The F-5C is no longer good

[Stockholm_Blend]

@Pangolin_Fan

If you somehow struggle against the F-5 of all planes, then that is legitimately a massive skill issue.

I just wonder why you shut your ears and keep overestimating F-5C’s counterparts while underestimating the F-5C.

F-5C is an underrated jet that is disguised as an overrated jet while hiding behind ‘even more underrated jets’

I am really tired of ‘wdym it has AIM-9E’ bullshitting, so I really want it to get AIM-9J and go up to 11.0BR.

@Pangolin_Fan

As that other guy said,

@Cpt_Bel_V

Just stop crying, learn to play, is the best advice so far.

Using the knife which stabbed you as a weapon sounds wild…

In your theory, I think

@Pangolin_Fan

If you somehow struggle against the F-5 of all planes, then that is legitimately a massive skill issue.

If you somehow struggle against any planes which isn’t A-7 when flying the F-5, then that is legitimately a massive skill issue.

I explained that there are some other examples than A-7, which can’t beat F-5 at all…

Sir, do you really struggle when fighting against Harrier GR.3, Jaguar GR.1/A or F-111A while using F-5?

Man, your exaggeration about F-5 today is even worse than Alvis in a bad mood.
(Sorry Alvis, no offence.)

[Morvran]

Heck, even sticking with fighters. I’ve seen a clip before of an F-5E beating a Mirage 2K in a dogfight and then sustaining damage that should have killed them

Found it:

A discussion on the F-5C and F-5E

This is the biggest issue in my personal opinion. After seeing an F-5E 1 flare a rear-aspect Aim-9M whilst on full reheat and the missile changing targets instantly. I was genuinely dumb-founded (I wish I saved the clip) This is a rather hilarious clip showing the damage model and flight performance of the F-5E by @John_Sneeeeeeeew [F 5E being OP]

[Stockholm_Blend]

@Morvran_

I’ve seen a clip before of an F-5E beating a Mirage 2K in a dogfight after sustaining damage that should have killed them

Maybe Mirage 2K just damaged a non-critical area because of a skill issue(/s), while F-5E initiated plot armour :P

[Morvran]

I misremembered the clip. He outturn fought a Mirage 2k and then rammed a J-8, but survived

[Stockholm_Blend]

10/10 plot armour moments XD

[Pangolin_Fan]

@Stockholm_Blend

F-5C is an underrated jet that is disguised as an overrated jet while hiding behind ‘even more underrated jets’

“F-5 is a great jet, it’s just fighting a bunch of better jets”

Sir, that’s called a bad jet.

@Stockholm_Blend

If you somehow struggle against any planes which isn’t A-7 when flying the F-5, then that is legitimately a massive skill issue.

Aww yes, because I’m able to easily defeat a bad plane, and say it’s bad because of how easily it’s defeated, that means I’m bad

Absolute peak logic

[Stockholm_Blend]

@Pangolin_Fan

“F-5 is a great jet, it’s just fighting a bunch of better jets”

Sir, that’s called a bad jet.

Man, you are coping hard.
Not being #1 doesn’t mean that it is disqualified.

As I claimed earlier, there are some better jets than the F-5C in the current 10.7. (which is even more underrated)
Still, F-5C’s position in rank is counted from the front, is faster than counting from the back.

According to statshark, F-5C is currently(June 2025) scored #7(0.76) among 23 10.7BR jets in kill per spawn
And #1 is Thailand F-5A(1.07), which is identical to F-5C. (even with the same AIM-9E)

In [games played], and the [spawn] part, F-5C is rated #2 among 23, while only J-7D has higher numbers of games, which means F-5C is still one of the famous and favourite jets.

@Pangolin_Fan

The A-7 and F-4 are literally the only two planes I have ever seen lose to an F-5

@Pangolin_Fan

If you somehow struggle against the F-5 of all planes, then that is legitimately a massive skill issue.

Look up, you constantly claimed that F-5 is a bad jet and can’t beat anything but F-4 and A-7.
And, ANY OTHER JETS WHICH STRUGGLE have their skill issue.

But, I think

@Pangolin_Fan

Aww yes, because I’m able to easily defeat a bad plane, and say it’s bad because of how easily it’s defeated, that means I’m bad

Absolute peak logic

If we thinks about stat difference between F-5A(TH/JPN) and F-5C(USA),
That sounds much more like ‘major skill issue of American main’ made you easier to frag F-5C than other jets.

I really can’t understand why you are claiming that the F-5C is an awful jet
When only NF-5A, J-7D or F-8E have better overall specs, and you can dominate the rest of them?

[Pangolin_Fan]

@Stockholm_Blend

In [games played], and the [spawn] part, F-5C is rated #2 among 23, while only J-7D has higher numbers of games, which means F-5C is still one of the famous and favourite jets.

Huh, what a surprise. The most popular nation for air battles, has the most popular plane.

Who could guessed?

@Stockholm_Blend

Look up, you constantly claimed that F-5 is a bad jet and can’t beat anything but F-4 and A-7.
And, ANY OTHER JETS WHICH STRUGGLE have their skill issue.

Huh? You say that as if I’m claiming the A-7 and F-4 are the only planes that I can beat in an F-5.

It’s quite the opposite actually. A-7 and F-4 are the only planes that, when I personally play, I cannot beat an F-5 in. Oh actually come to think of it, there’s one more plane, the F-105.

Isn’t it strange that the only way to make the F-5 look good is by comparing it to the worst planes in Warthunder?

@Stockholm_Blend

If we thinks about stat difference between F-5A(TH/JPN) and F-5C(USA),
That sounds much more like ‘major skill issue of American main’ made you easier to frag F-5C than other jets.

This is why I thought that I was simply bad at flying the F-5E when I first got it. It wasnt until the tech tree Thailand F-5, aswell as the Swiss and Norwegian F-5s, that I realized the plane itself just isn’t good.

The Chinese ones were too rare to encounter to make a judgement on.

@Stockholm_Blend

I really can’t understand why you are claiming that the F-5C is an awful jet
When only NF-5A, J-7D or F-8E have better overall specs, and you can dominate the rest of them?

Su-22, AV-8C, Hunter F.58, and Mig-21 all easily beat F-5 in a dogfight.

It’s kinda sad being called the 11.0 dogfighter, yet getting destroyed by 10.0s in actual dogfights.

[Stockholm_Blend]

@Pangolin_Fan

Huh, what a surprise. The most popular nation for air battles, has the most popular plane.

If F-5C was really awful, their playcount wouldn’t reach 420k+ in June.
Look at A-6E, which is considered a dead plane and has only 54K playcount, even though A-6E is also an American jet.

It is true that F-5C is an old jet, but it still has teeth beneath it.
Well, minimum skill requirement of F-5C might higher than those missile spammer who takes free kill from flareless jets. Because you need to gunfight with EVERYTHING.

@Pangolin_Fan

It’s quite the opposite actually. A-7 and F-4 are the only planes that, when I personally play, I cannot beat an F-5 in. Oh actually come to think of it, there’s one more plane, the F-105.

Isn’t it strange that the only way to make the F-5 look good is by comparing it to the worst planes in Warthunder?

Sooo, in your theory
You flew some planes, and you had no problem while fragging F-5
Then you believe that F-5 are bad…?

In that term, AS A JOKE, I can also counterclaim that ‘XP-50 with air spawn’ was a bad plane
Because the majority of XP-50, which I saw, were skillless noobs who just followed the bomber’s tail and got killed by tail gunner or dive to shoot some ground target and crash.

:/

(Disclaimer: I don’t think ‘XP-50 with air spawn’ was a bad plane.)

@Pangolin_Fan

Su-22, AV-8C, Hunter F.58, and Mig-21 all easily beat F-5 in a dogfight.

Seriously?
Do you really think subsonic rubbish with f-ed up FM easly beats F-5?

[Pangolin_Fan]

@Stockholm_Blend

Sooo, in your theory
You flew some planes, and you had no problem while fragging F-5
Then you believe that F-5 are bad…?

In that term, AS A JOKE, I can also counterclaim that ‘XP-50 with air spawn’ was a bad plane

Taken as the Thai, Swiss, and Norwegian F-5s are just as easy to kill, Im very confident it’s the plane that’s bad, not the players.

@Stockholm_Blend

Seriously?
Do you really think subsonic rubbish with f-ed up FM easly beats F-5?

AV-8C has thrust vectoring. Just slow down a bit and you will easily beat an F-5.

[DiamondCraftLP]

@Pangolin_Fan

Su-22, AV-8C, Hunter F.58, and Mig-21 all easily beat F-5 in a dogfight.

whut?

If the F-5 does everything wrong and the others everything right, maybe.

@Pangolin_Fan

AV-8C has thrust vectoring

1 turn and it’s dead in the water

[Pangolin_Fan]

Then don’t try to outturn it, force an overshoot like a normal person.

[Stockholm_Blend]

@Pangolin_Fan

Taken as the Thai, Swiss, and Norwegian F-5s are just as easy to kill, Im very confident it’s the plane that’s bad, not the players.

It really sounds diabolical to me…

Both Norwegian and Thai F-5 are accessible via payment
Which means a decrease in the average skill level.
(Squadron one/Event one)

And if we consider this topic to be about ‘F-5C’, it feels slightly off topic to me.

Also, don’t forget that the regular version of the Thai F-5A(identical to the USAF F-5C) had the highest kill per spawn in June.

@Pangolin_Fan

AV-8C has thrust vectoring. Just slow down a bit and you will easily beat an F-5.

@Pangolin_Fan

force an overshoot like a normal person.

Man you are coping hard

If F-5 failed to kill Harrier when he took Harrier’s back
It is a skill issue of F-5.

Nearly 90% of Harriers will be just shredded by M39 after futile attempts to overshoot.

If both side has the same skill level, Harrier will gonna have no chance at all.

[Pangolin_Fan]

@Stockholm_Blend

If we thinks about stat difference between F-5A(TH/JPN) and F-5C(USA),
That sounds much more like ‘major skill issue of American main’ made you easier to frag F-5C than other jets.

@Stockholm_Blend

Both Norwegian and Thai F-5 are accessible via payment
Which means a decrease in the average skill level.

Ok so which is it?

The U.S. F-5C is easy to kill cuz bad players
Or
All F-5 are easy to kill cuz bad players?

@Stockholm_Blend

If F-5 failed to kill Harrier when he took Harrier’s back
It is a skill issue of F-5.

Nearly 90% of Harriers will be just shredded by M39 after futile attempts to overshoot.

If both side has the same skill level, Harrier will gonna have no chance at all.

Sounds like you’re just really, REALLY bad at playing the Harrier.

@Stockholm_Blend

Man you are coping hard

@Stockholm_Blend

Man you are coping hard

Projection

[Stockholm_Blend]

@Pangolin_Fan

The U.S. F-5C is easy to kill cuz bad players
Or
All F-5 are easy to kill cuz bad players?

You are the one who claimed that ‘Every F-5 sucks because I saw them doing sucks’

And brought up Thailand and Norwegian F-5 for supporting your claim.

I am telling you that those planes are generally gonna have worse stats because ‘everyone just can access them after pay’

Look at the gap between the statistical difference of the Thai F-5A and the USAF F-5C, which is identical in spec.

It seems that you only read what you want to read. Arrogantly.

@Pangolin_Fan

Sounds like you’re just really, REALLY bad at playing the Harrier.

200% ragebaiting moment fr.

If Harrier can easily defeat F-5C or F-5E or whatever you brought up.
Then Harriers would’ve 11.0BR, not 9.7.

Come on, Harriers generally fly even worse than A-7 if you don’t use thrust vector.
If you control it wisely, maybe you could win the A-7 but it will make no big difference in a dogfight against an F-5

And don’t forget that thrust vectoring with Harriers will drain energy at the delta level.

Overshooting F-5 while it is on my rear? While M39 is blazing its eye to shred my fuselage??

It is easier said than done :/
Go on. Doing it while in a dogfight is just a suicide attempt.

I can’t just understand your claim unless you are delusionally mistaken AV-8B (Harrier II) as AV-8C (Harrier)
Maybe then sounds more plausible.

If both side has the same skill level
The only way Harrier 1 takes a chance against F-5 is not dogfighting.
‘Sneakfire the sidewinder while being unnoticed.’
Of course, F-5 can easily flare it and pursue Harriers to punish if he has situational awareness.

Back to the original topic, F-5C could not be as good as it was. It is an old jet. Isn’t it?

But, claiming it is one of the worst jets in BR, which can beat nothing but an A-7, is at a batshit insane level.

It would not be the best. But still, it is better than the majority of jets in 10.7BR.

[Ion_492]

@Stockholm_Blend

Overshooting F-5 while it is on my rear? While M39 is blazing its eye to shred my fuselage??

The gen 1 harriers literally can’t pull hard enough to even do that. You quite literally can’t do anything to a not bad F-5 player while flying one. The gen 2s do have a chance because their FM is less screwed up, but they still aren’t incredible.

[DiamondCraftLP]

If I overshoot I just go vertical.

No Harrier is follwing me there. Brick gotta fall out the sky.

Or I just turn. Works too

[Pangolin_Fan]

This post was flagged by the community and is temporarily hidden.

[Morvran]

Yeah, it’s annoying how messed up the harrier FM is. Irl there is little an F5E could do against a FRS1.

Like the breaking force from the VIFF should be like 8x greater than it is currently

[Stockholm_Blend]

@Pangolin_Fan

@Stockholm_Blend

If Harrier can easily defeat F-5C or F-5E or whatever you brought up.
Then Harriers would’ve 11.0BR, not 9.7.

Wtf kinda logic is that? I guess the P-36G should be 11.0 too since it can outturn an F-5

You claimed that any other jets which aren’t A-7 can beat F-5 easly

I am telling you that you are spitting blatant lies.

If Harriers are really better dogfighters than F-5s
It would’ve straight up to 11.0BR and tie with Kfir Canard.

Admit that there is no chance that Harriers beat F-5 in a dogfight unless F-5 makes tons of blunders.

F-5 can eat Harriers alive like a snack.
Unless Gaijin finally give Harrier IRL FM, which could even beat F-15 in a training battle.

@Pangolin_Fan

The issue is you have to argue that everyone who plays F-5 (both TT and prem/squad/event) sucks absolute massive ass at WarThunder.

If we consider that it is true just for arguing’s sake
That sounds more like a skill issue than a plane issue.

@Pangolin_Fan

Ok yeah you just suck at flying the Harrier

Oh, it seems you ran out of theory, so you want to derail this into mud-slinging. Huh?

Killing 1 or 2 F-5 while flying Harriers by pure luck doesn’t guarantee that Harriers are better dogfighters than F-5.

In that mindset and theory, I can claim that XP-50 should be reverted to get air spawn.
The majority of XP-50s which I saw were following my B-25’s ass like rabid dogs, and burned like morning light by my tail gunner. :/

---

BTW I think this is a waste of time thanks to you who shut your ear and barbling the arguing round and round and round.

Maybe I wouldn’t give a damn about this if you didn’t bring Harrier up to defend your theory for underselling the F-5