As a Gen X, I grew up in the analogy era, watching recorded VHS, playing war plane cards with specification, remembering each and every of those fighter jet by name.

The "MiG-28" from Top Gun—complete with that iconic fictional red star on the tail—is legendary. Using the Northrop F-5E Tiger II painted matte black was a brilliant piece of movie magic, and it cemented the F-5's place in pop culture.

My connection with the F5 is fromo the Royal Malaysian Air Force (TUDM), the F-5E/F Tiger II was indeed the absolute backbone of Malaysia’s air defense from the mid-1970s through the 1990s. Operating out of bases like Butterworth, those sleek, lightweight supersonic jets were the pride of Merdeka Day flypasts for a whole generation growing up in that era.

That roaring twin-engine scream over Dataran Merdeka inspired a lot of kids born in the late 70s to dream of pulling Gs in a cockpit! Life certainly takes its own twists and turns, I guess I watched too much porn and didn't manage to score any of those qualification to become a fighter pilot, but those childhood memories of seeing real-life "MiG-28s" lighting up the Malaysian sky are unforgettable.

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Ok. What does it hasto do with F20? Well, technically F20 is a proposed update version of the F5e. In my mind, I was always hoping they can come up with a new and improved version of this plane, and I even prompt it toy AI to discuss about possible improvement we can do to keep this 3rd gen fighter jet in the sky.

✈️ F-20 Tigershark with Canards: The Ultimate Light Fighter?

1. Lineage & Platform

• The T-38 Talon, F-5 Freedom Fighter/Tiger II, and F-20 Tigershark all share the same baseline platform (the 1950s Northrop N-156 design).
• The F-20 (originally F-5G) replaced twin J85 engines with a single, massive GE F404 turbofan, giving it near 1.1:1 thrust-to-weight ratio.

2. What happens if you add Canards?

• Pros:
  • Massive boost in instantaneous pitch/turn rate.
  • Reduces trim drag (canards generate upward lift to pitch up, unlike tail elevators which push down).
  • Superior low-speed, high-AoA control.
• Cons:
  • Weight & CG Issues: Heavy actuators in the nose disrupt the center of gravity, shifting it too far forward.
  • RCS & Stealth: Deflecting canards reflect radar, increasing the aircraft's radar cross-section.
  • Loss of Space/Fuel: Takes up critical internal nose space meant for fuel and the AN/APG-67 radar.
  • Complexity: Requires a full quad-redundant digital fly-by-wire system to control.

3. Could it beat an F-22 Raptor?

• No. While it would fly like a budget JAS-39 Gripen in a close visual dogfight, the F-22 still wins due to:

  • 3D Thrust Vectoring: Can maneuver post-stall where aerodynamic surfaces lose authority.

  • Energy Maintenance: F-22's ~1.3:1 thrust-to-weight ratio retains speed better through high-G turns.

  • BVR Dominance: Stealth + APG-77 radar means the F-22 kills it from 40+ miles away before a dogfight starts.

AI generated photo by Gemini