TF-5 Supersonic Trainer: Tiger Century Aircraft's Two Seat F-5E Conversion?

[TinWing]

This project appeared in 2001, and then resurfaced in 2005.

It is interesting to note that this project would mate an entirely new forward fuselage with the donor F-5E airframe. Surprisingly, it was claimed that the new fuselage would correct the center of gravity, allowing 220lbs of ballast to be removed from the rear fuselage!



http://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2001/02/13/125996/Northrop+Grumman+teams+up+to+convert+F-5+trainers+.html

http://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2005/10/18/202157/Tiger+and+AIDC+aim+to+tempt+Taipei+with+Talons.html

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2005/03/09/2003245484

Could anyone offer additional information on this proposal, or a better version of the TCA supplied illustration, which came from the May 21, 2001 issue of AW&ST?

 

[elmayerle]

Well, if you do the splice at the "Sta. 284" bulkhead like Northrop does, it's not difficult to do the changes per se. But I wonder if it wouldn't be easier to just buy the F-5F front end tooling?

 

[TinWing]

Still being promoted.

http://tigercenturyaircraft.com/turnkey-aircraft/tf-5-agile-talon/

 

[LowObservable]

Andrew Skow, ex-Northrop, ex-Eidetic and apparently not intending to do business with BAE Systems any time soon.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-skow-481b865/

 

[TinWing]

Andrew Skow, ex-Northrop, ex-Eidetic and apparently not intending to do business with BAE Systems any time soon.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-skow-481b865/

The entire VTX-TS requirement demonstrated the old saying, "Ask a stupid question and get a stupid answer." In 1978, the A-4 Skyhawk production line was still open and the costs of producing another 221 copies of the TA-4J pale in comparison to the long saga of the Goshawk. The old Buckeye could very well have been replaced by the A-4, the J52 isn't notably expensive to maintain and judging by Israeli experience, the training variants of the A-4 were capably enough to serve into the current decade.

Oddly enough, the current glut of supersonic trainers will most likely put paid to the Hawk as well as to F-5 rebuilds.