JDK wrote:
As far as I now there was never an opportunity for a direct comparison, or fly-off (not that that is necessarily as definitive as some would like to believe) and I'd be interested in tracking down any test pilot who flew the CAC Sabre and either the Canadair or F-86F as well.
Regards,
Here's something on Aussie vs Canadian Sabres from
Plane Speaking by Bill Gunston (RAF pilot turned engineer at Hawker).
Gunston spends half a page describing the troubles the CAC had in putting the Avon engine in the Australian Sabre and how a engine change eventually resulted in 665 engineering changes with more than 60 percent of the fuselage being redesigned and ended up with a aircraft about 1100 pounds heavier than the F-86F.
The RAAF Chief of Staff, AM Sir Frederick Scherger said of the resulting aircraft..."What we got at the end was a fighter just about as good as the F-86F but three years later and costing twice as much".
He goes onto say: (pg.173).
"One of the few people who flew almost every type of Sabre, R.N. "Bob" Broad, has no hesitation saying the best of the lot was the Canadian Sabre 6. This also had a different engine, the Orenda 14, but somehow they shoved this Avon-power engine in without changing much else, and there was no need for more than very local modifications. Bob reckoned the sabre 6 'the best dogfighter of its day, even better than the FJ-4 Fury' ".
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