[djjeffhall]

I guess the next question to ask would be this. Were there ever any F-5 aces in any airforce?

[Kiwi Dave]

The only chance of there being an F-5 ace would be from the Iranian Air Force, I'll have to read my book again,could take some time!
Iran received 104 F-5A's, 20 F-5B's and 16 RF-5A's, some of which were sold to Greece, Jordan, Morocco, Turkey, Ethiopia and South Vietnam and then during the war with Iraq purchased some of them back from Ethiopia and Vietnam. Iran later received 141 F-5E's (they had wanted F-111's!) and about 28 F-5F's.
F-5E (3-7025) shot down a Mig-25PD by gun on 3 July 1986, but was later shot down by Iraqi fighters. F-5E (3-7056) was captured by the Iraqi's.

[skysurfer808]

The North Vietnamese People's Air Force also used captured F-5s against the Cambodians when they invaded the place to oust the Khemer Rouge. Some North Vietnamese Aces may have thus flown the F-5, though spares issues eventually caused the Viets to stop using them. There's a funny story I read somewhere about the Malaysian Air Force, which purchased F-5Es in the late 1970s. They bought the airplane, but no ground handling equipment. The Air Force officials were unconcerned about this, according to the narrator. So when the narrator of the story watched the F-5s arrive, a Soviet bloc aircraft also appeared, and disgorged the missing ground handling equipment, some of it in original crates. The wily Malays bought the stuff cheaply from the Vietnamese, who were happy to sell off some of their legacy war booty for hard currency.

Skysurfer808

[flyXwire]

Sky, you never seizes to amaze me of your resourcefullness when it comes to information like the example from above. Good story!

[Lakota Mech]

I second the RCAF F-5's from Cold Lake Alberta. I'd go for a Norwegan one as well.

[planenutsfrog]

Originally Posted by Rooffie

Talking about foreign F-5's....
Here's a dutch version, the NF-5. This was not a standard F-5A/B since the RNAF requested many changes like flaps on the front side of the wings and an arrestor hook. Many of these changes were used in the F-5E.

How can I have forgotten the NF5 ?!!!

Would be a nice addition to my growing Dutch collection...

[bandit95]

How boit some T-38's!!! Got these from airliners.net!!

[ZS-VAN]

Originally Posted by hawkonevoodoo

I know all these weren't used in battle but I thought it made quite a list of operators

• Austria
• Bahrain
• Botswana
• Brazil
• Canada
• Chile
• Republic of China
• Ethiopia
• Greece
• Honduras
• Indonesia
• Iran
• Jordan
• Kenya
• Libya
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• Morocco
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Paraguay
• Pakistan (Temporarily borrowed from allied countries during a war against India)
• Philippines (most of the F-5 are retired by end of 2006, except F-5B for extended upgrade - TBD)
• Saudi Arabia
• Singapore
• South Korea
• South Vietnam: Vietnam Air Force
• Vietnam: Vietnam People's Air Force (several captured ex-VNAF planes)
• Spain
• Switzerland

Good stuff Hawkone. I totally agree with FVD that there's plenty of opportunity for doing export F5s, hopefully F5Es!

[flyXwire]

Originally Posted by bandit95

How boit some T-38's!!! Got these from airliners.net!!

T-38s ....ARE A MUST!!! Lots of potential schemes, not to mention the fabulous "Thunderbirds"!

Last time I saw the T-Birds performance flying the T-38s was in the late 70s. Ah the memories...

[David Hingtgen]

Sundowners three-tone-brown please.