In the early 70s, the Swiss Air Force was looking for a new fighter. This aircraft had to be suited into the militia concept of the Swiss Army, and also be able to be operated from the mountainous airfields and the cavern bunkers. In the process, the Northrop "Freedom Fighter" was selected and the first F-5E "Tiger II" (serial J-3001) was shown on the AMEF Open Days at Duebendorf Air Base, in August 1979. In the following years, a Total of 98 F-5E Singleseaters and 12 F-5F Twinseaters were delivered to the Air Force.

These Tigers are still in service and will form together with the 34 new F/A-18C "Hornets" the backbone of the Swiss Air Defense System. This high numbers of aircrafts, in a favorite mix of high number / low costs (Tiger) and low number / high costs (Hornet), in view to the small country of Switzerland, are a mighty force.

I added some leftovers from an old Eduard PE-set #48-047, but the rest is built right out of the box.

The Tiger's head was only for the public air show painted on this aircraft. But Fliegerstaffel 11 has also a Tigerhead in their insignia, so they kept this thing for a while alive.

All Swiss Tigers are painted in a two-tone gray air superiority scheme. But the national insignias are still bright red, which is useful in the crowded European airspace. This is needed on visual intercepts to give the intruder a hint in which country he is right now ...

My friend Markus Frei did some good pictures of the real thing.
Please see the second Page of the F-5E "Tiger II".