Compared with the F-5E, the F-20 was much faster, gained beyond-visual-range air-to-air capability, and had a full suite of air-to-ground modes capable of utilizing most U.S. weapons.

Jul 29, 2025 · One fighter jet that most folks have likely never heard of is the F-20 Tigershark, which never made it out of the prototype stage, though three were built.

Nov 17, 2024 · What You Need to Know: The Northrop F-20 Tigershark is celebrated as the “greatest fighter never built.” Originating from the F-5E Tiger II, the F-20 offered cutting-edge …

Sep 4, 2024 · Compared to the F-5, the new fighter’s superior flight performance was complemented by major improvements in beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air capabilities, …

Northrop developed the F-20 Tigershark in response to a U.S. Government call for the private development of a tactical fighter specifically tailored to meet the security needs of allied and …

Aug 29, 2014 · With a General Electric F404-GE-100 turbofan engine rated at 17,000 pounds of thrust, the F-20A was 40 percent more powerful than the twin-engined F-5E Tiger II that …

May 5, 2025 · ‘The F-20 won this competition, leading to the often-repeated myth that the F-20 was better than the F-16, and that General Dynamics bribed the DoD to get the F-16 adopted, …

In 1975, Northrop began development on the F-20 Tigershark, a fighter plane designed to be reliable, easy to fly and inexpensive to maintain. Northrop didn't accept any funds from the …

Apr 21, 2019 · Compared with the F-5E, the F-20 was much faster, gained beyond-visual-range air-to-air capability, and had a full suite of air-to-ground modes capable of firing most U.S. …

Nov 10, 2024 · With an advanced avionics suite, capable radar, and improved flight performance, Northrop would eventually bring the aircraft to the Department of Defense for evaluation, and it …