Originally Posted by hval
US Herk,
The wings differed between the T-38 and the F-5 in the following ways: -
1/ The wing of the T-38 meets the fuselage straight and ends square (refer to page 10 of this linked document. Ignore the wing fences. The F5 wings do not; they have leading edge root extensions. See Here
2/ The F-5 has leading edge root extensions and wingtip launch rails for missiles. The LERX help at high alpha with stall speeds.
3/ the T-38 wing is constructed of honeycomb material while the wing of the F-5 family uses conventional skin over underlying support structure
Thanks for that - good info. A for #3, was the wing any thicker? I recall the T38 wing being quite thin (and a fairly symmetrical airfoil) and they had leading edge covers as much to protect the wing as to protect maintenance personnel's heads!