BEST FIGHTER FOR CANADA

  Welcome to Hindsight 2020!  For this series we will be taking a look at Canada's past fighter purchases and asking a simple question:  "Did we make the right decision?" We will look at the aircraft itself, compare it to the alternatives available at the time, and determine whether or not Canada picked the right aircraft.   The CF-104 Starfighter is aptly named.  Its sleek, pencil-like fuselage and razor blade wings give an appearance that would look right at home on the cover of a science fiction novel.  Developed under the supervision of Lockheed's legendary Kelly Johnson; the Starfighter offered the ultimate in speed, altitude, and climb performance.  The first production aircraft to achieve Mach 2, the F-104 immediately set records for speed, climb rate, and altitude.   The F-104 Starfighter was an impressive fighter.  Designed with input from Korean War fighter pilots, it stuffed a power...

  Welcome to Hindsight 2020!  For this series we will be taking a look at Canada's past fighter purchases and asking a simple question:  "Did we make the right decision?" We will look at the aircraft itself, compare it to the alternatives available at the time, and determine whether or not Canada picked the right aircraft.   The CF-116 Freedom Fighter (also known as the CF-5) was the last fighter aircraft built on Canadian soil...  A situation Saab would very much like to change .  From 1968 to 1995, 240 CF-5s were built.  Many more than were required by the RCAF.  That led to export sales to other nations, both as new builds and surplus. Initially developed by Northrop as a cheap, easily maintained point-defence fighter, the original F-5 Freedom Fighter did not get much love from its nation of origin; the USA.  While the USAF did utilize the  F-5 in the skies over Vietnam , it did so sparingly; preferring more expensive platfo...

  Welcome to Hindsight 2020!  For this series we will be taking a look at Canada's past fighter purchases and asking a simple question:  "Did we make the right decision?" We will look at the aircraft itself, compare it to the alternatives available at the time, and determine whether or not Canada picked the right aircraft.   The CF-18 Hornet (officially the CF-188) needs no introduction.  It has been Canada's primary combat aircraft for almost 40 years now.  It has seen action in several combat arenas, including Kosovo, Libya, and the Gulf War of '91.  The Hornet also has the distinction of serving during the final years of The Cold War.  It is with no exaggeration that one could describe the CF-18 as one of Canada's most important aircraft.   With its long and varied service history, no one could call the CF-18 a "Hanger Queen".   It is hard to believe now, but the CF-18 was not without controversy when it was officially annou...

  Welcome back to Best Fighter for Canada! As the year 2020 (thankfully) comes to a close we can finally see some light at the end of the tunnel.  Three vendors have submitted their bids to replace the RCAF's aging fleet of CF-18s.  The decision in now in the (hopefully capable hands) of those government officials tasked with choice.  If things go as planned (they rarely do) we should have an answer by early 2022.   Rather than simply wait, I thought now would be a good time to examine Canada's past fighter purchases.  Doing so, we will ask a simple question:   Did we make the right decision? The answer may not always be simple.  While history has a way of pointing out which aircraft are duds and which aircraft become legends, that information can only be gleaned after years, sometimes decades of service.  No one ever sets out to make a lousy fighter, after all.   It just happens sometimes .   We will take a look back at past (and c...