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American Combat Planes of the 20th Century is an incredible reference for anyone who is interested in any American Combat Plane History. There are 758 pages and 1700 b/w photos in this substantial labor of love by Ray Wagner, who has been passionately researching and writing about aircraft for over 50 years. Whether you are already familiar with his past works, or just discovering this accomplished author for the first time... This is the book that you've been waiting for!

If you'd like to see the book's Table of Contents ... Click here. You can also browse the entire Index Section to get an idea of the extensive amount of information that is covered within this book.

Search our site for other combat planes. A- 1 Eaton A- 4 Skyhawk A- 6 & A- 7 Air Weapons AV- 8 to A- 10 A- 20 Havoc A- 22 Martin Maryland A- 23 Martin Baltimore A- 24 Douglas A- 26 Douglas Invader Attack Planes B- 2A, F-111, F-117 Stealth B- 17 Flying Fortress B- 24 Liberator B- 25 North American B- 26 Marauder B- 29 Superfortress B- 32 Dominator B- 35 Flying Wing B- 36 B- 47 Stratojet B- 50 Boeing B- 52 Stratofortress B- 57 Canberra B- 58 Hustler Biplanes Biplanes, Army Pursuits Bombers, B- 70 to Stealth Bombers, First Big Curtiss Falcon CO- 1 DH- 4 De Havilland F3D- Douglas Skyknight F3H- McDonnell Demon F4D- 1 Skyray F4F Grumman Wildcats F- 4U Corsair F6F Grumman F7F Grumman F7U Vought F9F G. Cougar F9F G. Panther F- 16 Fighting Falcon F- 84 F- 86 Sabre F- 89 to F-94 F- 100 to F-108 First Fighters Flying Boats GAX Iraq to Afghanistan Martin Bombers Missile Era Fighters Navy Fighers Navy Flying Boats O- 2 Douglas P- 35 Seversky P- 36 to 42 Curtiss P- 38 Lightning P- 39 Airacobra P- 40 Line P- 47 Thunderbolt P- 51 Mustang Fighter P- 61 Black Widow P- 63 Kingcobra P- 79 to P-81 P- 82 Twin Mustang SB2C Helldiver TBF-TBM Avenger Thomas-Morse Torpedo Planes V- 11 Vultee XB -28 XP -48 / 77

Fighters For The Missile Era

F-5FA, F-5C

Page 9

NORTHROP F-5F The first Northrops completed at Palmdale went to Williams AFB, Arizona, where a USAF training school with 17 F-5As and 15 F-5Bs began in September 1964 to introduce foreign pilots to the new MAP weapon. All F-5 sales were on a government-to-government basis through the MAP and FMS (Foreign Military Sales -direct purchase) programs.

Iran got the first F-5A and F-5B overseas models in January 1965, and in April 1965 deliveries began to South Korea. Norway was the first NATO country in November 1964 to order 78 F-5As, 16 RF-5As, and 14 F-5Bs, and delivery began in June 1965. NORTHROP F-5E (Marine adversary markings)

USAF pilots flew twelve Freedom Fighters to Vietnam on October 23, 1965, for combat tests. An inflight refueling probe added for the trans-Pacific flights inspired a temporary F-5C redesignation. Belly armor and camouflage were also added. That provisional squadron began the Skoshi Tiger operation from Bien Hoa immediately, dropping four 500-pound bombs and strafing Viet Cong forces on each sortie. No enemy fighters were present during the 2,644 sorties flown in 150 days and ground fire downed one F-5.

In April 1967, 17 F-5C and two F-5Bs were transferred to Vietnamese pilots to replace their A-1 attack prop planes. The VNAF got 102 more F-5As, 10 RF-5As, and six two-seat F-5Bs from the USAF or hurriedly leased from Taiwan, South Korea, and Iran in 1973. NORTHROP F-5C in Vietnam

Libya bought eight F-5As and two F-5Bs in 1968, but later transferred them to Pakistan, who passed them next to Greece; illustrating a difficulty the USAF had in controlling the final disposition of the aircraft.

Northrop delivered the last of 621 F-5As in March 1972 at a flyaway cost of $756,000 each, compared to $2.4 million for each F-4E Phantom. Production also added 105 RF-5As and 183 F-5B trainers.

Foreign license production began in May 1968 with 36 SF-5A and 34 SF-5B aircraft built in Spain by CASA, 89 CF-5As and 42 CF-5Bs by Canadair for the RCAF, as well as 75 NF-5As and 30 NF-5Bs for the Netherlands by March 1972. In 1972, 16 ex-RCAF CF-5A and four CF-5B fighters were sold to Venezuela.

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