Canadair CF-5A Freedom Fighter

Canadair · Canada · first flew 1968 · fighter

The Canadair CF-5A is Canada's domestically produced variant of the Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter, built under licence for the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1968.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	2 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	14.38 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Canadian-built Northrop F-5A variant
Twin-engine lightweight supersonic fighter
Small pointed nose with side air intakes

Essentially identical in appearance to the Northrop F-5A; distinguishable from later F-5E by the less pronounced leading edge extensions and longer, slimmer nose. Twin tail pipes and small, agile airframe are the key visual cues.

Specifications

The Canadair CF-5A Freedom Fighter has a length of 14.38 m (47 ft).
It has a wingspan of 7.87 m (26 ft).
Its maximum speed is 1743 km/h (1083 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Canada licensed Northrop's F-5 design in the 1960s and Canadair produced 89 CF-5As and 46 CF-5D two-seat trainers. The aircraft featured uprated General Electric J85 engines and Canadian-specific avionics. They served with the RCAF as both a fighter and advanced trainer through the 1970s and 1980s.

Variants

The CF-5A was the single-seat version while the CF-5D was the two-seat trainer variant. A number were later sold to the Netherlands as NF-5A/B aircraft, and surplus Canadian CF-5s were operated by other nations.

Where you'll see it

Operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1968 until retirement in the 1990s. Some airframes were later used by Venezuelan and Botswana air forces. A handful survive in museums across Canada.

Related aircraft

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