Inscription(s):
Pilots Display Unit
Contract F09603-84-G-1438
Dsgn Act K0656
PN 79-090-03
Mfr K0656
NSN
Ser. No. K0656C004
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[Optical Module]
Part No. 2501-00049.
Serial No. F500045
Mfr Code K6111
Mfr Part No. 039909
NSN
Cont No. F09603-84-G-1438/SA15
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Optical Module Assy K0656
229-034915
S/N K0656 004
NSN
Notes:
Made up from miscellaneous parts. This unit is typical of designs for the F-5E/F.
Northrop built 792 F-5Es, 140 F-5Fs and 12 RF-5Es. More were built under license overseas: 91 F-5Es and -Fs in Switzerland, 68 by Korean Air in South Korea, and 308 in Taiwan. With this many aircraft there were numerous retrofit programmes and the Company supplied some 177 units for the F-5E/F.
In this aircraft the HUD is hard mounted to a pre-aligned mounting frame, i.e. it is already boresighted to the airframe. The drawback to the installation is that the HUD has to be long and narrow which is reflected in the design of the circuit boards within the unit. The High Voltage Power Supply locates on the underside of the PDU and there would be a Gun Camera and an Up-Front Control Panel fitted to customer requirements.
In 1989, the Indonesian Air Force began to take delivery of its first F-16s, and these were based alongside its F-5s. In March 1995, Belgium's SABCA was awarded a contract to upgrade the Indonesian F-5 fleet so that the planes could act as lead-in fighter trainers for the F-16. The 16 aircraft were fitted with the GEC-Marconi Avionics HUD/WAC and Sky Guardian RWR, new air data computer, stores management system, HOTAS controls, and a MIL-STD-1553B databus.
