Northrop F-20 Tigershark – Foto e Video

Le Northrop F-20 Tigershark (inizialmente F-5G) era un caccia leggero finanziato privatamente, progettato e costruito da Northrop. Il suo sviluppo iniziò nel 1975 come un'ulteriore evoluzione dell'F-5E Tiger II di Northrop, con un nuovo motore che migliorava notevolmente le prestazioni complessive e una moderna suite avionica che include un radar potente e flessibile. Rispetto all'F-5E, l'F-20 era molto più veloce, acquisì capacità aria-aria oltre il raggio visivo e aveva una suite completa di modalità aria-terra in grado di sparare la maggior parte delle armi statunitensi. Con queste capacità migliorate, l'F-20 divenne competitivo con i progetti di caccia contemporanei come il General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, ma era molto meno costoso da acquistare e gestire.

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.