Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Sabre
Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation · Australia · first flew 1953 · fighter
The CAC Sabre (CA-27) was an Australian development of the North American F-86F Sabre, redesigned by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation around the Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet and re-armed with two 30 mm ADEN cannon.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 11.43 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Australian-built F-86 Sabre with Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet replacing the J47
- Two 30 mm ADEN cannon in place of the F-86F's six machine guns
- Air intake enlarged by 25 per cent for the Avon engine
Very similar in silhouette to the F-86F Sabre, but with an air intake 25 per cent larger to feed the Avon and two 30 mm ADEN cannon in place of the six machine guns.
Specifications
- The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Sabre has a length of 11.43 m (37 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11.3 m (37 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 1127 km/h (700 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Produced by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation from 1954, the CAC Sabre entered RAAF service in 1955 and equipped three front-line squadrons. Its Avon engine gave it superior performance to contemporary F-86F variants, and it was considered by many the finest Sabre derivative.
Variants
Built in Mk.30, Mk.31, and Mk.32 sub-variants with progressive improvements to avionics, weapons, and powerplant; 112 aircraft were built in total.
Where you'll see it
Served with the Royal Australian Air Force from 1955 to 1971; also operated briefly by Malaysia's Royal Malaysian Air Force. Several airframes are preserved in Australian museums.
Related aircraft
- Commonwealth CA-25 Winjeel
- CAC CA-28 Ceres
- Commonwealth CA-15
- Commonwealth CA-12 Boomerang
- Armstrong Whitworth Meteor NF.12
- Armstrong Whitworth Meteor NF.14
- Avia S-103
- Convair F-102 Delta Dagger
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