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#1967

Canadair CF-5

first flew 1968· fighter-bomber

🎖️ military 2× jet ✓ still flying
8 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
  1. 1. Canadair CF 116 CF-5A Freedom Fighter: Ahunt· Public domain
  2. 2. Botswana DF CF-5D OJ 25 (6918328249): Bob Adams from George, South Africa· CC BY-SA 2.0
  3. 3. Botswana DF CF-5D OJ 25 (14207512244) (2): Bob Adams from Amanzimtoti, South Africa· CC BY-SA 2.0
  4. 4. Botswana DF CF-5D OJ 25 (14207512244): Bob Adams from George, South Africa· CC BY-SA 2.0
  5. 5. Canadair CF-5 Freedom Fighters (3774294976): Robert Taylor from Stirling, ON, Canada· CC BY 2.0
  6. 6. CF-5D Freedom Fighter (C-116D) 116834 (3178394734): ceedub13· CC BY 2.0
  7. 7. F-4N Phantoms of VFMA-323 in flight with CF-5A and CF-5B 1973: U.S. Navy· Public domain
  8. 8. KA-3B refueling CF-5s and F-4Ns 1970s: U.S. Navy· Public domain
Read about it on Wikipedia ↗
Canadair CF-5, photo 1 of 8
1/8 Ahunt· Public domain

what is it?

The Canadair CF-5 (officially designated the CF-116 Freedom Fighter) is a Canadian license-built Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter. It is a light, supersonic, twin engine, daylight air superiority fighter primarily for the Canadian Forces (as the CF-5) and the Royal Netherlands Air Force (as the NF-5). The CF-5 was upgraded periodically throughout its service life in Canada.

How to recognise it: 2 jet engines · 7.9 m wingspan

base stats

  • speed 1,575 km/htop speed
  • range 1,400 kmwithout refuelling
  • size 9,249 kgmax take-off weight
  • built 240made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

  • First flew 58 years ago, in 1968.
  • Top speed is 12.1× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
  • Faster than sound: up to Mach 1.3 (sea-level speed of sound ≈ 1,235 km/h).
  • Range of 1,400 km: 8× Amsterdam to Brussels.
  • Can fly 1.4× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).

jet: Gas turbine pushing air out the back (turbofan or turbojet): fast and high-flying.

spec sheet

first flight
1968
introduced
1968
status
still flying
number built
240
role
fighter-bomber
makers
Canadair
engines
2× Orenda-built GE J85-15
length
14.4 m
wingspan
7.9 m
height
4 m
max take-off weight
9,249 kg
top speed
1,575 km/h
range
1,400 km
ceiling
12,000 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.

Sources: Wikidata Q1957599, Wikipedia: Canadair CF-5 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.

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