Canadair (Northrop) CF-5A Freedom Fighter
The successful F-5/T-38 family had its start in the N-156, a low-cost, low-maintenance jet fighter developed as a private venture by Northrop in the early 1950s. During World War II, the US Navy had built many escort carriers, but these could not operate the jet fighters entering Navy service. The N-156 was to fulfill this role, by mating a powerful engine—the J85, originally developed for the ADM-20 Quail unmanned decoy aircraft—with a light airframe, providing a high thrust-to-weight ratio. In the end, the US Navy decided to scrap its escort carrier fleet, but the N-156 still impressed enough for Northrop to be awarded a contract for three prototypes, the first of which flew in July 1959. The USAF liked the N-156 enough to order it into production as a two-seat supersonic trainer, the T-38A Talon, but there was still no market for the single-seat fighter version.
That changed in 1962, when the Kennedy administration, seeking a fighter for second and third-world allies of the United States, ordered the N-156 into production as the F-5A Freedom Fighter. The F-5 was considered better than the F-100 Super Sabre in the attack role, while its superb performance, low maintenance, and low cost were appealing to less advanced air forces. Sales for the F-5A were disappointing at first, but after the type was proven under Operation Skoshi Tiger in South Vietnam, they began to pick up. The Freedom Fighter’s lack of range and radar limited to day fighter and attack roles, and so Northrop developed the even more successful F-5E Tiger II.
In the mid-1960s, with the cancellation of the CF-105 Arrow program and the age of the CF-100 Canuck, Canada was in the market for new fighters. The CF-101 Voodoo had fufilled the interceptor role, but the CF-104 Starfighter had a high accident rate and was not really designed for the strike role it was being used for. The Canadian Air Force wanted the F-4E Phantom II, but the Trudeau administration refused on grounds of cost; instead, the F-5A was bought instead since it was cheaper—despite the fact that the F-5 was not really wanted by the CAF, as they could not figure out what to do with it. Canadair was tasked to license-build the Freedom Fighter in Canada as the CF-5A, another decision that was not popular, as Canadair regarded the CF-5 as a step backward from the highly advanced CF-105 project. Nonetheless, Canadair would go on to build 240 CF-5s. In CAF service, the aircraft was known as the CF-116, but this designation was rarely used.
Since the CF-5 would be operating in harsh Canadian winters, Canadair made some changes to the baseline F-5A. This included a two-stage nose gear, which could be extended to allow shorter takeoffs, more powerful Orenda-built J85s, cooling vents for the engines in the rear fuselage, a better navigation system, and inflight refuelling. While the CF-5 had better performance, the CAF was still unsure exactly what to do with the aircraft—its range was too short and it lacked radar, making it a poor choice to operate in the fighter role over Canada; it was deployed to Europe as a light strike fighter,. It did, however, prove to be a superb lead-in fighter trainer for prospective fighter pilots, and as an aggressor aircraft simulating the MiG-21 during Maple Flag exercises at Cold Lake, Alberta.
The Netherlands unexpectedly found itself a customer for the F-5 as well. It needed a replacement for the F-84F Thunderstreak, but, like Canada, the Royal Netherlands Air Force lacked funding or runway space for a large fighter. The modifications made by Canadair and the low cost of the F-5 in general were tailor-made for the Dutch government to order the aircraft as the NF-5A. The NF-5A differed from the Canadian version by having leading-edge slats, giving the NF-5 the best turn rate of any F-5A variant; NF-5s could snap-turn with a F-16 Fighting Falcon. Once the RNAF began receiving F-16s, beginning in the 1980s, the NF-5 was also relegated to the role of lead-in fighter trainer, though it was continually updated with defensive avionics and AIM-9 Sidewinder wingtip launch rails to allow it to operate as a day fighter and give it a better chance in wartime. Venezuela also ordered a small number of CF-5s as VF-5s, identical to the Canadian version.
A total of 240 CF/NF-5s were produced by Canadair. Canada and the Netherlands retired their F-5s in the mid-1990s, but the majority of these aircraft were passed on to the Greek, Turkish, and Botswanan air forces, where (with the exception of Greece), they remain in service. Venezuela’s VF-5s also remain in service.
This CF-5A is more than likely CAF 116772, delivered in 1970 to the Canadian Air Force; as the CAF lacked the funding to equip more than two squadrons with CF-5s, 116772 went into storage for a few years until it was assigned to 434 Squadron at CFB Cold Lake, Alberta. In 1978, it was transferred to 433 Squadron at CFB Bagotville, Quebec, and would remain there for the rest of 116772's career. Retired in 1990, it was used as a spares aircraft for other museum CF-5s, but by 1995, 116772 went to the Memorial Military Museum in Campbelltown, Ontario. It was displayed in a dilapidated state, and after that museum closed, a private owner in Tucson, Arizona acquired 116772 around 2014. It was dismantled and shipped to Tucson, where it was stored behind a hangar. 116772 would remain there for the next decade, almost forgotten, but in 2024 the Pima Air and Space Museum purchased the aircraft for eventual display.
I had read on Facebook that 116772 had been acquired by Pima, and was pleasantly surprised to see it in the museum's restoration yard. It is still in pretty sad shape, sitting essentially in a cart, but worse-looking aircraft have been restored to pristine condition by Pima, so 116772's future looks a lot brighter than it did a few years ago.
Canadair (Northrop) CF-5A Freedom Fighter
The successful F-5/T-38 family had its start in the N-156, a low-cost, low-maintenance jet fighter developed as a private venture by Northrop in the early 1950s. During World War II, the US Navy had built many escort carriers, but these could not operate the jet fighters entering Navy service. The N-156 was to fulfill this role, by mating a powerful engine—the J85, originally developed for the ADM-20 Quail unmanned decoy aircraft—with a light airframe, providing a high thrust-to-weight ratio. In the end, the US Navy decided to scrap its escort carrier fleet, but the N-156 still impressed enough for Northrop to be awarded a contract for three prototypes, the first of which flew in July 1959. The USAF liked the N-156 enough to order it into production as a two-seat supersonic trainer, the T-38A Talon, but there was still no market for the single-seat fighter version.
That changed in 1962, when the Kennedy administration, seeking a fighter for second and third-world allies of the United States, ordered the N-156 into production as the F-5A Freedom Fighter. The F-5 was considered better than the F-100 Super Sabre in the attack role, while its superb performance, low maintenance, and low cost were appealing to less advanced air forces. Sales for the F-5A were disappointing at first, but after the type was proven under Operation Skoshi Tiger in South Vietnam, they began to pick up. The Freedom Fighter’s lack of range and radar limited to day fighter and attack roles, and so Northrop developed the even more successful F-5E Tiger II.
In the mid-1960s, with the cancellation of the CF-105 Arrow program and the age of the CF-100 Canuck, Canada was in the market for new fighters. The CF-101 Voodoo had fufilled the interceptor role, but the CF-104 Starfighter had a high accident rate and was not really designed for the strike role it was being used for. The Canadian Air Force wanted the F-4E Phantom II, but the Trudeau administration refused on grounds of cost; instead, the F-5A was bought instead since it was cheaper—despite the fact that the F-5 was not really wanted by the CAF, as they could not figure out what to do with it. Canadair was tasked to license-build the Freedom Fighter in Canada as the CF-5A, another decision that was not popular, as Canadair regarded the CF-5 as a step backward from the highly advanced CF-105 project. Nonetheless, Canadair would go on to build 240 CF-5s. In CAF service, the aircraft was known as the CF-116, but this designation was rarely used.
Since the CF-5 would be operating in harsh Canadian winters, Canadair made some changes to the baseline F-5A. This included a two-stage nose gear, which could be extended to allow shorter takeoffs, more powerful Orenda-built J85s, cooling vents for the engines in the rear fuselage, a better navigation system, and inflight refuelling. While the CF-5 had better performance, the CAF was still unsure exactly what to do with the aircraft—its range was too short and it lacked radar, making it a poor choice to operate in the fighter role over Canada; it was deployed to Europe as a light strike fighter,. It did, however, prove to be a superb lead-in fighter trainer for prospective fighter pilots, and as an aggressor aircraft simulating the MiG-21 during Maple Flag exercises at Cold Lake, Alberta.
The Netherlands unexpectedly found itself a customer for the F-5 as well. It needed a replacement for the F-84F Thunderstreak, but, like Canada, the Royal Netherlands Air Force lacked funding or runway space for a large fighter. The modifications made by Canadair and the low cost of the F-5 in general were tailor-made for the Dutch government to order the aircraft as the NF-5A. The NF-5A differed from the Canadian version by having leading-edge slats, giving the NF-5 the best turn rate of any F-5A variant; NF-5s could snap-turn with a F-16 Fighting Falcon. Once the RNAF began receiving F-16s, beginning in the 1980s, the NF-5 was also relegated to the role of lead-in fighter trainer, though it was continually updated with defensive avionics and AIM-9 Sidewinder wingtip launch rails to allow it to operate as a day fighter and give it a better chance in wartime. Venezuela also ordered a small number of CF-5s as VF-5s, identical to the Canadian version.
A total of 240 CF/NF-5s were produced by Canadair. Canada and the Netherlands retired their F-5s in the mid-1990s, but the majority of these aircraft were passed on to the Greek, Turkish, and Botswanan air forces, where (with the exception of Greece), they remain in service. Venezuela’s VF-5s also remain in service.
This CF-5A is more than likely CAF 116772, delivered in 1970 to the Canadian Air Force; as the CAF lacked the funding to equip more than two squadrons with CF-5s, 116772 went into storage for a few years until it was assigned to 434 Squadron at CFB Cold Lake, Alberta. In 1978, it was transferred to 433 Squadron at CFB Bagotville, Quebec, and would remain there for the rest of 116772's career. Retired in 1990, it was used as a spares aircraft for other museum CF-5s, but by 1995, 116772 went to the Memorial Military Museum in Campbelltown, Ontario. It was displayed in a dilapidated state, and after that museum closed, a private owner in Tucson, Arizona acquired 116772 around 2014. It was dismantled and shipped to Tucson, where it was stored behind a hangar. 116772 would remain there for the next decade, almost forgotten, but in 2024 the Pima Air and Space Museum purchased the aircraft for eventual display.
I had read on Facebook that 116772 had been acquired by Pima, and was pleasantly surprised to see it in the museum's restoration yard. It is still in pretty sad shape, sitting essentially in a cart, but worse-looking aircraft have been restored to pristine condition by Pima, so 116772's future looks a lot brighter than it did a few years ago.