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Quelle: http://pao.navair.navy.mil/press_releases/index.cfm?fuseaction=press_release_view&Press_release_id=4080&site_id=29
NAVAIR and industry team build three F-5F Franken-Tigers
NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, Patuxent River, Md.—A NAVAIR and Northrop Grumman
team designed and built three F-5F Franken-Tiger Adversary aircraft to meet
an urgent Fleet requirement.
The F-5F Franken-Tiger was built using parts from a Navy two-seat F-5F Tiger
II aircraft and from single-seat, former Swiss Air Force, F-5E aircraft.
“A Fleet requirement came into our office in late September 2005 asking for
more F-5 Adversary pilots to staff a new squadron being established at Naval
Air Station Key West, Florida.” said Jay Bolles, Adversary Aircraft program
manager (PMA-207). “We needed a new two-seat trainer in order to meet this
requirement.”
The four remaining Navy F-5F Tiger II’s were too costly to maintain, had
very little service life left and needed to be retired, added Bolles. One of
the Navy F-5Fs was lost in a mid-air collision on June 13, 2008 so there
were only three left to convert.
“Our program office was already working with our industry partner to convert
41 newer, former Swiss Air Force F-5E aircraft and older Navy F-5E Adversary
aircraft into new F-5Ns,” said Bolles. “So building the Franken-Tigers was a
natural extension.”
This is how the Franken-Tigers were created, he said.
“Very simply, we took the two-seat cockpit section and the tail section of
the old Navy F-5Fs and bolted these on to the newer center section of the
former Swiss F-5Es,” said Bolles. “The conversion work took approximately
two years to complete and was a model of cooperation between NAVAIR and our
industry partner, Northrop Grumman. The Block I Avionics upgrade, the LN-260
Inertial Navigation Unit and the cockpit display unit was also included in
the baseline configuration, vastly improving navigation and pilot
situational awareness. We will deliver 41 F-5Ns and three F-5F
Franken-Tigers on time and on budget.”
The first Franken-Tiger made its maiden flight on November 25, 2008 and was
delivered to Marine Fighter Squadron, Training 401 (VMFT-401) at Marine
Corps Air Station, Yuma, Ariz., on December 9, 2008.
The second Franken-Tiger was delivered to Fighter Composite Squadron 111
(VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Fla., in December 19, 2008 and the third is
scheduled to be delivered to VFC-13 at NAS Fallon, Nev., in January 2010.
Photo: “The rollout of the new F-5F Franken-Tiger on April 23, 2008 at
Northrop Grumman’s plant in St Augustine, Fla.”
Die nummern:
No 1: 761586 LS 00, VMFT- 401 (ex J-3061)
No 2: 810834 AF 100, VFC-111. (ex J-3075)
No 3: 761580 AF ??, VFC-13. (ex J-3055)
Grüsse,
Jan Jelle
NAVAIR and industry team build three F-5F Franken-Tigers
NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, Patuxent River, Md.—A NAVAIR and Northrop Grumman
team designed and built three F-5F Franken-Tiger Adversary aircraft to meet
an urgent Fleet requirement.
The F-5F Franken-Tiger was built using parts from a Navy two-seat F-5F Tiger
II aircraft and from single-seat, former Swiss Air Force, F-5E aircraft.
“A Fleet requirement came into our office in late September 2005 asking for
more F-5 Adversary pilots to staff a new squadron being established at Naval
Air Station Key West, Florida.” said Jay Bolles, Adversary Aircraft program
manager (PMA-207). “We needed a new two-seat trainer in order to meet this
requirement.”
The four remaining Navy F-5F Tiger II’s were too costly to maintain, had
very little service life left and needed to be retired, added Bolles. One of
the Navy F-5Fs was lost in a mid-air collision on June 13, 2008 so there
were only three left to convert.
“Our program office was already working with our industry partner to convert
41 newer, former Swiss Air Force F-5E aircraft and older Navy F-5E Adversary
aircraft into new F-5Ns,” said Bolles. “So building the Franken-Tigers was a
natural extension.”
This is how the Franken-Tigers were created, he said.
“Very simply, we took the two-seat cockpit section and the tail section of
the old Navy F-5Fs and bolted these on to the newer center section of the
former Swiss F-5Es,” said Bolles. “The conversion work took approximately
two years to complete and was a model of cooperation between NAVAIR and our
industry partner, Northrop Grumman. The Block I Avionics upgrade, the LN-260
Inertial Navigation Unit and the cockpit display unit was also included in
the baseline configuration, vastly improving navigation and pilot
situational awareness. We will deliver 41 F-5Ns and three F-5F
Franken-Tigers on time and on budget.”
The first Franken-Tiger made its maiden flight on November 25, 2008 and was
delivered to Marine Fighter Squadron, Training 401 (VMFT-401) at Marine
Corps Air Station, Yuma, Ariz., on December 9, 2008.
The second Franken-Tiger was delivered to Fighter Composite Squadron 111
(VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Fla., in December 19, 2008 and the third is
scheduled to be delivered to VFC-13 at NAS Fallon, Nev., in January 2010.
Photo: “The rollout of the new F-5F Franken-Tiger on April 23, 2008 at
Northrop Grumman’s plant in St Augustine, Fla.”
Die nummern:
No 1: 761586 LS 00, VMFT- 401 (ex J-3061)
No 2: 810834 AF 100, VFC-111. (ex J-3075)
No 3: 761580 AF ??, VFC-13. (ex J-3055)
Grüsse,
Jan Jelle
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