rd Tactical Fighter Squadron to take the new F-5 fighters into the Vietnam War, an excellent chance to prove that F-5 could do its job well in regional conflicts: this combat evaluation project was named "Skoshi Tiger".

[[File:Skoshi Tiger welcome banner AFHRA.png|left|thumb|343x343px|The welcome banner of F-5C Skoshi Tiger in Bien Hoa AFB, Vietnam.]]
To extend the combat capability of the Skoshi Tiger, Northrop made some modifications to the original F-5A Freedom Fighter, such as an external fixed refuelling probe on the left side of the forward fuselage that could receive fuel from a KC-135 tanker to extend the combat radius for some long-range missions. The total weight of the Skoshi Tiger's in-flight refuelling system was 85 pounds, but it could be removed if necessary. To improve the survivability of the Skoshi Tiger against enemy ground fire, two 1/4 inch-thick face-hardened steel armour plates were mounted externally on the fuselage, the function of the front plate was to protect the pilot and control mechanisms, and the aft plate protected vital hydraulic and control areas near the tail section, which added 236 pounds to the overall weight, there were five jettison-able pylons in total under the wings and fuselage like the original F-5A Freedom Fighter, other improvements such as better throttle linkage for improved afterburner modulation and the deletion of the rudder limiter were also implemented on the Skoshi Tiger.

The official name of "Skoshi Tiger" is F-5C. Five F-5A-15 and seven F-5A-20 originally destined to allied countries were withdrawn and sent to 4503rd Tactical Fighter Squadron after received those modifications. Some sources claim that USAF wanted 200 F-5 fighters which could be used in Vietnam War, in which the Skoshi Tiger program would be divided into three parts, and 4503rd Tactical Fighter Squadron was the first part who were sent to Bien Hoa AFB to attack the ground targets in South Vietnam.

On 23rd October 1965, Skoshi Tigers of 4503rd Tactical Fighter Squadron finally arrived at Bien Hoa AFB and started their combat evaluation missions. In their first combat evaluation mission on the same day, two Skoshi Tigers each carried four 500-pound bombs and 500 rounds of 20 mm ammunition to strike a Viet Cong concentration, they made five bomb runs and two strafing passes over the target, luckily these two F-5C Skoshi Tigers didn't encounter any anti-air fire in the combat zone at that time. The squadron worked as an independent combat unit until it was attached to the Bien Hoa AFB-based 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing which the latter was equipped with North American F-100D and F-100F Super Sabre fighter.

Through the end of December 1965, F-5C Skoshi Tigers usually flew their combat missions within 40 miles of their home base, and the only loss happened on 16th December 1965 due to the enemy's ground fire. By the end of the month, Skoshi Tigers had flown 1,531 sorties and finished 496 missions in total, they spent 3,110,886 pounds of ordnance against Viet Cong targets and claimed to destroy 1,377 structures with another 1,292 damaged in their Phase I combat evaluation test missions.

After that, 4503rd Tactical Fighter Squadron moved to Da Nang Forward Base for their Phase II combat evaluation test missions, which would test if F-5C Skoshi Tigers could survive in combat zones with heavy anti-air defense in North Vietnam, also providing a wonderful chance for Skoshi Tigers to prove their air combat capability by destroying any North Vietnamese aircraft in the air. However, because the combat operations near North Vietnam were forbidden by the order of the president, Skoshi Tigers lost their chance against the enemy's MiG fighters, so they changed their targets to Viet Cong troops in Laos, and air-refuelling were needed for these combat missions in Laos. From the start of the Phase II combat evaluation on 3rd January 1966 to their end on the 30th, Skoshi Tigers flew almost 400 sorties and successfully destroyed six bridges.

The Phase III combat evaluation tests started on 2nd February 1966 when the Skoshi Tigers returned to Bien Hoa AFB, and their primary mission was to support the third Army Corps. During these days (the duration of the Phase III combat test, depending on different source was 10 to 21 days), Skoshi Tigers made 348 combat sorties, the combat load carried by the Skoshi Tigers during this phase averaged 2,603 lbs per sortie.

Though the original plan was scheduled that the Skoshi Tiger program would be ended after the end of Phase III combat missions, 4503rd Tactical Fighter Squadron returned to Da Nang AFB on 20th February 1966 again because USAF still wanted to find chances to test the true survivability of F-5C fighters in combat zones with heavy anti-air defense in North Vietnam, also they wanted a chance to prove that F-5C fighters could counter any Communist MiG fighters, so the original Skoshi Tiger program was extended to Phase IV at that time. During the first week, because of bad weather conditions, F-5C fighters were driven away from Laos, but since the weather got better on 1st March 1966, they obtained permission to conduct their combat test missions on the borders of North Vietnam and South Vietnam for the first time. The Skoshi Tigers not only did ground attack role but some of them also carried two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles to perform air escort missions for allied aircraft, they logged 176 combat sorties on 45 missions over North Vietnam and Laos area, also they spent 5,923 rounds of 20 mm ammunition and 543 M117 750 lb bombs during these combat missions until 10th March 1966.

On 8th March 1966, the Skoshi Tiger program was finally ended, but another squadron called 10th Fighter Commando Squadron was established at Bien Hoa AFB soon after (some sources suggest that they just changed their name from the original 4503rd Tactical Fighter Squadron to the new 10th Fighter Commando Squadron). Seven additional F-5 fighters without air-refuelling equipment were assigned to the new squadron which increased the total amount of aircraft to 18. Some sources say that 10th Fighter Commando Squadron was assigned to 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing of USAF at Bien Hoa AFB until 17th April 1967 and their aircraft and equipment were transferred to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force, but another source claimed that the reason that these F-5 fighters removed their air-refuelling equipment was because the Republic of Vietnam Air Force lacked tankers at that time, also Americans didn't want them to invade the North Vietnam area without a permit, which means it was assigned to Republic of Vietnam Air Force at that time. At that time, Skoshi Tiger's name was retained by the pilots of the 10th Fighter Commando Squadron, also some pilots decided to paint tiger stripes on their flight helmet.

Since the new 57 mm anti-air gun had been introduced into the North Vietnam Army by the end of 1966, the NVA finally found their approach to fight against the F-5C Skoshi Tiger formations at medium to high altitudes. From 8th March 1967 to 17th April 1967, the 10th Fighter Commando Squadron conducted 7,321 combat sorties, and 7,537 hours had been flown, including close air support and against missions enemy supply routes. A large amount of munitions had been expended by Skoshi Tigers for these combat missions, including 9,777 napalm canisters, 875 CBU bombs, and 778,566 20 mm rounds, and eight aircraft had been lost, including six aircraft due to ground fire and two aircraft due to engine failure. Seventeen aircraft had received battle damage.

In October 1966, the 10th Fighter Commando Squadron received a new mission at Bien Hoa AFB: to train new Republic of Vietnam Air Force pilots to fly the F-5 fighters for combat missions, and maintenance personnel of the Republic of Vietnam Air Force were trained to maintain the F-5 fighters. At last, twelve remaining F-5A and F-5C fighters were turned over to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force at Bien Hoa AFB on 17th April 1967 from the deactivation of the USAF squadron.

[[File:F-5 fighter jet of NVA.png|thumb|356x356px|F-5 fighter in NVA service]]
Like their American ally, the Republic of Vietnam Air Force also used their F-5 fighters in close air support and supply route missions in the South Vietnam area, which helped the Republic of Vietnam Army a lot in many campaigns. From 1974 to 1975, the North Vietnam Army launched huge offensives from all directions into the Republic of Vietnam, which destroyed many Republic of Vietnam Army forces while occupying many of the Republic of Vietnam's territories, though in many cases, F-5 fighters, A-1 attackers, A-37 attackers and Armed helicopters successfully helped the allied army break the enemy's offensive or carry out retreat operations. However, as the North Vietnamese army gradually occupied the territories of South Vietnam, many Air Force bases were captured by the North Vietnamese army, and F-5 fighters that had not yet taken off or were damaged were captured by North Vietnamese army too. Because of the risk that the US government would send their Combat Forces back to Vietnam, the senior commander of North Vietnam Forces didn't want to use their MiG fighters during these invasion operations, therefore, some of the Republic of Vietnam Air Force pilots who surrendered before were ordered to re-fly their F-5 fighters to attack the positions of the South Vietnamese army, even one time a F-5 fighter dropped a bomb on the square of the presidential palace in Saigon.

As the Vietnam War was finally ended in 1975, the new Vietnam government decided to transfer some American military equipment, such as F-5 fighters, A-37 attackers, and UH-1 helicopters, to the Soviet Union and China in exchange for more support. In China, the captured F-5A Freedom Fighter sent by the Vietnam government was tested with their own J-6 fighter, and it was found that the air combat performance of F-5A fighter not only could completely match their own J-6 fighter, but it also had much better ground attack capability, apart from that, the manufacturing process, aerodynamic design, airborne equipment and other parts of the F-5A fighter also had left a deep impression on Chinese aircraft engineers.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=f-5c Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/7166-development-top-gun-day-premium-f-5c-in-red-menace-camo-for-pre-order-en|[Devblog] Top Gun Day: Premium F-5C in Red Menace camo for pre-order!]]
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/519024-f-5a/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer Northrop}}
{{USA jet aircraft}}
{{USA premium aircraft}}

F-8E

2023-05-10T03:06:44Z

U135975529: /* Offensive armament */

{{Specs-Card
|code=f-8e
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Direct Hit"]].

The F-8E is a later model of the Crusader. Compared to the preceding [[F8U-2]], it has largely the same flight performance but improved ordnance options. The infrared-guided AIM-9D Sidewinder returns as a good option for dogfights and sneak attacks, but it can now utilize the radar-guided AIM-9C, which may be useful during head-on engagements. The ground attack options are vastly superior because of the addition of wing pylons; while the F8U-2 was limited to cheek-mounted Zuni rockets and its internal FFAR rocket tray, the F-8E can carry a decent bombload and AGM-12 Bullpup air-to-ground missiles, making it more capable as a multirole fighter.

The F-8E can really be considered "The Last Gunfighter" in War Thunder, because the succeeding [[F-4J Phantom II|F-4J Phantom]] is a very different aircraft to cap off the US naval jet line: a heavy twin-engine fighter lacking an internal gun and relying on powerful long-range missiles.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}


The F-8E, as a development of the previous [[F8U-2]], will feel very similar to the pilot in command. The Crusader is a highly agile aircraft, capable of dogfighting most enemy aircraft at its rank, blending initial pull with surprising energy retention. This allows the F-8E to pull inside enemy aircraft without bleeding massive amounts of speed like the delta wing aircraft at this rank are prone to doing. The wings have been strengthened to allow for this, so pilots should feel free to perform harsher manoeuvres than while flying the previous F8U-2, albeit the F-8E will still rip in some extreme turns. The engine has been upgraded as well, the extra 560 kgf making up for the slight additional weight of the wings and increasing the climb rate and speed of the aircraft. The F-8E is particularly strong at lower speeds, where the extra engine thrust allows it to sustain turns and accelerate quicker, and it also inherits the unique landing flaps of the Crusader: the wing detaching from the fuselage and angling upwards. This gives large amounts of extra lift, giving the F-8E a sharp advantage at very low speeds, although the plane will "wallow" in the air from the extra lift, and has a difficult time dropping the nose in this flap configuration.

That manoeuvrability and energy retention comes at a cost though, and that is speed. The F-8E is slow for its rank, and struggles to break past mach 1 at sea level. With missiles loaded, it will top out at exactly mach 1, and with any other ordnance loaded it is unable at sea level. At higher altitudes the F-8E is able of exceeding the speed of sound, though not by much and once past mach 1 the acceleration drops dramatically. The plane also compresses around mach .98, so pilots should be wary when diving on targets, as the aircraft may compress and be unable to pull as hard as the pilot may be accustomed to. The rudder on this aircraft is also something to be aware of. The rudder on this aircraft does not work like those on other aircraft, meaning that during a roll or pulling with mouse aim can cause the nose to swing wildly. This is especially a problem at sea level at high speeds, where the rudder will shake the nose around to a great extent. Also, the rudder during rolls throws the nose around unlike other aircraft, meaning it can be hard to get close shots with the gun but can be used for high speed snapshots.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 10,668 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 2,094 || 2,087 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 29.4 || 30.6 || 108.5 || 98.1 || rowspan="2" | 1,828
|-
! Upgraded
| 2,132 || 2,110 || 28.6 || 29.0 || 158.0 || 131.4
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="6" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear !! Drogue chute
|-
| ✓ || X || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| 1,555  || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 1,070 || N/A || 583 || ~10 || ~4
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 1,000 || < 590 || < 500 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="6" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Basic mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="3" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Pratt & Whitney J57-P-20 || 1
| colspan="3" | 8,953 kg || colspan="3" | 376 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="5" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 15m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 45m fuel || 52m fuel
|-
| 1,592 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet
| 10,200 kg || 10,550 kg || 11,348 kg || 12,545 kg || 13,109 kg || 15,468 kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="6" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 15m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 45m fuel || 52m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 4,562 kgf || 8,520 kgf
| 0.84 || 0.81 || 0.75 || 0.68 || 0.65 || 0.55
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 4,804 kgf (1,000 km/h) || 9,543 kgf (1,200 km/h)
| 0.94 || 0.91 || 0.84 || 0.76 || 0.73 || 0.62
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}

Like the earlier [[F8U-2]] (F-8C), the only armour on the F-8E is 25 mm of bulletproof glass on the front windscreen. Most of the central fuselage and wing is filled with large fuel tanks which makes gunfire from above or behind likely to cause fuel leaks and fires. Near enough the entire rear fuselage is taken up by the engine, making engine damage likely from rear attacks. Despite these drawbacks, the F-8E is still more durable than some jets and can often make it back to base with light to moderate damage.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

As with most high tier jets, the first modification you want to pick up will be the flares/chaff in order to let you effectively counter enemy missiles. From there you want to progress though the missile upgrades as fast as possible, taking your pick of flight performance upgrades in order to unlock each tier (you could also use the ordnance upgrades to unlock each modification tier, but as the F-8E is primarily a fighter flight performance is usually the best pick). Once you have all missiles unlocked your focus will probably be on the remaining flight performance upgrades, although the cannons upgrades are certainly useful if you enjoy gun fighting.

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|Browning-Colt Mk12 Mod 3 (20 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* A choice between two presets:
** 4 x 20 mm Browning-Colt Mk12 Mod 3 cannons, nose-mounted (144 rpg = 576 total)
** 4 x 20 mm Browning-Colt Mk12 Mod 3 cannons + 60 x countermeasures

The offensive armament of the F-8E consists of 4 x 20 mm Browning-Colt Mk12 Mod 3 autocannons, grouped into 2 selectable groups. The guns replaced the 20 mm M3 commonly used from the end of WW2 until the Korean war, and has a quick fire rate of 1,000 rpm, outputting 7.30 kg of shells per second towards the enemy. With 144 rounds per gun, this gives pilots of the F-8E 8.64 seconds of trigger time. If ammo capacity is a concern, pilots can select one group of 20 mm to fire at a time, doubling their trigger time. The guns do reliable damage and have a good velocity of 1,012 m/s, only slightly less than the [[M61 (20 mm)|20 mm M61]] found on later jets. This makes getting reliable gun kills easy for pilots.

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}

{{main|LDGP Mk 81 (250 lb)|LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|LDGP Mk 83 (1,000 lb)|LDGP Mk 84 (2,000 lb)|Mk 77 mod 4 incendiary}}
{{main|AGM-12B Bullpup|AIM-9B Sidewinder|AIM-9C Sidewinder|AIM-9D Sidewinder}}
{{main|FFAR Mighty Mouse|Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance presets:

* Without load
* 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x AIM-9C Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x AIM-9D Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x AIM-9C Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x AIM-9D Sidewinder missiles
* 76 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 24 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
* 4 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
* 4 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets + 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets + 2 x AIM-9C Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets + 2 x AIM-9D Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x AGM-12B Bullpup missiles
* 12 x 250 lb LDGP Mk 81 bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 8 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 4 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 2 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 2 x Mk 77 mod 4 incendiary bombs

The F-8E has a much more extensive selection of multirole weaponry when compared to the preceding [[F8U-2]], although it is still intended for use mainly as an air supremacy aircraft.

Beginning with the unguided rockets, it gets access to both FFAR Mighty Mouse and Zuni Mk32 rockets. The Mighty Mouse is a small rocket, weighing only 8 kg and with only 290 mm penetration, but it makes up for this in quantity. The F-8E can carry 4 x pods of 19 rockets each, 2 mounted under each wing pylon, for a total of 76 rockets. As for the Zuni rockets, these are much larger at 56 kg and have 457 mm penetration, much more suited for taking out heavier targets. The placement is rather unique however. 4 can be mounted stock, 2 on each side of the fuselage behind the cockpit; however this is not recommended as it takes up the missile rails and greatly limits the anti-air capability of the plane. Once the modification is researched, it gains access to 16 more, mounted in 2 pods of 4 each under the wing pylons.

The F-8E also gains access to unguided bombs: 250 lb, 500 lb, 1,000 lb, 2,000 lb and of course the Mk 77 incendiary bomb. These are all mounted on the wing pylons, and pilots are recommended to use 500 lb or greater bombs if attacking enemy armour. The incendiary bombs work well against open topped vehicles, so these should be used if attacking large groups of open topped vehicles. They can also be used to shield allies from sight or deny a crucial area from open-topped vehicles while the napalm continues to burn.

The last anti-surface weapon is the AGM-12B Bullpup. This is the only guided air-to-ground munition the F-8E can carry, albeit it is manually guided, unlike later weapons like the later [[AGM-65A|Maverick]] missiles. These will take some practice for pilots to get accustomed to aiming, but with 8 km range these are the recommended option for use in ground battles against the long range AA common at this rank. Pilots are recommended to turn off "Relative Control' in the controls for the weapon, as with this setting on the missile will continue pulling in the same direction as the last input until another correction is given.

Now for anti-aircraft missiles, the original purpose of the F-8E. It gains access to three types: the AIM-9B, AIM-9C, and AIM-9D missiles.

The AIM-9B is the most basic missile that planes of this rank get. It is an IR missile with a caged seekerhead, limited range, and only 10Gs of pull. This is one of the two missiles pilots will get with an un-upgraded aircraft. It does not pull very well and is recommended for use against slow or unaware targets, although it can also be used to force enemy pilots to go evasive to allow the F-8E time to close to gun range.

The AIM-9C is a basic {{Annotation|SARH|Semi-Active Radar-Homing}} missile, and the other stock option for the F-8E: it has very similar flight performance to the AIM-9D IR missile also found on this aircraft, with good range, 18Gs of pull, however it does have an uncaged seekerhead and since it is a radar missile, is all-aspect. This missile works well, only limited by the radar set which is rather prone to ground clutter. Pilots are recommended to only use the missile at high altitude, or while below the enemy aircraft. Also, pilots should be aware that this missile uses "pulse" guidance; this means that unlike more advanced radar missiles like the [[AIM-7 Sparrow (Family)|AIM-7 Sparrow]], any amount of chaff from the enemy will immediately decoy it. It is recommended to use this missile against planes without countermeasures or enemy pilots which choose to not equip chaff, as it is more difficult to kinematically dodge the missile without the use of chaff.

The final missile the F-8E gains access to is the AIM-9D. A later evolution of the AIM-9B, this has much better range and pull, especially at altitude where hits from over 6 km can reasonably be expected. It still has a caged seekerhead like the AIM-9B, so pilots may find it slightly difficult to fire the missile at a manoeuvring target, but once off the rails the missile performs admirably and is one of the better IR missiles at its rank. It is recommended to run 2 of the AIM-9D along with 2 of the AIM-9C if the pilot wishes to engage both with radar and IR missiles, or just the AIM-9D if the pilot prefers no warning to enemy pilots.

==== Custom loadout options ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! !! width="11%" | 1 !! width="11%" | 2 !! width="11%" | 3 !! width="11%" | 4
| rowspan="12" width="30%" | <div class="ttx-image">[[File:Hardpoints_{{PAGENAME}}.png]]</div>
|-
! 250 lb LDGP Mk 81 bombs
| 3, 6 || || || 3, 6
|-
! 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs
| 3, 4 || || || 3, 4
|-
! 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs
| 1, 2 || || || 1, 2
|-
! 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs
| 1 || || || 1
|-
! Mk 77 mod 4 incendiary bombs
| 1 || || || 1
|-
! FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
| 7, 19, 38 || || || 7, 19, 38
|-
! Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
| 4, 8 || 2*, 4 || 2*, 4 || 4, 8
|-
! AGM-12B Bullpup missiles
| 1 || || || 1
|-
! AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles
| || 1*, 2 || 1*, 2 ||
|-
! AIM-9C Sidewinder missiles
| || 1*, 2 || 1*, 2 ||
|-
! AIM-9D Sidewinder missiles
| || 1*, 2 || 1*, 2 ||
|-
| colspan="6" | * Single missiles can be carried concurrently with dual Zuni rockets on the same hardpoint
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The way you start a battle in the F-8E will depend on what you think the likely composition of the enemy team is. If the battle rating of the match and the countries you are up against lead you to believe that the enemy team will have few (if any) SARH missile-equipped jets then a good start would be to climb to high altitude (around 5,000 m). Once at altitude, you can use your AIM-9C missiles to engage any other high altitude enemies you find head-on; as the AIM-9C is a rare weapon (only used on the F-8E), most people are not aware of its capabilities and are not expecting to receive a front-aspect missile. This allows you to pick up a couple of easy kills from safely outside the range of enemy cannon fire. If there are no more enemy aircraft to engage at high altitude, you can use your speed and altitude to dive down upon lower altitude enemy aircraft for gun/missile attacks. After completing your attack you can either use your energy to go back to high altitude and prepare for another attack or use the F-8E's great manoeuvrability to stay at lower altitudes to engage in dogfights with enemy aircraft.

If you judge the enemy team to likely have SARH-equipped jets then your lack of an RWR makes going to high altitude very risky; in this case it is better to fly at a lower altitude, probably no more than 2,000 m. This gives you a little bit of altitude to play with and puts you in a position where you can potentially use your AIM-9C missiles against targets above you, while being somewhat protected against enemy SARH missiles (aircraft with pulse-Doppler radars will still be able to hit you though, so stay vigilant and be prepared to dodge). At low altitude you can use the F-8Es great manoeuvrability and powerful armament to win out against many enemies in a dogfight, though you must always keep an eye out for enemy missiles.

The flight performance of the {{PAGENAME}} is similar enough to the preceding [[F8U-2]] that similar tactics should apply in a dogfight. The F-8E's instantaneous turn isn't the best, but it has great energy retention and sustained turn rate. Avoid scissors or any turn radius fight as the {{PAGENAME}}'s energy retention ability in this case will put the plane at a disadvantage because in a scissors, you will bleed less speed than the enemy and will end up in front of their guns. The plane's low-speed maneouvrability also isn't a strong point, so avoid using the air brakes to bleed speed. Rate fighting makes the most of the {{PAGENAME}}'s ability as in these extended, longer-lasting dogfights, the F-8E's superior energy retention will see that it has kept more speed than an enemy aircraft. In this case, even if the enemy has a better initial turn rate, they will lose significantly more speed until they won't be able to keep up in a sustained turn. The {{PAGENAME}} will start gaining on them, and they will either be forced to pitch down to gain speed and try to gain on you, or they will run away. In these cases, you can simply pitch down too and stay on their tail. Eventually, the dogfight will move to a very low altitude, where there is no longer anywhere for the enemy to pitch down, and you will outrate them and get guns on them. If you haven't noticed yet, a rate dogfight like this will last a while depending on your position, so it is recommended not to engage in one when there are other enemies in the area.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Can carry four useful air-to-air missiles
** AIM-9C air-to-air missiles are radar guided and can be launched in head-ons to surprise opponents
** AIM-9D air-to-air missiles have above average range (around 3 km)
* Landing flaps activate its variable-incidence wings, which provides a lot of lift
* Very good sustained turn rate
* Good acceleration and climb rate
* Has an Infrared Search and Track (IRST) sensor which assists in locating targets by finding their heat signatures
* Has a variety of suspended air-to-ground ordnance

'''Cons:'''

* Fragile wings which can easily rip at high speeds and in high-G turns
* Very likely to set on fire because of the fuel tank placement
* Below average low level top speed compared to other supersonic competitors; can barely break Mach 1 at low altitude
* Lacks a ballistic computer, which greatly limits its ground attack potential

== History ==

''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=f-8e Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|tQhEl042QE8|'''The Shooting Range #275''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:28 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==

''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [https://www.avialogs.com/aircraft-v/vought/item/5195-f-8e-crusader-standard-aircraft-characteristics-1-july-1967 Standard Aircraft Characteristics of the F-8E]

{{AirManufacturer Vought}}
{{USA jet aircraft}}

AIM-9H Sidewinder

2023-03-17T01:45:45Z

U135975529: /* Vehicles equipped with this weapon */

{{About
| about = American air-to-air missile '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = AIM-9 Sidewinder (Family)
}}
== Description ==

[[File:WeaponImage AIM-9D Sidewinder.png|thumb|left|420px|The AIM-9H Sidewinder missile (scale is approximate)]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{PAGENAME}}''' is an American [[Air-to-air_missiles#Infrared_homing_.28heat-seeking.29_missiles|infrared homing air-to-air missile]], it was introduced in [[Update "Danger Zone"]].

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


* {{Specs-Link|f_14a_early}}
* {{Specs-Link|f-4s}}

== General info ==

The AIM-9H is a further development of the AIM-9G, retaining all of the AIM-9Gs characteristics with a better tracking rate.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" | '''Missile characteristics'''
|-
|'''Mass'''|| 88 kg
|-
|'''Guidance'''|| IR
|-
|'''Aspect''' || Rear-aspect
|-
|'''Lock range'''|| 5.50 km
|-
|'''Launch range'''|| 18 km
|-
|'''Maximum speed'''|| 2.5 M
|-
|'''Maximum overload'''|| 18 G
|-
|'''Missile guidance time'''|| 60 secs
|-
|'''Explosive mass'''|| 3.53 kg TNTeq
|-
|}

=== Effective damage ===

The AIM-9H, like all of its competitors, uses a high-explosive warhead to shower the target in shrapnel.

Similarly to nearly every missile in the game, a direct hit from the missile will most likely destroy the target aircraft either through the explosion itself or the resulting damage and/or fire.

=== Comparison with analogues ===

The most similar thing to the AIM-9H is the AIM-9G, borrowing the same degrees of boresight and rocket motor, but the AIM-9H features a better track rate. Compared to the USAF Juliet model, it has a longer guidance time and motor burn time, but has a slightly lower G limit, making the Hotel inferior in dogfight scenarios but slightly more suited to ranged launches. It can be radar slaved, like the Juliet.

{| class="wikitable"
! Missile Characteristics !! AIM-9H !! AIM-9G !! AIM-9J
|-
| '''Mass''' || 88 kg || 88 kg || 76 kg
|-
| '''Guidance''' || IR || IR || IR
|-
| '''Aspect''' || Rear || Rear || Rear
|-
| '''Seeker Head''' || Uncaged || Uncaged || Uncaged (radar slavable)
|-
| '''Lock range (rear-aspect)''' || 5.5 km || 5.5 km || 5.5 km
|-
| '''Launch range''' || 18 km || 18 km || 18 km
|-
| '''Maximum speed''' || 2.5 M || 2.5 M || 2.5 M
|-
| '''Maximum overload''' || 18 G || 18 G || 20 G
|-
| '''Missile guidance time''' || 60 s || 60 s || 40 s
|-
| '''Explosive Mass''' || 3.53 kg TNTeq || 3.53 kg TNTeq || 7.62 kg TNTeq
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The AIM-9H is most effective against unaware or occupied enemy aircraft from about 2.4 km or less (1.5 miles) from the rear or side aspects, able to tackle many opponents who are even attempting to evade the missile.

Depending on the encountered aircraft, the AIM-9H can occasionally lock an enemy aircraft from head-on, allowing a skilled player to launch said missile from the front.

Most players will be expecting an AIM-7 from your aircraft, so an AIM-9 would sufficiently confuse the enemy and net you a good hit.

Using the AIM-9H is situational however, as a misjudged shot could either result in a miss, or worse, a friendly fire incident. Good judgement and timing will net you many rewards, but the IR seeker is unlikely to differentiate between friend or foe when it matters most.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Long lasting rocket motor allowing for shots beyond 3 km
* Large seeker ring making off boresight shots more effective
* No G limit when launching the missile so you can launch the missile when turning at an high angle of attack
* Front-aspect locks are occasionally possible

'''Cons:'''

* Small explosive warhead
* IR Seeker sometimes tracks friendlies

== History ==

{{main|AIM-9G_Sidewinder#History|l1=History of the AIM-9G Sidewinder}}

The [[AIM-9G Sidewinder|AIM-9G]] variant of the Sidewinder was thought by some engineers at China Lake to be the pinnacle of Sidewinder designs. Compared to the preceding [[AIM-9D Sidewinder|AIM-9D]], the AIM-9G introduced the "Sidewinder Expanded Acquisition Mode" (SEAM) that allowed the Sidewinder to be slaved to the aircraft's radar or perform a circular scan of around 25 degrees. Though some engineers thought the AIM-9G was perfect, others engineers involved with the Sidewinder project since its [[AIM-9B|inception]] like William McLean (originator of the Sidewinder weapon) and Walter LaBerge (Sidewinder's missile engineer) believed that the AIM-9G's reliability could be further enhanced.<ref name="Westrum_ChinaLakeAIM9_2ndGen">Westrum 2013, p.187</ref>

In December 1965, McLean and LaBerge (who is at the time employed by Philco-Ford) got together to consider options of improving the missile's reliability. One proposal was to convert all remaining missile electronic components to solid-state gradually. While the US Air Force was open to this gradual replacement of electronics into solid-state, the proposal to the US Navy by engineer Walt Freitag was instead a complete the transition to solid-state all at once.<ref name="Westrum_ChinaLakeAIM9_2ndGen" /> The tracking rate was improved from 12 degrees/second into 20 degrees/second to complement the missile's more powerful actuators. The new missile, designated the '''AIM-9H''', was introduced into the US navy service in 1972 at the tail end of the Vietnam War, though sources are mixed on whether they were used in combat before the US withdrawal in 1973. A total of 7,700 AIM-9H units would be produced between 1972-1974 by Philco-Ford and Raytheon.<ref name="Designation_Sidewinder">Parsch 2008</ref>

Projects after the Vietnam War to continue improving the AIM-9s led to using the AIM-9H as the basis of the improvements. China Lake started the program as the ''AIM-9H Product Improvement Package (PIP)''. The United States Air Force, also seeking a missile improvement from their [[AIM-9E Sidewinder|AIM-9E]] and [[AIM-9J Sidewinder|AIM-9J]] models of the Sidewinder, became involved with the US Navy's AIM-9H PIP under direction the Pentagon. The variety of improvements inputted by both service branches led to the missile that would be designated as the [[AIM-9L Sidewinder|AIM-9L]].<ref name="Westrum_ChinaLakeAIM9L">Westrum 2013, p.191</ref>

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[AIM-9 Sidewinder (Family)]]

== External links ==


=== References ===

;Citations
<references />

;Bibliography

* Parsch, Andreas. 2008. "AIM-9." Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles. Last modified July 09, 2008. [http://www.designation-systems.info/dusrm/m-9.html Website] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20220107172850/http://www.designation-systems.info/dusrm/m-9.html Archive])
* Westrum, Ron. 2013. ''Sidewinder; Creative Missile Development at China Lake''. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press.

{{Missiles}}

[[Category:Suspended armaments]]

F-4S Phantom II

2023-03-17T01:29:53Z

U135975529: added incendiaries to loadout options, engine specs, added pros and cons

{{About
|about = premium American jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage = other versions
|link = F-4 Phantom II (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=f-4s
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|StoreImage_{{PAGENAME}}_004.jpg}}
|store=12048
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} American jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Sky Guardians"]].

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}

''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max speed (km/h at _,___ m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| ___ || ___ || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | ___
|-
! Upgraded
| ___ || ___ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="6" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear !! Drogue chute
|-
| _ || _ || _ || _ || _ || _ 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || ___ || ___ || ___ || ~__ || ~__
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < ___ || < ___ || < ___ || > ___
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="4" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | {{Annotation|Basic mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="2" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | General Electric J79-GE-10 || 2
| colspan="2" | _,___ kg || colspan="2" | ___ kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="3" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Max Gross Weight|Mass of the fully equipped aircraft with heaviest weapons load}}
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! _m fuel || __m fuel || __m fuel
|-
| 1750 kg || colspan="2" | Jet
| _,___ kg || _,___ kg || _,___ kg || _,___ kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="4" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (___%/WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || ___%/WEP
! _m fuel || __m fuel || __m fuel || MGW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || ___ kgf || ___ kgf
| _.__ || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
|-
| ''Optimal'' || ___ kgf (_ km/h) || ___ kgf (_ km/h)
| _.__ || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}

''Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.''

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs) !! CCRP (Bombs)
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}


The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* A choice between two presets:
** Without offensive armament
** 60 x countermeasures

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}

{{main|LDGP Mk 81 (250 lb)|LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|M117 cone 45 (750 lb)|LDGP Mk 83 (1,000 lb)}}
{{main|AIM-7F Sparrow|AIM-9H Sidewinder|FFAR Mighty Mouse|Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP|Mk 11 mod 5 (20 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance presets:

* 1 x 20 mm Mk 11 mod 5 cannon (750 rpg)
* 4 x AIM-9H Sidewinder missiles
* 6 x AIM-7F Sparrow missiles
* 1 x 20 mm Mk 11 mod 5 cannon + 4 x AIM-7F Sparrow missiles + 4 x AIM-9H Sidewinder missiles + 48 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
* 1 x 20 mm Mk 11 mod 5 cannon + 4 x AIM-7F Sparrow missiles + 4 x AIM-9H Sidewinder missiles + 190 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 1 x 20 mm Mk 11 mod 5 cannon + 4 x AIM-7F Sparrow missiles + 4 x AIM-9H Sidewinder missiles + 18 x 250 lb LDGP Mk 81 bombs (4,500 lb total)
* 1 x 20 mm Mk 11 mod 5 cannon + 4 x AIM-7F Sparrow missiles + 4 x AIM-9H Sidewinder missiles + 18 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (9,000 lb total)
* 1 x 20 mm Mk 11 mod 5 cannon + 4 x AIM-7F Sparrow missiles + 4 x AIM-9H Sidewinder missiles + 12 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs (9,000 lb total)
* 1 x 20 mm Mk 11 mod 5 cannon + 4 x AIM-7F Sparrow missiles + 4 x AIM-9H Sidewinder missiles + 8 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (8,000 lb total)
* 3x 1,000 lb Mk 79 Mod 1 incendiary bomb (3,000 lb total)

==== Custom loadout options ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! !! width="4%" | 1 !! width="4%" | 2 !! width="4%" | 3 !! width="4%" | 4 !! width="4%" | 5 !! width="4%" | 6 !! width="4%" | 7 !! width="4%" | 8 !! width="4%" | 9 !! width="4%" | 10 !! width="4%" | 11
| rowspan="11" width="30%" | <div class="ttx-image">[[File:Hardpoints_F-4C_Phantom_II.png]]</div>
|-
! 20 mm Mk 11 mod 5 cannons (750 rpg)
| || || || || || 1 || || || || ||
|-
! 250 lb LDGP Mk 81 bombs
| 6 || 3 || || || || 6 || || || || 3 || 6
|-
! 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs
| 6 || 3 || || || || 6 || || || || 3 || 6
|-
! 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs
| 3 || 3 || || || || 3 || || || || 3 || 3
|-
! 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs
| 2 || 2 || || || || 3 || || || || 2 || 2
|-
! FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
| 38 || 57 || || || || 57 || || || || 57 || 38
|-
! Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
| 12 || 12 || || || || 12 || || || || 12 || 12
|-
! AIM-7F Sparrow missiles
| || 1* || || 1 || 1 || || 1 || 1 || || 1* ||
|-
! AIM-9H Sidewinder missiles
| || || 2* || || || || || || 2* || ||
|-
| colspan="12" | Maximum permissible loadout weight: 7,257 kg Maximum permissible wing load: 3,000 kg Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 1,500 kg
|-
| colspan="13" | * Sparrows on hardpoints 2/10 cannot be carried in conjunction with Sidewinders on hardpoints 3/9 respectively
|}

== Usage in battles ==

''Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Can carry 8 air-to-air missiles
* Can take off and land on aircraft carrier

'''Cons:'''

* Doesn't have an internal gun
* The external gunpod negatively affects flight performance
* Somewhat large target

== History ==

''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

== Media ==

''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==

''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/8133-development-pre-order-f-4s-phantom-ii-pack-en|[Devblog] Pre-order: F-4S Phantom II pack]]

{{USA jet aircraft}}
{{USA premium aircraft}}

F-5C

2023-03-17T00:48:33Z

U135975529: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
| about = American jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = F-5 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=f-5c
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|StoreImage F-5C 001.jpg|StoreImage F-5C 002.jpg|StoreImage F-5C 003.jpg|StoreImage F-5C 004.jpg|StoreImage F-5C 005.jpg}}
|store=10174
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} American jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Red Skies"]].

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}

The F-5C is generally an all-round good fighter. It's not the fastest plane and not the most manoeuvrable, but the combination of its decent speed, acceleration, and manoeuvrability make it a joy to fly and fight in.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 10,668 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 1,429 || 1,421 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 27.1 || 28.2 || 112.7 || 99.2 || rowspan="2" | 850
|-
! Upgraded
| 1,460 || 1,443 || 26.9 || 27.0 || 159.1 || 133.6
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="6" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear !! Drogue chute
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || ✓ 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 926 || 560 || 555 || ~11 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 680 || < 750 || < 700 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="5" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | {{Annotation|Basic mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="3" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | General Electric J85-GE-13 || 2
| colspan="2" | 4,051 kg || colspan="3" | 366 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="4" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 11m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 37m fuel
|-
| 271 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet
| 4,580 kg || 4,992 kg || 5,463 kg || 5,814 kg || 9,000 kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="5" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 11m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 37m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 960 kgf || 1,426 kgf
| 0.62 || 0.57 || 0.52 || 0.49 || 0.32
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 1,200 kgf (1,400 km/h) || 2,459 kgf (1,400 km/h)
| 1.07 || 0.99 || 0.90 || 0.85 || 0.55
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}


* Self-sealing fuel tanks (2 in fuselage - centreline)

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|M39A2 (20 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* A choice between two presets:
** 2 x 20 mm M39A2 cannons, nose-mounted (280 rpg = 560 total)
** 2 x 20 mm M39A2 cannons + 60 x countermeasures

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}

{{main|LDGP Mk 81 (250 lb)|LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|M117 cone 45 (750 lb)|LDGP Mk 83 (1,000 lb)|LDGP Mk 84 (2,000 lb)}}
{{main|AGM-12B Bullpup|AIM-9E Sidewinder|FFAR Mighty Mouse|Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP|BLU-1 incendiary}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance presets:

* Without load
* 2 x AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles
* 18 x 250 lb LDGP Mk 81 bombs (4,500 lb total)
* 5 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (2,500 lb total)
* 5 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs (3,750 lb total)
* 3 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 1 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bomb (2,000 lb total)
* 76 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 8 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
* 4 x AGM-12B Bullpup missiles
* 5 x BLU-1 incendiary bombs

==== Custom loadout options ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! !! width="6%" | 1 !! width="6%" | 2 !! width="6%" | 3 !! width="6%" | 4 !! width="6%" | 5 !! width="6%" | 6 !! width="6%" | 7
| rowspan="11" width="30%" | <div class="ttx-image">[[File:Hardpoints_F-5E_(China).png]]</div>
|-
! 250 lb LDGP Mk 81 bombs
| || || 6 || 6 || 6 || ||
|-
! 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs
| || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 ||
|-
! 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs
| || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 ||
|-
! 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs
| || || 1 || 1 || 1 || ||
|-
! 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs
| || || || 1 || || ||
|-
! BLU-1 incendiary bombs
| || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 ||
|-
! FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
| || 19 || 19 || || 19 || 19 ||
|-
! Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
| || 4 || || || || 4 ||
|-
! AGM-12B Bullpup missiles
| || 1 || 1 || || 1 || 1 ||
|-
! AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles
| 1 || || || || || || 1
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


In air RB, the F-5C can be played as both a support and offensive plane. In medium range engagements, it plays well as a support fighter, either baiting enemies to use up missiles with the large amount of flares/chaff or launching missiles at enemies who are chasing friendly aircraft to give a chance to let your teammate get in a better position. In close range engagements, with some effort you can stay on the tail of the enemy, if possible making the enemy pull as many manoeuvres as possible to slow them down so you can get a short burst from the respectable 20 mm cannons mounted in the nose. Due to the plane's characteristics, overshooting an enemy won't be the end of a dogfight, the F-5C is able bleed enough speed in a quick turn to get right back on the enemy if they don't take advantage of the overshoot or if they are going too slow to be able to make any quick counterattack.

In mixed ground battles (RB), the F-5C is able to function as a light strike aircraft, while also being able to maintain air supremacy. The F-5C's versatile loadout of air-to-ground ordnance allows the player to choose what range they want to do air support, for example the 4 x AGM-12B loadout is great for medium range engagements against enemy ground units.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Small size makes for a harder target to hit
* Has countermeasures
* Guns are effective
* Good turn rate
* Wide variety of weapon loadouts
* Engine does not tend to overheat even in afterburners

'''Cons:'''

* Only two fairly weak AIM-9Es air-to-air missiles
* No radar
* Somewhat weak engines
* Below average top speed
* No CCIP or CCRP for guns, rockets, or bombs, limiting its ground attack potential

== History ==

In 1965, after the outbreak of the Vietnam War, the US government decided to send troops to South Vietnam to counter the threat of North Vietnamese forces. At that time, many tactical wings of USAF were sent to Thailand and South Vietnam for Operation Rolling Thunder, as well as to support the South Vietnam Army in countering the Viet Cong forces in the South Vietnam. In the meantime, many countries were reluctant to purchase the F-5, as it hadn't yet been adopted by the USAF. Thus, the USAF decided to let Colonel Frank Emory lead a special provisional squadron named 4503rd Tactical Fighter Squadron to take the new F-5 fighters into the Vietnam War, an excellent chance to prove that F-5 could do its job well in regional conflicts: this combat evaluation project was named "Skoshi Tiger".

[[File:Skoshi Tiger welcome banner AFHRA.png|left|thumb|343x343px|The welcome banner of F-5C Skoshi Tiger in Bien Hoa AFB, Vietnam.]]
To extend the combat capability of the Skoshi Tiger, Northrop made some modifications to the original F-5A Freedom Fighter, such as an external fixed refuelling probe on the left side of the forward fuselage that could receive fuel from a KC-135 tanker to extend the combat radius for some long-range missions. The total weight of the Skoshi Tiger's in-flight refuelling system was 85 pounds, but it could be removed if necessary. To improve the survivability of the Skoshi Tiger against enemy ground fire, two 1/4 inch-thick face-hardened steel armour plates were mounted externally on the fuselage, the function of the front plate was to protect the pilot and control mechanisms, and the aft plate protected vital hydraulic and control areas near the tail section, which added 236 pounds to the overall weight, there were five jettison-able pylons in total under the wings and fuselage like the original F-5A Freedom Fighter, other improvements such as better throttle linkage for improved afterburner modulation and the deletion of the rudder limiter were also implemented on the Skoshi Tiger.

The official name of "Skoshi Tiger" is F-5C. Five F-5A-15 and seven F-5A-20 originally destined to allied countries were withdrawn and sent to 4503rd Tactical Fighter Squadron after received those modifications. Some sources claim that USAF wanted 200 F-5 fighters which could be used in Vietnam War, in which the Skoshi Tiger program would be divided into three parts, and 4503rd Tactical Fighter Squadron was the first part who were sent to Bien Hoa AFB to attack the ground targets in South Vietnam.

On 23rd October 1965, Skoshi Tigers of 4503rd Tactical Fighter Squadron finally arrived at Bien Hoa AFB and started their combat evaluation missions. In their first combat evaluation mission on the same day, two Skoshi Tigers each carried four 500-pound bombs and 500 rounds of 20 mm ammunition to strike a Viet Cong concentration, they made five bomb runs and two strafing passes over the target, luckily these two F-5C Skoshi Tigers didn't encounter any anti-air fire in the combat zone at that time. The squadron worked as an independent combat unit until it was attached to the Bien Hoa AFB-based 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing which the latter was equipped with North American F-100D and F-100F Super Sabre fighter.

Through the end of December 1965, F-5C Skoshi Tigers usually flew their combat missions within 40 miles of their home base, and the only loss happened on 16th December 1965 due to the enemy's ground fire. By the end of the month, Skoshi Tigers had flown 1,531 sorties and finished 496 missions in total, they spent 3,110,886 pounds of ordnance against Viet Cong targets and claimed to destroy 1,377 structures with another 1,292 damaged in their Phase I combat evaluation test missions.

After that, 4503rd Tactical Fighter Squadron moved to Da Nang Forward Base for their Phase II combat evaluation test missions, which would test if F-5C Skoshi Tigers could survive in combat zones with heavy anti-air defense in North Vietnam, also providing a wonderful chance for Skoshi Tigers to prove their air combat capability by destroying any North Vietnamese aircraft in the air. However, because the combat operations near North Vietnam were forbidden by the order of the president, Skoshi Tigers lost their chance against the enemy's MiG fighters, so they changed their targets to Viet Cong troops in Laos, and air-refuelling were needed for these combat missions in Laos. From the start of the Phase II combat evaluation on 3rd January 1966 to their end on the 30th, Skoshi Tigers flew almost 400 sorties and successfully destroyed six bridges.

The Phase III combat evaluation tests started on 2nd February 1966 when the Skoshi Tigers returned to Bien Hoa AFB, and their primary mission was to support the third Army Corps. During these days (the duration of the Phase III combat test, depending on different source was 10 to 21 days), Skoshi Tigers made 348 combat sorties, the combat load carried by the Skoshi Tigers during this phase averaged 2,603 lbs per sortie.

Though the original plan was scheduled that the Skoshi Tiger program would be ended after the end of Phase III combat missions, 4503rd Tactical Fighter Squadron returned to Da Nang AFB on 20th February 1966 again because USAF still wanted to find chances to test the true survivability of F-5C fighters in combat zones with heavy anti-air defense in North Vietnam, also they wanted a chance to prove that F-5C fighters could counter any Communist MiG fighters, so the original Skoshi Tiger program was extended to Phase IV at that time. During the first week, because of bad weather conditions, F-5C fighters were driven away from Laos, but since the weather got better on 1st March 1966, they obtained permission to conduct their combat test missions on the borders of North Vietnam and South Vietnam for the first time. The Skoshi Tigers not only did ground attack role but some of them also carried two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles to perform air escort missions for allied aircraft, they logged 176 combat sorties on 45 missions over North Vietnam and Laos area, also they spent 5,923 rounds of 20 mm ammunition and 543 M117 750 lb bombs during these combat missions until 10th March 1966.

On 8th March 1966, the Skoshi Tiger program was finally ended, but another squadron called 10th Fighter Commando Squadron was established at Bien Hoa AFB soon after (some sources suggest that they just changed their name from the original 4503rd Tactical Fighter Squadron to the new 10th Fighter Commando Squadron). Seven additional F-5 fighters without air-refuelling equipment were assigned to the new squadron which increased the total amount of aircraft to 18. Some sources say that 10th Fighter Commando Squadron was assigned to 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing of USAF at Bien Hoa AFB until 17th April 1967 and their aircraft and equipment were transferred to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force, but another source claimed that the reason that these F-5 fighters removed their air-refuelling equipment was because the Republic of Vietnam Air Force lacked tankers at that time, also Americans didn't want them to invade the North Vietnam area without a permit, which means it was assigned to Republic of Vietnam Air Force at that time. At that time, Skoshi Tiger's name was retained by the pilots of the 10th Fighter Commando Squadron, also some pilots decided to paint tiger stripes on their flight helmet.

Since the new 57 mm anti-air gun had been introduced into the North Vietnam Army by the end of 1966, the NVA finally found their approach to fight against the F-5C Skoshi Tiger formations at medium to high altitudes. From 8th March 1967 to 17th April 1967, the 10th Fighter Commando Squadron conducted 7,321 combat sorties, and 7,537 hours had been flown, including close air support and against missions enemy supply routes. A large amount of munitions had been expended by Skoshi Tigers for these combat missions, including 9,777 napalm canisters, 875 CBU bombs, and 778,566 20 mm rounds, and eight aircraft had been lost, including six aircraft due to ground fire and two aircraft due to engine failure. Seventeen aircraft had received battle damage.

In October 1966, the 10th Fighter Commando Squadron received a new mission at Bien Hoa AFB: to train new Republic of Vietnam Air Force pilots to fly the F-5 fighters for combat missions, and maintenance personnel of the Republic of Vietnam Air Force were trained to maintain the F-5 fighters. At last, twelve remaining F-5A and F-5C fighters were turned over to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force at Bien Hoa AFB on 17th April 1967 from the deactivation of the USAF squadron.

[[File:F-5 fighter jet of NVA.png|thumb|356x356px|F-5 fighter in NVA service]]
Like their American ally, the Republic of Vietnam Air Force also used their F-5 fighters in close air support and supply route missions in the South Vietnam area, which helped the Republic of Vietnam Army a lot in many campaigns. From 1974 to 1975, the North Vietnam Army launched huge offensives from all directions into the Republic of Vietnam, which destroyed many Republic of Vietnam Army forces while occupying many of the Republic of Vietnam's territories, though in many cases, F-5 fighters, A-1 attackers, A-37 attackers and Armed helicopters successfully helped the allied army break the enemy's offensive or carry out retreat operations. However, as the North Vietnamese army gradually occupied the territories of South Vietnam, many Air Force bases were captured by the North Vietnamese army, and F-5 fighters that had not yet taken off or were damaged were captured by North Vietnamese army too. Because of the risk that the US government would send their Combat Forces back to Vietnam, the senior commander of North Vietnam Forces didn't want to use their MiG fighters during these invasion operations, therefore, some of the Republic of Vietnam Air Force pilots who surrendered before were ordered to re-fly their F-5 fighters to attack the positions of the South Vietnamese army, even one time a F-5 fighter dropped a bomb on the square of the presidential palace in Saigon.

As the Vietnam War was finally ended in 1975, the new Vietnam government decided to transfer some American military equipment, such as F-5 fighters, A-37 attackers, and UH-1 helicopters, to the Soviet Union and China in exchange for more support. In China, the captured F-5A Freedom Fighter sent by the Vietnam government was tested with their own J-6 fighter, and it was found that the air combat performance of F-5A fighter not only could completely match their own J-6 fighter, but it also had much better ground attack capability, apart from that, the manufacturing process, aerodynamic design, airborne equipment and other parts of the F-5A fighter also had left a deep impression on Chinese aircraft engineers.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=f-5c Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/7166-development-top-gun-day-premium-f-5c-in-red-menace-camo-for-pre-order-en|[Devblog] Top Gun Day: Premium F-5C in Red Menace camo for pre-order!]]
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/519024-f-5a/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer Northrop}}
{{USA jet aircraft}}
{{USA premium aircraft}}