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Now that we have the KC 130 how about a refueling probe?


canned_fire

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  • 2 weeks later...

It is not unreasonable to express a wish, forum research results regardless. I for one would welcome a full new F-5E export module with fuel probe, paying full price for it. The more people ask for it the better the developers understand if it is worth their time and effort.

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It is not unreasonable to express a wish, forum research results regardless. I for one would welcome a full new F-5E export module with fuel probe, paying full price for it. The more people ask for it the better the developers understand if it is worth their time and effort.

 

Of course I would love a more capable F5 (who wouldn't), it is my favorite module for DCS by far. But BST has their plate full for a while.

I was inverted B)

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  • 1 month later...

Before the F-5EM modernisation all Brazilian Tigers equipped with the probe were the F-5Es of 1º GAvCa, BASC.

 

No F-5E-3s (1º/14º GAv, BACO) received the probes. These were ex-Aggressor aircraft, and are identifiable by the curved juncture between the vertical stabiliser and the dorsal spine, compared to the straight one in the F-5E.

 

It is very likely that without further modifications the F-5E-3 is not compatible with the default air-to-air refueling kit available for the F-5E, which is why Belsimtek did not include it.

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Could you share where do we find such info?

 

in the documentation file from Belsimtek there´s no specification of which exact version of the "E" we have, but as you mentioned the curved fin, I assume they were developped as the USAF F5-E Agressor, without the refueling probe.

 

Nevertheless, even the F-5A operated by Canada and later by Venezuela were fitted with the air refueling probe, and the F-5 was built with a certain level of modularity. In a brief research it seems like several export versions were fitted with this feature;

 

Canada / Venezuela / Botswana (F-5As)

Brazil

Chile

Morocco

Saudi Arabia (F-5Es with agressor-styled fin)

Singapore (Also agressor style, but known to have being extensively upgraded)

Tunisia

 

Important to notice that some F-5 operated by the USAF had it, but fitted to the left side of the fuselage:

http://thempirestwilight.wikia.com/wiki/F-5_Freedom_Fighter

 

Just think it would be a nice addition to the already nice product offered by Belsimtek, without being unrealistic/unnacurated. :)

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I do not know of any E models with the refueling probe fitted to the left side of the fuselage. I think, and may be wrong, those were C models.

 

Besides the obvious plumbing (adding the probe on the right side), the AOA vane would need to be moved to the left side.

Plus a few switches for lights and manual refueling.

And some (lots of) code.

Sounds simple but probably requires a lot of work to do correctly.

 

Anyway, throw in a VHF radio, VOR/ILS, and if feeling very generous an INS. I would purchase it at a new module price.

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Could you share where do we find such info?

 

in the documentation file from Belsimtek there´s no specification of which exact version of the "E" we have, but as you mentioned the curved fin, I assume they were developped as the USAF F5-E Agressor, without the refueling probe.

 

Nevertheless, even the F-5A operated by Canada and later by Venezuela were fitted with the air refueling probe, and the F-5 was built with a certain level of modularity. In a brief research it seems like several export versions were fitted with this feature;

 

Canada / Venezuela / Botswana (F-5As)

Brazil

Chile

Morocco

Saudi Arabia (F-5Es with agressor-styled fin)

Singapore (Also agressor style, but known to have being extensively upgraded)

Tunisia

 

Important to notice that some F-5 operated by the USAF had it, but fitted to the left side of the fuselage:

http://thempirestwilight.wikia.com/wiki/F-5_Freedom_Fighter

 

Just think it would be a nice addition to the already nice product offered by Belsimtek, without being unrealistic/unnacurated. :)

 

Belsimtek's Tiger is the F-5E-3, an Aggressor variant, similar to those employed in Switzerland (cockpit photos reinforce that, with the Swiss having both VHF and UHF radios).

 

The curved fin does not specifically determine variant universally, it's only useful to tell in Brazil where all aircraft were from two separate batches and variants. The straight fin is for avionics which were not present in the Canoas Aggressor ones (VOR, VHF radio and GPS, I think).

 

The ability to install the off-the-shelf refueling must have been requested before production so that Northrop could get all the plumbing done for future probe installation. Given the operational ranges needed, I would make an educated guess that Brazil, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Chile and Singapore requested the ability to equip the probes should they want that.

 

The Moroccan inventory shares similarities with the Brazilian one. The initial Moroccan batch delivered in 1981 was built with the requirement for in-flight refueling, and probes were either installed in the factory or in Morocco already. In 1989, an agreement was reached to purchase surplus USAFE Aggressors flown from the UK. Like the Canoas aircraft, these lacked avionics included in the spine of the Moroccan Tigers, and did not have the option for in-flight refueling.

 

The F-5A in that photo was a non-standard modification done during Skoshi Tiger trials, nothing official or that applies to the F-5E. The Canadian probes were also non-standard, and developed as an afterthought to enable their CF-5A to be transferred without stopovers to Norway.

 

Sorry for the wall of text! What I'm trying to say is, in short, it's definitely possible to get a probe working on the USN/USMC F-5E-3. Brazil did that to the Canoas airframes (like this guy over here). However, this would require somewhat invasive modification by the air force's maintenance park. It isn't the kind of thing that can be quickly fitted by the squadron's maintenance team, thus probably not the best idea for a loadout option.

 

This is different from the D2M on the Mirage 2000C for example, which is compatible and easily fitted but not generally used because of the Charlie's mission profile.

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Thanks for the info, man. Would not be able to find such information as a "google search researcher" myself.

 

Well, it means that this would actually be possible to be done by our buddies in Belsimtek if they ever want to, but probably as a loadout option that would move some sensors/stacks elsewhere. Not a half an hour job.

 

I can only cross fingers and hope we have shown there´s a point here. It would definitelly improve the product´s attractiveness in the shelf.

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  • 8 months later...

Now that we have the Persian Gulf map I find myself flying Iranian OPFOR quiet a bit, having the AAR option present on many of those planes would be greatly appreciated. I’m not sure how much documentation exists or can be inferred about those planes. But I would gladly pay for this as an add on like the GPS if given the chance. I would also buy a separate variant if a whole redesign was needed to capture the differences.

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