Dev Blog #75: MiG vs. Sabre

[AndyJWest]

8 hours ago, Avimimus said:

The record states 1,087.68 km/h

It does. Which is almost certainly subsonic, though they don't specify the altitude (or air temperature, which is actually the relevant factor). I assume what the FAI are saying is that Cochran was supersonic at some point during the record attempt. 

There are plenty of other sources to support the claim that Cochran went supersonic in a Sabre (actually a Canadair one, since the USAAF wouldn't let a civilian fly theirs): the National Air and Space Museum says the same thing. link

[Avimimus]

1 hour ago, AndyJWest said:

It does. Which is almost certainly subsonic, though they don't specify the altitude (or air temperature, which is actually the relevant factor). I assume what the FAI are saying is that Cochran was supersonic at some point during the record attempt. 

There are plenty of other sources to support the claim that Cochran went supersonic in a Sabre (actually a Canadair one, since the USAAF wouldn't let a civilian fly theirs): the National Air and Space Museum says the same thing. link

Interesting - so its a CL-13 Sabre... with a prototype 27kN vs. 23kN engine for the F-86A (Canadians would eventually develop our Orendas to produce the Sabre Mk.6 for use in Europe with a 33.1 kN engine)! It also seems she broke the sound barrier in a dive - the Mk.3 prototype was based on an -E airframe so it would have had the all moving power horizontal stabilisers as well.

Interestingly these accounts of hers seem to suggest wing rigidity issues similar to the Mig-15Bis (leading to an uncommanded roll and loss of responsiveness): https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/canadair-cl-13-sabre-mk-3/

I find it slightly regrettable that the developers have said they're only interested in historical scenarios - an Sabre Mk.6, DeHaviland Venom, and Mig-17A lineup in Europe circa 1953 would be pretty interesting.

[AndyJWest]

Yup, I don't think there's any question she did it in a dive: the F-100 is often claimed to be the first fighter capable of going supersonic in level flight. As for the engine, I'd forgotten that the Canadair Sabres were different in that regard, and as the article you link notes, this was a prototype. And yes, that was a very dicey flight, not just with the loss of control, but the resulting fuel leak.