VFC-12 "FIGHTING OMARS" BRIEFING ROOM, 0630L. "Attention! At ease. Good morning, gentlemen! My name is LT CDR Buford "Viper" Bentley and welcome to the Fighter Weapons School, or as we like to call it here...TOP GUN. This morning, you'll be flying your first advanced air combat maneuvering hop against our adversary simulator, the F-20N "Tigershark". The F-20 is an outstanding adversary simulator, fast, small, hard to see and it turns like nothing else. Get in a turning fight with an F-20...or a MiG-21 or a MiG-29 and it's over! Your F-14s, while outstanding interceptors, do not match an F-20's, or the Soviets', turn radius, so attempt to engage using your advantages: SA, speed and BVR missile shots. Questions? Step in 15, dismissed!"

Imagine if, in the 1980s, the USN and USAF had bought the Northrop F-20 "Tigershark" as their premier adversary fighter, a jet that brought true 4th Gen capabilities into the role? Well, imagine no more. The F-20 was arguably one of the finest fighters never fielded. Northrop upgraded it's F-5E Tiger with a single General Electric F404-GE-100 engine, giving it slightly better than a 1:1 thrust to weight ratio, Mach 2 speed at altitude, SUPERCRUISE, advanced radar and systems, plus a new cockpit with a bigger, easier to see out of canopy. But the F-20, offered for sale to the U.S., Taiwan, South Korea, Oman and many others, and marketed by none other than Brig Gen Charles "Chuck" Yeager, was put aside in favor of the F-16 as those countries wanted to fly what the USAF was flying. A great jet became a footnote in history. But here it is now, just like the RL jet, along with its accurately scheduled afterburner nozzle, AUTO trailing/leading edge flap scheduling, Flight Path Vector (FPV), working G-meter, sequenced landing gear doors, AIM-9Ls, and more....all in a 1:1 scale with accurate weights, fuel, wing loading, performance, turn capability, done up in the livery of VFC-12, the "Fighting Omars", one of the USN's TOP GUN units from the 1980s. I've compromised very little here to bring this one to life. It's my finest work to date, I hope you all enjoy!

WARNING: I WAS AN INSTRUCTOR PILOT IN THE T-38 AND I BROUGHT
ALL MY EXPERIENCE TO ENSURE THIS F-5 DERIVITIVE FLIES LIKE THE REAL THING, AT LEAST AS CLOSE AS SP DYNAMICS ALLOWS. IT WILL DEPART CONTROLLED FLIGHT IF YOU MANHANDLE IT, IT WILL STALL ON FINAL IF YOU GET TOO SLOW, IT WILL THROW ITS DROPTANK OFF IF YOU SEVERELY OVER-G THE JET, BUT ITS A BLAST TO FLY, JUST LIKE THE REAL THING.
READ AND HEED THE FLIGHT MANUAL!

Credits:

BogdanX - This would have been impossible to complete without his help, he completely revamped my flight model and gave all sorts advice and criticism.
SnoWFLakE0s - Funky Tree genius...take a look at the formulas on this one, insanely long statements which accurately capture the F-20's coolest features.
FairFireFight - He built the gorgeous AIM-9Ls, which like the real things, do occassionally miss.
Leehopard - FPV concept brought to life.
EngineerOtaku - Thanks for the MiG!

To all my buds on the SPMC for your advice, criticism and encouragement, thanks!

NAVAIR F-20N FLIGHT MANUAL

SECTION 1. Description.

SP CONTROLS:

Fig. 1, F-20 Callouts.

AG1 - Position and Landing Lights (landing lights extend with LG)
AG2 - Nose Gear Hike (Activate prior to takeoff to reduce takeoff distance)
AG3 - Droptank Jettison (If not equipped with droptank, activate for increased speedbrake extension)
AG4 - MASTER ARM (Arms AIM-9Ls)
AG5 - Drag Chute
AG6 - Tailhook
AG7 - [Reserved]
AG8 - [Reserved]

Landing Gear - Landing gear and flaps (w/flaps in AUTO).
VTOL - Roll trim (see Section 3-1, Tactics, Techniques and Procedures, below).
Trim - Pitch trim.
Brake - Speedbrakes/wheel brakes.
Throttle >98% RPM - Afterburner.

Fig. 2, HUD Symbology.

NOTE: TRIM IS YOUR FRIEND AND COMPENSATES FOR CHANGES IN AIRCRAFT SPEED, JUST AS IT DOES IRL...YOU SHOULD BE USING TRIM AS MUCH AS YOU USE STICK INPUT TO ADJUST AIRCRAFT PITCH.

WARNING: THIS IS A SYMMETRIC WING AND FLIES AS IT DOES IRL. FASTEST ROLL RATES ARE ACHIEVED BY UNLOADING BACKSTICK PRESSURE, INPUTTING AILERON ROLL, THEN RELOADING BACKSTICK PRESSURE ONCE AILERONS NEUTRALIZED. USING THE AILERON TO ROLL WHILE HOLDING HIGH AOA/BACKSTICK PRESSURE IS MARGINALLY EFFECTIVE AND MAY RESULT IN AIRCRAFT DEPARTING CONTROLLED FLIGHT. UTILIZING THE RUDDER DURING HIGH AOA FLIGHT IS ALSO AN APPROVED TECHNIQUE FOR ROLLING THE AIRCRAFT
(Sorry, keyboard users, but this is as it is IRL and I wasn't going to decrease the turn rate to accommodate as long as a proper pilot technique could compensate).

SECTION 2. Normal Procedures.

TAKEOFF CHECKLIST:

1. Set aircraft lighting, as appropriate (AG1).
2. Hike nose gear (AG2).
3. Verify (with crewchief) speedbrake store compensation selected (If no droptank or stores on centerline, activate AG3).
4. Set takeoff trim (front edge of horizontal slab even with index).
5. Takeoff Power, 98% (MIL Power) or 100% (MAX Power), as appropriate.
6. Rotate at 145 KIAS to liftoff at 162 KIAS.
7. Raise gear immediately after airborne, verify flaps follow.
8. Trim as required.
9. Dehike nosegear (deactivate AG2).

NOTE: Nosewheel steering limit 65 KIAS. Use small, short rudder inputs during takeoff roll to prevent a pilot induced oscillation and runway excursion.

FENCE IN CHECK (PRE COMBAT CHECKLIST):

1. Turn off aircraft lighting (AG1).
2. Select AIR-TO-AIR or AIR-TO-GROUND mode (as appropriate).
3. Select MASTER ARM to arm weapons (AG4), if equipped.
4. Verify flaps in AUTO.

NOTE: Best Rate of Turn is a achieved above 450 KIAS, MAX power.

NOTE: Aircraft controls will become less effective when exceeding Mach .98 (approximately 520 KIAS at 10,000' MSL) and entering the transonic zone. For best turn rate in engagements, keep aircraft speed between 450 - 520 KIAS.

NOTE: Monitor leading edge and trailing edge flaps For extension and retraction during maneuvering.

LOAD FACTOR LIMITATIONS
SYMMETRICAL FLIGHT
Load Factor (Gs)
- 3.0 to +9.5
WITH CENTERLINE 150 GAL TANK INSTALLED
Load Factor (Gs)
-3.0 to +6.0

NOTE: When carriage of single AIM-9 is required on a wingtip station, use roll trim, as required, to compensate for aircraft roll.

FENCE OUT CHECK:

1. Turn On Aircraft Lighting, As Appropriate (AG1).
2. Deselect MASTER ARM/safe weapons (AG4).
3. Deselect AIR-TO-AIR or AIR-TO-GROUND Mode.

LANDING CHECKLIST:

1. Check nosegear dehiked (Deactivate AG2).
2. Enter final approach approximately 5 NM at 260 KIAS or Less.
3. Below 260 KIAS, lower landing gear (verify flaps extend FULL).
4. TRIM AS APPROPRIATE...put Flight Path Vector on or near the NEAR end of the runway.
5. Minimum of 155 KIAS on Final (Approximately 25% Power).
6. Over underrun, power to idle and flare to land...put FPV at FAR end of runway in flare.
7. Drag chute (AG5), if required.
8. Apply brakes to stop.

Fig. 3, Pattern Diagram.

Happy Hunting and Fly Safe!