I have come across an article from Air Force Magazine (link below) about the F-5 dated December 1964 that briefly talks about two variants of the F-5 apparently being offered at the time.
First, an improved F-5A with slightly higher thrust ("J85-13/J5", 4300 lbf, 220 lbf higher than the J85-GE-13 of the F-5A), larger maneuvering flaps, and "other improvements". It supposedly had better performance across the board except for slightly lower ferry range and slightly higher landing speeds as well as a slightly higher weight.
The second variant is an STOL F-5 that has all the improvements from the improved variant, but with a significantly more powerful engine ("J85-J1A", 5000 lbf, very similar to the J85-GE-21 of the F-5E) as well as a larger wing. It would have had a significantly shorter take off run (half the standard F-5A's) as well as a shorter landing distance, and a significantly higher ferry range (nearly 900nm further). It would have been 3000 lbs heavier too.
I've looked everywhere I could think of but it appears only this article has anything about these two variants or their engines, so nothing else I can add to this.
Performance specifications according to the article:
Improved F-5:
Here's the link to the article: F-5: Little Plane With a Big Future. The site has a link to the original article in PDF format too.
First, an improved F-5A with slightly higher thrust ("J85-13/J5", 4300 lbf, 220 lbf higher than the J85-GE-13 of the F-5A), larger maneuvering flaps, and "other improvements". It supposedly had better performance across the board except for slightly lower ferry range and slightly higher landing speeds as well as a slightly higher weight.
The second variant is an STOL F-5 that has all the improvements from the improved variant, but with a significantly more powerful engine ("J85-J1A", 5000 lbf, very similar to the J85-GE-21 of the F-5E) as well as a larger wing. It would have had a significantly shorter take off run (half the standard F-5A's) as well as a shorter landing distance, and a significantly higher ferry range (nearly 900nm further). It would have been 3000 lbs heavier too.
I've looked everywhere I could think of but it appears only this article has anything about these two variants or their engines, so nothing else I can add to this.
Performance specifications according to the article:
Improved F-5:
- Sea level static thrust: 4300 lbf, J85-13/J5 engine
- Take off gross weight (clean): 13550 lbs
- Empty weight: 8283 lbs
- Takeoff distance: 2050 ft
- Sea level Rate of Climb: 29500 ft/m
- Maximum speed: Mach 1.42
- Touchdown speed: 135 knots
- Landing distance: 2150 ft
- Ferry range jettisoning tanks: 1495 mi
- Ferry range without jettisoning tanks: 1215 mi
- Sea level static thrust: 5000 lbf, J85-J1A engine
- Take off gross weight (clean): 16892 lbs
- Empty weight: 10609 lbs
- Takeoff distance: 1190 ft
- Sea level Rate of Climb: 29400 ft/m
- Maximum speed: Mach 1.50
- Touchdown speed: 99 knots
- Landing distance: 1500 ft
- Ferry range jettisoning tanks: 2400 mi
- Ferry range without jettisoning tanks: 1710 mi
- Sea level static thrust: 4080 lbf, J85-GE-13 engine
- Take off gross weight (clean): 13000 lbs
- Empty weight: 7733 lbs
- Takeoff distance: 2410 ft
- Sea level Rate of Climb: 28600 ft/m
- Maximum speed: Mach 1.40
- Touchdown speed: 130 knots
- Landing distance: 2050 ft
- Ferry range jettisoning tanks: 1515 mi
- Ferry range without jettisoning tanks: 1230 mi
Here's the link to the article: F-5: Little Plane With a Big Future. The site has a link to the original article in PDF format too.
