- Yes
- No
Hello and welcome to my suggestion for the CL-13 Mk.2 in RAF Service! also known as the Sabre F.2, I feel this could come to game as a potential premium alongside the F.4 as a tech tree equivalent. This should also be a fairly easy addition given the already existing Sabre and CL-13 models in game.
History
Spoiler
The Sabres in RAF service are often forgotten about by both enthusiasts and historians alike, mainly due to the Sabres rather short service life of barely 5 years in service, however it was one of the most used aircraft in the RAF during that time, even more than domestic alternatives at the time such as the Supermarine Swift, Making it an integral part of RAF History and something often forgotten to history.
The story starts in the Early 50s, as the RAF’s Meteor and Vampire fighters were rapidly becoming obsolete, with the appearance of the Soviet Mig-15 that completely outclassed almost everything about these aircraft at the time, furthermore due to the severe lack of aircraft development compared to other Nations during late 40s britain had fallen severely behind in technology, and with both the Swift and Hunters that were to replace the ageing aircraft still severely delayed, the RAF began searching for something that could act as a stop gap until more capable aircraft became available.
As the UK desperately searched for an aircraft capable of being deployed in large numbers in a very short period of time, the USA Agreed to allow the Supply of 430 Canadian Built Sabres built under the Mutual Defence assistance act to Britain in order to stop the RAF from being completely outclassed against the brand new Soviet Fighters.
The First sabres to arrive were 3 CL-13 Mk.2’s (XB530 - 532) to be used as both evaluation aircraft and to prepare the RAF Ground and Air crews for operating on the CL-13 Mk.4s that were being built almost exclusively for the RAF, As the F.4s came into service not long after the F.2s they were assimilated into the F.4 Squadrons which is where the trail goes cold, from what I have found they were either retired after the F.4s reached full operational capability or they were retained up until the F.4s were taken out of service in 1957.
Images
Spoiler
Two Sabre F.2s (Background) flying beside a new F.4 (foreground)
The Early Unpainted scheme of the F.2s
The paint scheme of a Sabre F.2 in service with 92 Squadron
an RAF F.2 (Foreground) Refueling beside several other Sabres
The production line for CL-13 Mk.2s in Canada
Specifications
Spoiler
| Crew / passengers | One pilot in ejection seat |
|---|---|
| Powerplant | General Electric J-47-GE-13 turbojet at 5,200 lb (2,360 kg) thrust |
| Maximum speed | 590 mph (949 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 47,200 ft (14 386 m) |
| Empty weight | 10,434 lb (4,737 kg) |
| Gross weight | 14,577 lb (6,618 kg) |
| Span | 37 ft 11½ in (11.57 m) |
| Length | 37 ft 6 in (11.43 m) |
| Height | 14 ft 9 in (4.50 m) |
| Wing area | 287.9 sq ft (26.74 m2) |
| Armament | Six .50-cal machine guns plus provisions for tanks, bombs and rockets (unguided) |
Place in game
Spoiler
Whilst this probably would not fit in the Tech tree (Britain has both the F.4 and the South african Mk.6 it could get instead) I feel this would fit well as a potential Premium or Event vehicle in Future, Functionally it would not perform that different to the Existing Mk.4s already in game and would help bring a manoeuvrable aircraft to diversify the British 8.7 lineups/
Sources