CF-116 Freedom Fighter

The Canadair/Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter, designated CF-116 by the Royal Canadian Air Force, was built in Montreal, Quebec, by Canadair under license from Northrop. The Canadian model used the Orenda J85-CAN-15 engine, giving it more thrust than its American counterpart. To meet Canada’s NATO commitments for providing air support in Norway, Canada’s CF-5s were equipped with in-flight refuelling probes, stronger windshields against bird strikes, extra armour, and improved gun sights. Despite its manoeuvrability and ease of flight, it was ill-suited to its NATO role because it could not cross the Atlantic without in-flight refuelling, had a range of only 314 kilometers (195 miles), and was too small to carry enough weaponry or fuel to serve effectively as a defensive or fighter aircraft, having only two 20 mm cannon. The last CF-116s delivered went directly into storage at North Bay and Trenton. In Canadian Armed Forces service from 1968 to 1995, this aircraft was first used as a tactical fighter and trainer with 434 Squadron in Cold Lake, Alberta, then transferred in 1976 to 419 Moose Squadron for mainly training use, and entered storage at the Aircraft Maintenance Development Unit at CFB Trenton in February 1995 before joining the National Air Force Museum of Canada collection in 1997 after display at Kamloops Airport.

Ontario · Canada