Northrop F-20 Tigershark – Valokuvat & Video

Nniiden Northrop F-20 Tigershark (alun perin F-5G) oli yksityisesti rahoitettu kevyt hävittäjä, jonka suunnitteli ja rakensi Northrop. Sen kehitys alkoi vuonna 1975 Northropin F-5E Tiger II: n jatkokehityksenä, jossa on uusi moottori, joka paransi huomattavasti yleistä suorituskykyä, ja moderni avioniikkapaketti, joka sisältää tehokkaan ja joustavan tutkan. F-5E: hen verrattuna F-20 oli paljon nopeampi, sai visuaalisen kantaman ulkopuolisen ilma-ilma-kyvyn ja sillä oli täysi valikoima ilmasta maahan -tiloja, jotka pystyivät ampumaan useimmat Yhdysvaltain aseet. Näiden parannettujen ominaisuuksien ansiosta F-20: sta tuli kilpailukykyinen nykyaikaisten hävittäjämallien, kuten General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falconin, kanssa, mutta sen ostaminen ja käyttö oli paljon halvempaa.

The Northrop F-20 Tigershark was a light fighter aircraft that was developed by Northrop in the 1970s and 1980s. It was based on the successful F-5E Tiger II, but had a more powerful engine, a more advanced radar and a wider range of weapons. The F-20 was designed to be a low-cost, high-performance fighter that could compete with the Soviet MiG-21 and MiG-23, as well as the newer F-16 Fighting Falcon. The F-20 was also intended to be an attractive option for foreign customers who wanted a modern fighter without the restrictions imposed by the US government on the export of its frontline aircraft.
However, the F-20 faced several challenges in the market, such as changing political and military policies, competition from other US and European fighters, and lack of support from the US Air Force. Despite demonstrating impressive performance and reliability in various tests and demonstrations, the F-20 failed to secure any orders and was eventually canceled in 1986 after only three prototypes were built.