BEST FIGHTER FOR CANADA

There was nothing Jim enjoyed more than a game of "Pull the Nozzle". There is an oft repeated trope that Canada requires a twin-engined aircraft for "safety reasons".  Some even go so far as to rule out any single-engine  fighter as a replacement for Canada's CF-18 Hornets. This blog has examined the issue before .  While it certainly is not an unfounded opinion, modern jet engine reliability has rendered the argument all but moot.  Both the RCAF and the Government of Canada seemed to agree when they made the infamous decision to sole-source the F-35 Lightning II. When the current Trudeau government campaigned on the promise to cancel the JSF purchase, it was on the grounds of cost, not safety. There are still those that lack confidence in a single-engine layout, however.  Perhaps a stronger argument needs to be made. The best way to make a comparison is to eliminate as many variables as possible.  In this case we will examine two fighters tha...

Is one of these a deathtrap? There was a decent crown at the air show today.  It was a beautiful August Saturday, with just the slightest wisps of clouds high up.   "Time to start the show." Captain Buster said to himself as he throttled his trusty CF-18 Hornet demonstrator up and off the tarmac.  Buster had a privilege of following The Snowbirds that day, so he knew he had his work cut out for him.  "No problem." he thought, those 50-year-old CT-114s may have their precision, but the ol' Hornet had raw power on its side.  Captain Buster imagined he could hear the crowd's "Ooohhs!" and "Aahhhs!" over the roar of this after burning GE404 turbofans.  Even after 30 years of service, the Hornet was still an impressive plane.  Its high thrust and high angle-of-attack performance allowed it to perform maneuvers that seemed to contradict the laws of physics.  "Not bad for an old girl..." thought Buster with a smile. ...