BalkanBattler

With the panel changes from northrop, yes they were, and they did test it after the hunters were retired in 1994. Remember the hunters were the ones that carried AGM-65 in switzerland

@BIGNEWY Hey happy to see you here! Thank you for the F-5E remaster. Other members of your team (nineline) have expressed that ED is willing to revisit some of the features of the Swiss F-5E's - could you forward to the devs that the Swiss did in fact fly with 4x sidewinders? For maybe 10 years the users have been asking for this feature in this forum, I can link many many posts. This is the specific model of Swiss F-5E we have in DCS now, so can you guys include it? We're not asking for pythons or missiles that were available to Columbian or other air forces. This is specifically a swiss jet with 4x sidewinders (which was tested, validated, and certified by Northrop and the USAF for export) null

yes, especially because the ENTIRE POINT of the F-5E Tiger II was as an export fighter - all of these features were factory options that were built in the factory and exported to end customers: Aerial Refueling Probe Mavericks JATO INS For example, Saudi's had all of the above included in the model of F-5E cockpit and external model we have now. It's a couple of switches and some lines of code for multiple systems we already have in DCS. And the systems for these are publicly available in the TO dash one for the F-5E (I) We're not asking for a brazilian glass cockpit here. We want an F-5E! Not an F-5N, not an F-5M Like we're asking for stuff that was 100% certified, USED IN COMBAT on the F-5E by export customers. You don't even need to remove anything from the cockipt as it is right now to make these changes... the panel slot for JATO for example is empty right now. You just need to put a switch there and voila. Same with the Aerial Refueling panel: right now ittt's a box for gloves. Not exactly critical stuff. ED we just want an F-5E export fighter with the options, not an F-5N

yes I agree and I think the best option would be to follow ED's own history and configure the most relevant example of the F-5E. The point of the F-5E TIGER II is that it was purpose built for exporting (unlike the freedom fighter F-5A which was built to sell to the USAF and then selected for Military Assistance Program) The F-5E Tiger II was factory built with the option for Aerial Refueling for example In DCS we see that often the module that is selected for development is the "ultimate version" which connects to the "original vision" and will sell the most units: For example - F/A-18C, NOT F/A-18A F-16C, NOT F-15A F-15C, NOT F-15A WHY? because these are more capable, carry more weapons, and better represent the evolution of the jet YET WAGS says we now have the swiss buyback F-5E, which is an F-5N WHY do we need an F-5N? Stateside they took the guns and radar out and used it as an aggressor. Is ED changing the name to DCS F-5N? INSTEAD I Propose ED follow their own habits and update an F-5E that is the best representation of the export fighter For example, the Saudi F-5E has these export options with no other changes to to the cockpit besides a few switches: Aerial refueling probe Mavericks Maverick requires these steps: Turn switch to AGM-65 (disconnects trigger from gun) Wait 3 minutes for gyro warm up Arm stations Light should turn green Turn radar screen to TV (APQ-159-1) Pull trigger all the way to jettison protective cover depress radar AQ button slew with radar cursor stick release radar acq button to lock target depress if bad lock and release to reacquire/lock pickle button to fire order is left to right Aerial refueling requires these steps: Aerial refueling with external tanks requires no switch manipulation whatsoever, you just plug and start taking fuel to internal tanks. If attempting to refuel with external tanks, you need to do the following steps before plugging in: Select external tanks to feed on fuel panel (this opens the valves) throw AERIAL REFUEL switch (to depressurize external tanks) plug in and take fuel (ext fuel light on right panel will extinguish when tanks are full) once full, disconnect from drogue and deselect external tanks turn AERIAL REFUEL SWITCH to off (pressurizes external tanks again) This is all in the F-5E TO -1 (dash one) ED PLEASE CONSIDER MODELING AN ACTUAL F-5E, NOT AN F-5N YOU ALREADY HAVE THE EXTERNAL MODEL OF AN EXPORT F-5E THE ONLY CHANGES YOU WOULD NEED ARE COCKPIT CHANGES: Aerial refueling switch (Fuel panel) (I can send you pictures) Aerial refueling panel (empty spot in the cockpit right now) (I can send you pictures) APQ-159-1 SCREEN (same radar display just with TV option) Green lights above the arming switches AGM-65 weapon select switch option (next to rkts/dispense)

I 100% agree with you here. This is a great suggestion. Also Wags posted this in discord today: "We are certainly open to adding INS and the digital radio stack, but so far we've been unable to find any good data on these. It's our goal to create an accurate simulation of the Swiss F-5E that were then later operated as aggressors"

Thank you for not giving up on the F-5 even after the remaster release, this module is so close to perfection we're just a few quality of life improvements from being the absolute best first module to buy in DCS. Seriously - thank you!

It's not a USAF F-5E-3 because the USAF F-5E-3 did not have this RWR or Countermeasures. The Swiss F-5E had this RWR and CM's but it also had an INS and Digital radios from factory, which the remaster does not have. The USN purchased these F5-E's back from Switzerland and converted them, removing the guns, adding CATM's/ AIM-9M, and a bunch of avionics changes including MFD's, and they re-named it F-5N. So the F-5E we have is a franken-jet. It represents no version at all. To bring it up to Swiss accuracy, ED would need to implement the INS and Digital radios. The Swiss F-5E's also quad carried heatseekers.

TCA is run by Northrop Chief Engineer Andrew Skow - what they now sell are options Northrop used to offer from factory. Northrop doesn't build the F-5 anymore, so they can't offer these products and services. That's why TCA exists. They're not really upgrades - they are factory options that can be applied after-the-fact. The QMCS wasn't designed or engineered by TCA, it was made by Northrop for their F-5 series. I know this sounds like semantics, and even their own website is confusing - there just isn't that much data out there on the open internet. But if you talk to these guys, these were standard options, like the refueling probe, like the INS, like the Maverick capability. Northrop was happy to do quad carry, it was tested and certified by the USAF and purchased/implemented by customers. Also, there are images out there of F-5's with 4x sidewinders, like the Swiss birds for example. So the US F-5's are capable, with the right pylon. It's like the Heatblur F-4E and the AIM-7M - all that was required was a pylon change, so they implemented it because that was what is best for the community. That's all the people are asking here - the evidence has been provided, it's just a matter of implementation. I would understand the apache argument because they said they're making a very specific version of the apache. But I ask this: what version of the F-5 do we have in DCS? It's not a USAF F-5E, because the F-5E didn't have this RWR, only the Swiss F-5E had this RWR. We don't have a Swiss F-5E, because the Swiss F-5E had the digital radios and INS from factory. We don't have a USN Swiss buyback F-5N for the same reasons. So what variant do we have? It's not an F-5E-3, it's a franken-jet. Let's keep on this train of thought with the Swiss F-5E's and implement the quad carry, INS and radios. Call it a Swiss F-5E and forget about the F-5N (which was further modified beyond the Swiss jets with new displays and MFD's and all that crap) ED should be able to talk to a few of the Swiss guys, isn't ED based out of Switzerland after all? lol