F-20A

This page is about the American jet fighter F-20A. For other versions, see F-5 (Family).

F-20A

F-20A

USA

VIII Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
12.0	12.0	12.0

Class:

PREMIUM

Fighter

Jet fighter

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

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Description

The F-20A Tigershark is a premium gift rank VIII American jet fighter with a battle rating of 12.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Alpha Strike".

The F-20 is a very well-known aircraft. Based off of the F-5 Platform, it brings modern features like a more powerful radar, AIM-9Ls, and access to BVR missiles. Northrop also added the F404-GE-100 to replace the two J85 engines found in the F-5s, they added new intakes for high speeds, and a Fly-By-Wire system as well. This jet has a better top speed, better climb rate, and a better turn rate compared to the F-5E. Just like the F-5, you get access to 30 mm gun pods, and 4 AGM-65B Maverick air to ground Missiles, as well as a loadout of many different types of bombs.

General info

Flight performance

Air brakes

Allows you to dramatically reduce the flight speed by releasing special flaps

Drogue parachute

Reduces braking distance when landing on any runway

Max speed

at 11 582 m2 200 km/h

Turn time22 s

Max altitude15 240 m

EngineGeneral Electric F404-GE-100

TypeJet

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight24 t

The F20 is an similar experience in terms of flight performance compared to the F5C. Great energy retention and turn rate above Mach 0.85. However due to the F404-100, it has plenty of thrust compared to the lack luster thrust of the F5C.

Characteristics	Max speed (km/h at 11,582 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	2149	2121	15240	22.5	22.7	221	210	850
Upgraded	2254	2200		21.5	22.0	291	255

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear	Drogue chute
✓	✓	✓	✓	X	✓

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
1,458	444	~1075	~315	~315	~16	~7

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< ___	< ___	< ___	N/A

Engine performance

Engine			Aircraft mass
Engine name		Number	Basic mass		Wing loading (full fuel)
General Electric F404-GE-100		1	_,___ kg		___ kg/m2
Engine characteristics			Mass with fuel (no weapons load)			Max Gross Weight
Weight (each)	Type		_m fuel	__m fuel	__m fuel
1,015 kg	Afterburning low-bypass turbofan		_,___ kg	_,___ kg	_,___ kg	_,___ kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)			Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (___%/WEP)
Condition	100%	___%/WEP	_m fuel	__m fuel	__m fuel	MGW
Stationary	___ kgf	___ kgf	_.__	_.__	_.__	_.__
Optimal	___ kgf (_ km/h)	___ kgf (_ km/h)	_.__	_.__	_.__	_.__

Survivability and armor

Flares/Chaff

Aircraft countermeasures to distract IR and radar-guided missiles and also AA radar

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear482 km/h

The F20 is a light fighter. As such it has no armor. If it loses its wing or tail, it becomes incredibly difficult to fly. It isn't that durable against common cannons for its BR, and can't tank a missile.

Modifications and economy

Repair cost

AB2 275

RB6 411

SB7 527

Crew training10 000

Experts1 770 000

Aces3 400

Research Aces2 560 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

2 × 90 / 320 / 500 %

2 × 250 / 250 / 250 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Compressor New boosters Wings repair Engine	Fuselage repair Airframe G-suit Cover	t_160_belt_pack t_160_new_gun Mk82 BLU-1 Gun pod GPU-5/A. LAU-3/A M117 Flares/Chaff GAU_13A_belt_pack Mk83 AIM-9L GAU_13A_new_gun AGM-65B Mk84 AIM-7F

Armaments

Ballistic Computer
CCIP (Guns)	CCIP (Rockets)	CCIP (Bombs)	CCRP (Bombs)	EEGS

Offensive armament

The F-20A is armed with:

• 2 x 20 mm M39A3 cannons, nose-mounted (280 rpg = 560 total)
• 45 x countermeasures

Suspended armament

Describe the aircraft's suspended armament: additional cannons under the wings, bombs, rockets and torpedoes. This section is especially important for bombers and attackers. If there is no suspended weaponry remove this subsection.

Default weapon presets

Without load 6 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles 2 x AIM-7F Sparrow missiles 5 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs (3,750 lb total) 9 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (4,500 lb total) 9 x 500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye bombs (4,500 lb total) 3 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (3,000 lb total) 1 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bomb (2,000 lb total) 76 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets 4 x AGM-65B missiles 1 x 30 mm GAU-13/A cannon (353 rpg) 5 x BLU-1 incendiary bombs 1 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 Air bomb (2,000 lb total)

Usage in battles

Pros and cons

Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".

Pros:

Cons:

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

Devblog

Engineers from Northrop Corporation developed the F-20A Tigershark as a deep modernization of the F-5G fighter with improved flight and characteristics at a low cost. This new aircraft received a new power plant consisting of a single General Electric F404-100 engine, advanced avionics and radar, plus an expanded range of weapons. It made its first flight in 1982, where a total of 3 were built for testing. At the time of its creation, the F-20A was a direct competitor to the F-16 fighter jet, but was inferior to it and did not go into mass production. The only surviving F-20A was transferred to the California Science Center and is currently on display as an exhibit.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• [Devblog] Pre-order: F-20A Tigershark

Northrop Corporation
Fighters	P-61A-11 · P-61C-1
Jet fighters	F-89B · F-89D
	F-5A · F-5C · F-5E
	F-20A
Export	␗F-5A · ▄F-5E FCU