HINDSIGHT 2020: CL-13 (F-86) Sabre
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 F-86 Sabre is one of the greatest jet fighters of all time. Of that there is simply no debate. With almost 10,000 airframes built all over the world, the F-86 remains the most prolific western fighter of all time. It could be argued that the Sabre's overwhelming success in the early days of jet propulsion led the America's eventual dominance over the fighter industry. The reasoning behind the F-86's success is simple: IT WAS A DAMN GOOD FIGHTER. Most early jet fighters suffered from underwhelming performance. Despite the additional power provided by a jet turbine, aircraft like the Gloster...