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| CL-13 Sabre | |
|---|---|
 An RCAF Canadair Sabre. Camouflage colouring was used on Europe-based aircraft. | |
| General information | |
| Type | Fighter |
| National origin | Canada |
| Manufacturer | Canadair |
| Primary users | Royal Canadian Air Force |
| Number built | 1,815 |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1950–1958 |
| Introduction date | 1950 |
| First flight | 9 August 1950 |
| Retired | 1980, Pakistan |
| Developed from | North American F-86 Sabre |
The Canadair Sabre is a jet fighter aircraft built by Canadair under licence from North American Aviation. A variant of the North American F-86 Sabre, it was produced until 1958 and used primarily by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) until replaced with the Canadair CF-104 in 1962. Several other air forces also operated the aircraft.
The aircraft was produced in two significant batches. The first, the Mk. 2 and Mk. 4s, with fewer than 1,000 produced, were only slightly different from their US counterparts. The second run, the Mk. 5s and Mk. 6s of similar numbers, were patterned on the later versions of the US Sabre with larger wings for improved maneuverability while replacing the original General Electric J47 engine with the locally designed more-powerful Avro Canada Orenda.
The last of the Canadair Sabres in front-line operation were in Pakistan, whose AIM-9 Sidewinder-equipped Mk. 6 models were the backbone of their air force during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. These were slowly phased out after 1971, with the last examples leaving combat service in 1980. Although replaced by higher-performance designs in most other forces by the 1960s, late-model versions served in secondary roles into the 1970s.
Some Orenda-powered examples became famous for other feats. Most notable was the single Mk. 3, the test-bed for the Orenda fit, which Jacqueline Cochran used in 1953 to set several speed records, including becoming the first woman to break the sound barrier. Another, an ex-RCAF Mk. 6 that left service in 1974, went on to become Boeing's chase plane for test flights until 1991. Many of these later aircraft are now preserved in museums.