Northrop F-20 Tigershark – Fotografije & Video

V Northrop F-20 Tigershark (sprva F-5G) je bil zasebno financiran lahki lovec, ki ga je zasnoval in izdelal Northrop. Njegov razvoj se je začel leta 1975 kot nadaljnji razvoj Northropovega F-5E Tiger II, ki je imel nov motor, ki je močno izboljšal splošno zmogljivost, in sodobno letalsko opremo, vključno z zmogljivim in prilagodljivim radarjem. V primerjavi s F-5E je bil F-20 veliko hitrejši, pridobil je zmogljivost zrak-zrak izven vizualnega dosega in je imel celoten nabor načinov zrak-zemlja, ki so lahko izstrelili večino ameriškega orožja. S temi izboljšanimi zmogljivostmi je F-20 postal konkurenčen sodobnim lovcem, kot je General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, vendar je bil veliko cenejši za nakup in uporabo.

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.