For NF-5 model enthusiasts.

The Royal Netherlands Air Force needed to replace their F-84F Thunderstreak around the mid sixties. Together with the Belgians the started the search for a successor. Eventually, Belgium opted for the Mirage 5. Not the Dutch, they opted for the Northrop F-5.

The order of 105 examples was not ordered in the US, but by Canadair. They were allowed the rights to build in licence. The Dutch NF-5 was not an standard CF-5, but had many adjustments. To name a few: jet engines with more trust (Canadian Orenda J85), leading edge flaps, tailhook, different nose wheel strut that was able to "grow" longer, to change the angle of incidence by the start. They were delivered between 1969 and 1972. In 1991 the last one was taken out of service. Many NF-5's were sold to Turkey and Greece.

In these named countries they were to fly on for many years to come.

Link to the bookshop.

https://www.lanasta.eu/Shop/product/257/northrop-nf5.html

Regards, Dirk

The Netherlands.