Kinetic 1/48 RF-5A Freedom Fighter Kit First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

Northrop developed the F-5 as a small, twin-engine, light-weight, multi-role fighter for the export market with hopes of interesting the US military as well. First flown in July 1959, the supersonic fighter entered service in Canada, Spain, Norway and the Netherlands. Other countries would adopt the agile and easy to maintain aircraft as development continued. The USAF would finally operate the aircraft in limited quantities in Vietnam. While the F-5A/B lacked a decent radar, the aircraft was very agile and could hold its own in a dogfight.

The F-5's small size made it difficult to acquire visually and would serve as one of NATO's principal point defense fighters for several decades. The Canadian Armed Forces also operated the CF-5 for almost 40 years, a testament to the aircraft's economy, flexibility, and utility. In addition to single-seat fighters and two-seat trainer variants, Northrop also produced over 100 RF-5A variants by replacing the nose section with a specialized photo-reconnaissance version. Many of the F-5A/B operators would eventually adopt the RF-5A into their mix.

Kinetic Models has been producing some interesting subjects to date and this latest release is no exception. Here is the Northrop RF-5A Freedom Fighter in 1/48th scale and if you've been around Cybermodeler for a while, you know the F-5 is a favorite subject here. This kit is not the first kit of this subject as ESCI/ERTL produced the kit in 1/72 back in 1989. Classic Airframes was the first to produce this kit in 1/48 in 2006, but Kinetic is the first to produce this kit in all-plastic (not counting the photo-etch pilot restraints) in this all-new kit.

Molded in light gray styrene, this kit is presented on six parts trees plus two trees of clear parts and a small fret of photo-etched parts. Since there are few photo-etched and no resin parts needed to build this kit, the skill level required is really basic. The kit is packaged in an end-opening box, which means that you won't be able to stack the kit with much of anything else without crushing the contents. A tray and lid type box would have been a better choice.

Kinetic has really captured the detail in the cockpit. One of the most significant structures in there is the twin rails for the ejection seat which also mounts the forward actuators for the canopy lift system.

The rear fuselage halves have provisions for one of several panels to be inserted on the sides and a corresponding ventral panel underneath. These options correspond to the blank panels on the sides of the US-produced RF-5A that was exported to numerous countries versus the louvered auxiliary intakes for the Royal Norwegian Air Force. These are the same type of auxiliary intakes that would be standard on the subsequent F-5E/F Tiger II. The kit provides these louvered intakes in your choice of open or closed.

Among the features and options in this kit:

• Detailed cockpit
• Positionable canopy
• Optional boarding ladder
• Two types of nose gear struts provided (RF-5A vs RNoAF)
• Full length intake ducts with J85 compressor faces
• Positionable rudder
• Positionable stabilators
• Positionable ailerons
• Positionable leading and trailing edge flaps
• Positionable speed brakes
• Choice of open or closed auxiliary intakes (RNoAF) or none (RF-5A)
• Optional aft chaff/flare launchers (RNoAF)

External load options:

• Wingtip fuel tanks
• Choice of two styles of centerline fuel tank (station 4)

rThis kit provides markings for 22 examples:

• RF-5A, Hellenic AF, 1990s x 2
• RF-5A, RNoAF, 1970s x 16
• SRF-5A, Spanish AF x 4

The decal sheets provide a really nice set of markings printed by Cartograf. The markings provide the key airframe stencils as well as all of the essential national and distinctive unit markings.

If this kit goes together as nicely as it looks, we finally have a good kit available of this aircraft in 1/48 scale. With the wide variety of paint schemes that have been carried on this aircraft over the decades, you won't lack for colorful subjects to build and the 16 subjects in this box are a great start. I remember one of the more interesting schemes was worn by the F-5s out of Williams AFB with the black-outlined yellow bands carried on many of their aircraft.

When Kinetic first released their F-5A, they accidentally tooled two port-side wingtip fuel tanks. While those two tanks are still on the trees, Kinetic has since tooled a starboard tip tank, so all is well there.

This kit should be available soon at your favorite hobby shop. Better yet, this kit is available at $29.98 from LuckyModel.

My sincere thanks to Lucky Model for this review sample!

For a look at the F-5A kit built-up, check out our quick-build review here.

References:

• F-5A/B Online Reference