Northrop YF-5A (N-156F) Freedom Fighter - Seattle, WA - Static Aircraft Displays on Waymarking.com

Located at the Museum of Flight are a large number of static aircraft on display. One of them is a Northrop YF-5A (N-156F) Freedom Fighter. The Museum of Flight website contains a page devoted to this aircraft and it reads:

In 1959, Northrop toured NATO and SEATO countries in Europe and Asia to determine their future aircraft needs. Their findings formed the basis for the N-156F -- a simple, economical, versatile, and easy to maintain light fighter. In 1962, the aircraft was selected for use with the Mutual Assistance Pact (MAP) countries and designated the F-5A. The F-5 has been sold or produced in over 30 allied countries and also found favor in the U.S. Air Force and Navy.

The Museum's plane is Northrop's prototype "Freedom Fighter." It was unveiled on May 30, 1959 in front of visitors from 40 foreign countries. Two months later, test pilot Lew Nelson flew the prototype, powered by two General Electric J85-5 turbojet engines, supersonic during its first flight at Edwards Air Force Base.

F-5Es became the "bad guys" for the Air Force's Red Flag and the Navy's Top Gun exercises. The shrinking victory to loss ratio of American pilots during Vietnam had both services looking to boost their pilot's air-to-air combat skills. The F-5, small and maneuverable, was quite similar to the Soviet MiG-21 encountered over Vietnam. Aggressor Squadrons flying the F-5 and other Soviet-like aircraft in training helped American pilots post a 40 to 0 victory ratio over the Soviet-trained Iraqi pilots in 1991.

Type of Aircraft: (make/model): Northrop YF-5A (N-156F) Freedom Fighter Tail Number: (S/N): 59-4987 Construction:: original aircraft Location (park, airport, museum, etc.): Museum of Flight inside / outside: inside Other Information:: Not listed Access restrictions: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Photo of aircraft (required - will be interesting to see if the aircraft is ever repainted or progress if being restored)
Photo of serial number (required unless there is not one or it is a replica)
Photo(s) of any artwork on the aircraft (optional but interesting)

Tell why you are visiting this waymark along with any other interesting facts or personal experiences about the aircraft not already mentioned.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   10/01/2018 Ulven7470 visited it 10/30/2017 petendot visited it

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