The Northrop F-5A/B Freedom Fighter and F-5E/F Tiger II are part of a family of widely used light supersonic fighter aircraft, designed and built by Northrop in the United States, beginning in the 1960s. Hundreds remain in service in air forces around the world in the early 21st Century, and the type has also been the basis for a number of other aircraft.

The F-5 started life as a privately funded light fighter program by Northrop in the 1950s. The first generation F-5A Freedom Fighter entered service in the 1960s. Over 800 were produced through 1972 for U.S. allies during the Cold War. The USAF had no need for a light fighter, but it did specify a requirement for a supersonic trainer and procured about 1,200 of a derivative airframe for this purpose, the T-38 Talon.

The improved second-generation F-5E Tiger II was also primarily used by American Cold War allies and, in limited quantities, served in US military aviation as a training and aggressor aircraft; Tiger II production amounted to 1,400 of all versions, with production ending in 1987. Many F-5s continuing in service into the 1990s and 2000s have undergone a wide variety of upgrade programs to keep pace with the changing combat environment. The F-5 was also developed into a dedicated reconnaissance version, the RF-5 Tigereye.

The F-5 serves as a starting point for a series of design studies which resulted in the twin-tailed Northrop YF-17 and the F/A-18 series of carrier-based fighters. The F-20 Tigershark was an advanced version of the F-5E that did not find a market. The F-5N/F variants remain in service with the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps as an adversary trainer

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale rendition of a Royal Canadian Air Force Northrop CF-116C Freedom fighter that was attached to the 434 "Bluenose" Squadron, then deployed to CFB Cold Lake, Canada, during 1979. Pre-order! Ship Date: July 2025.

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 7-3/4-inches
Length: 4-1/2-inches

Release Date: ?

Historical Account: "Bluenose" - 434 "Bluenose" Squadron was reformed flying the Canadair Sabre and stationed as part of 3 Wing at RCAF Station Zweibrucken, West Germany on March 7th, 1953, but was stood down on June 16th, 1962. It was re-activated on April 8th, 1963, as a Canadair CF-104 Starfighter unit in the strike/attack role and disbanded again on March 1st, 1967.

434 Operational Training Squadron formed at CFB Cold Lake as the Canadair CF-5 operational training unit on February 15th, 1968. The squadron later gave up OTU duties to 419 Squadron and became an operational squadron, moving to CFB Bagotville on July 15th, 1982, later to CFB Chatham in July 1985.

The unit became 434 Composite Squadron and reformed at CFB Shearwater on July 4th, 1992. The name was changed to 434 Combat Support Squadron and the unit moved to CFB Greenwood in mid-1995, flying the CC-144 Challenger and Canadair CT-133 Silver Star in the electronic warfare role. The squadron was finally disbanded there in May 2000.

The squadron was reactivated in May 2018 at CFB Trenton as a test and evaluation unit.