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113-610: 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,

226-535: A dive, and thus became the first woman to exceed the speed of sound. The Golden Hawks were a Canadian aerobatic flying team that was established in 1959 to celebrate the Royal Canadian Air Force's 35th anniversary and the "Golden" 50th anniversary of Canadian flight, which began with the AEA Silver Dart in 1909. Initially, a six-plane team flying brilliantly painted metallic-gold Canadair Sabre Mk.5s,

339-510: A highly flammable fabric surface. During the 1920s and 1930s a number of approaches were tried. A variety of motorjet , turboprop , pulsejet and rocket powered aircraft were designed. Rocket-engine research was being carried out in Germany and the first aircraft to fly under rocket power was the Lippisch Ente , in 1928. The Ente had previously been flown as a glider. The next year, in 1929,

452-553: A jet fighter on 26 July 1944, the day before the British Gloster Meteor entered operational service. The Me 262 had first flown on April 18, 1941, but mass production did not start until early 1944, with the first squadrons operational that year, too late for any effect on the outcome of the World War II . While only around 15 Meteors were operational during WW2, up to 1,400 Me 262 were produced, with 300 entering combat. Only

565-516: A jet-powered aircraft in 1910, the Coandă-1910 . However, to support this claim, he had to make substantial alterations to the drawings which he used to support his subsequently debunked claims. In fact the ducted-fan engine backfired, setting the aircraft on fire before any flights were ever made, and it lacked nearly all of the features necessary for a jet engine - including a lack of fuel injection, and any concern about hot jet efflux being directed at

678-777: A letter of request, awaiting answer even in September, 2024, for cost and availability. One major point of the agreement is were the upgrade will take place. HAF has request proposals for both, in-base upgrade in 111 Combat Wing in Nea Anchialos air force base, as well as in Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI) in Tanagra, among the other aircraft. Officials claim that upgrades in 111 Combat Wing will be less costly, plus there will be two production lines, making Block 50 to Block 70 Vipers conversions faster. In April 2019, as part of

791-509: A lower exhaust speed than turbojets, and are mostly used for high sonic, transonic, and low supersonic speeds. High bypass turbofans are relatively efficient, and are used by subsonic aircraft such as airliners. Jet aircraft fly considerably differently than propeller aircraft . One difference is that jet engines respond relatively slowly. This complicates takeoff and landing maneuvers. In particular, during takeoff, propeller aircraft engines blow air over their wings and that gives more lift and

904-624: A matter of fact, all Balkan countries used military aircraft and foreign mercenaries during the Balkan Wars. 24 January 1913, saw the first naval co-operation mission in history, which took place over the Dardanelles . Aided by the Royal Hellenic Navy , destroyer RHNS Velos , 1st Lieutenant Michael Moutoussis and Ensign Aristeidis Moraitinis flew the Farman hydroplane and drew up a diagram of

1017-540: A new oxygen system and improved maneuverability and low-speed characteristics achieved by increasing the wing chord by six in (15.2 cm) at the root and three in. (7.2 cm) at the wing tip along with fitting a small vertical wing fence. This modification, originated by North American on the F-86F, dramatically improved maneuverability, though the loss of the slatted leading edge increased landing speed and degraded low speed handling considerably. Canadair built 370 Mk 5s with

1130-413: A shorter takeoff. These differences caught out some early BOAC Comet pilots. In aircraft overall propulsive efficiency η {\displaystyle \eta } is the efficiency, in percent, with which the energy contained in a vehicle's propellant is converted into useful energy, to replace losses due to air drag , gravity, and acceleration. It can also be stated as the proportion of

1243-661: A single service, the Royal Hellenic Air Force. In 1931, the Hellenic Air Force Academy , the Icarus School ( Greek : Σχολή Ικάρων ), was founded. At the end of 1936, Greece ordered 36 Polish PZL P.24 fighter aircraft, which entered service with the 21st, 22nd and 23rd Pursuit Squadrons and after completion of deliveries in 1938, formed the core of the RHAF fighter force. The planes were well armed; 12 planes of

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1356-422: A speed that is the same as, or nearly the same as, the vehicle velocity. The exact formula for air-breathing engines as given in the literature, is where c is the exhaust speed, and v is the speed of the aircraft. For a long range jet operating in the stratosphere , the speed of sound is constant, hence flying at fixed angle of attack and constant Mach number causes the aircraft to climb, without changing

1469-910: A total number of three-hundred advanced fighters, also according to the Supreme Air Force Council 2007–2012 operational planning , which was published in 2007. Candidates for the new generation aircraft were the Dassault Rafale , F-35 Lightning II , F/A-18E/F Super Hornet , MiG-35 , and the Sukhoi Su-35 . During the Greek economic crisis (2008-2018), budget cuts forced HAF to ground many of its F-16s due to lack of spare parts and maintenance. Eventually in 2015, Greece placed an order for provision of spare parts in support of its F-16, F/RF-4E, C-130H/B, C-27J, T-6A/C, and other aircraft with systems / sub-systems of U.S. origin. The estimated cost of this order

1582-693: A total of 317 shows across North America . Data from Specification for the Canadair F-86 Sabre 6 Airplane for the Argentine Air Force, Report No. RD-13B-13 (Issue 1) General characteristics Performance Armament Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Jet aircraft Whereas the engines in propeller-powered aircraft generally achieve their maximum efficiency at much lower speeds and altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency at speeds close to or even well above

1695-495: A version of the Whittle engine built by General Electric . The Meteor was the first production jet, with the first orders for production examples being made on 8 August 1941, the prototype first flying on 5 March 1943 and the first production aircraft flying on 12 January 1944, while the first orders for production Me 262 aircraft were not issued until 25 May 1943, and the first production Me 262 did not fly until 28 March 1944 despite

1808-643: Is considered to be one of the largest air forces in NATO , and is globally placed 18th out of 139 countries. Under the Kingdom of Greece from 1935 to 1973, it was previously known as the Royal Hellenic Air Force ( RHAF ) ([Ἑλληνικὴ Βασιλικὴ Ἀεροπορία] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |3= ( help ) ). The Hellenic Air Force is one of the three branches of the Hellenic Armed Forces , and its mission

1921-733: Is in the process of obtaining new ones. There is the F-4, F-16 in several variants, Mirage 2000 and Rafales. As well, the F-35 will be obtained soon. This is very expensive for the Armed Forces and this needs reformed. In March 2024, Defence Minister Nikos Dendias announced that the F-4s will be retired soon and the older F-16s and Mirage 2000s will be sold off. This will streamline the Air Force. This streamlining can be of benefit to other countries such as India which may buy

2034-519: Is known as the Breguet range equation after the French aviation pioneer Louis Charles Breguet . Greek Air Force The Hellenic Air Force ( HAF ; Greek : Πολεμική Αεροπορία , romanized :  Polemikí Aeroporía , lit.   'Military Aviation', sometimes abbreviated as ΠΑ ) is the air force of Greece ( Hellenic being the endonym for Greek in the Greek language ). It

2147-510: Is no conformation of any purchase, and talks are ongoing. In August 2020, Greece announced the acquisition of eighteen Rafale multi-role aircraft from France . Initial reports stated that ten would be the new C-built Rafale F3-R version, and eight would be older F1 & F2 versions already in use with the French Air Force , that would be given to Greece free-of-charge. However, later reports stated that all eighteen aircraft would be

2260-650: Is the X-15 at Mach 6.85. The Space Shuttle , while far faster than the X-43 or X-15, was not regarded as an aircraft during ascent as it was carried ballistically by rocket thrust, rather than the air. During re-entry it was classed (like a glider) as an unpowered aircraft. The first flight was in 1981. The Bell 533 (1964), Lockheed XH-51 (1965), and Sikorsky S-69 (1977-1981) are examples of compound helicopter designs where jet exhaust added to forward thrust. The Hiller YH-32 Hornet and Fairey Ultra-light Helicopter were among

2373-427: Is the cycle efficiency and η p {\displaystyle \eta _{p}} is the propulsive efficiency. The cycle efficiency, in percent, is the proportion of energy that can be derived from the energy source that is converted to mechanical energy by the engine . For jet aircraft the propulsive efficiency (essentially energy efficiency ) is highest when the engine emits an exhaust jet at

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2486-565: Is therefore an important consideration. Jet aircraft are usually designed using the Whitcomb area rule , which says that the total area of cross-section of the aircraft at any point along the aircraft from the nose must be approximately the same as that of a Sears-Haack body . A shape with that property minimises the production of shockwaves which would waste energy. There are several types of engine which operate by expelling hot gas: The different types are used for different purposes. Rockets are

2599-562: Is to guard and protect Greek airspace, provide air assistance and support to the Hellenic Army and the Hellenic Navy , and to provide humanitarian aid in Greece and around the world. The Hellenic Air Force includes approximately 33,000 active troops, of whom 11,750 are career officers , 14,000 are professional soldiers (ΕΠ.ΟΠ.), 7,250 are volunteer conscripts, and 1,100 are women. The motto of

2712-547: The 330 'Thunder' and 346 'Jason' interceptor squadrons in Larissa air force base. On 29 March 1991, the RF-84F were retired from service after 34 years and 7 months of operational life. In November 1992, more RF-4Es were delivered to the 348 'Eyes' Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron . In 1993, the 'Peace Xenia II' modernisation programme began. Greece ordered thirty-two F-16C and eight F-16D, Block 50 variant . The first Block 50

2825-647: The Boeing 707 to enter service in 1958 and thus to dominate the market for civilian airliners. The underslung engines were found to be advantageous in the event of a propellant leak, and so the 707 looked rather different from the Comet: the 707 has a shape that is effectively the same as that of contemporary aircraft, with marked commonality still evident today for example with the 737 (fuselage) and A340 (single deck, swept wing, four below-wing engines). Turbofan aircraft with far greater fuel efficiency began entering service in

2938-841: The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger (in service 1969–1975), the Lockheed F-104G Starfighter , and the Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter . The F-104 and F-5 stayed in service until the mid- to late 1980s. In the mid-1970s, the Hellenic Air Force was further modernised with deliveries of the Dassault Mirage F1 CG fleet, the Vought A-7 Corsair II (including a number of TA-7Hs), and the first batch of McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom IIs . In 1993,

3051-574: The F/A-18 Hornet , a new onboard Mission Control Computer (MCC), a head-up display (HUD), the identification friend or foe (IFF) interrogator, multi-function displays , and were also capable of carrying a variety of advanced air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles. These included the AIM-120 AMRAAM (although only the -B edition), the AIM-9M missile, the automated flight-director system (AFDS), and

3164-607: The German Aerospace Industry (DASA) and the Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI/EAB) , to upgrade thirty-nine F-4E Phantom II fighters. The first aircraft was delivered at Andravida Air Base in December 2002. This aircraft, which was named Princess of Andravida ( s/n 72-01523), was unique because it did not have the M61 Vulcan gun installed. All upgraded F-4s were equipped with the new AN/APQ-65YG radar similar to that of

3277-510: The Hellenic Aviation Service . Six Greek officers were sent to France for training, while the first four Farman type aircraft were ordered. All six graduated from the Farman school in Étampes near Paris , but only four subsequently served in aviation. The first Greek civilian aviator that was given military rank was Emmanuel Argyropoulos , who flew in a Nieuport IV.G. 'Alkyon' aircraft, on 8 February 1912. The first military flight

3390-644: The IRIS-T air-to-air missile . Three squadrons are operating with this type of F-16. These squadrons are the 337 'Ghost' in Larissa air base, the 340 'Fox' , and the 343 'Star' in Souda air base. In 2007, the Greek government ordered an additional thirty F-16 fighters; twenty single-seaters and ten two-seaters. However this time, the aircraft variant was the F-16C/D Block 52+ Advanced , that had been specifically modified for

3503-607: The Middle East flew a variety of missions, including convoy patrols, anti-submarine search, offensive patrols, reconnaissance, attack and interception of enemy aircraft. In Summer 1943, the Greek squadrons participated in the attack against the German Wehrmacht on the island of Crete , and then from May to November 1944 in Italy. During those years, seventy Greek pilots were lost. During World War II , Greek pilots who were flying with

Canadair Sabre - Misplaced Pages Continue

3616-766: The Nakajima J9Y Kikka , a modified, and slightly smaller version of the Me 262 that had folding wings. By the end of 1945, the US had introduced their first jet fighter, the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star into service and the UK its second fighter design, the de Havilland Vampire . The US introduced the North American B-45 Tornado , their first jet bomber, into service in 1948. It was capable of carrying nuclear weapons, but

3729-554: The Opel RAK.1 became the first purpose-built rocket aircraft to fly. The turbojet was invented in the 1930s, independently by Frank Whittle and later Hans von Ohain . The first turbojet aircraft to fly was the Heinkel He 178 , on August 27, 1939 in Rostock (Germany), powered by von Ohain's design. This was largely a proof of concept, as the problem of " creep " (metal fatigue caused by

3842-506: The US Pentagon confirmed Greece as one of five countries to be considered as potential new customers. In January 2020, Greece formally expressed interest in acquiring and participating in the F-35 programme, following a visit by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to the White House . A figure of twenty aircraft was initially floated, to be acquired following successful completion of

3955-573: The United States Air Force delivered sixty-two additional A-7Es and TA-7Cs increasing further the air-to-ground capabilities of the HAF. These aircraft remained in service until 2011. Until the late 1980s, the Air Force deployed missiles armed with U.S. nuclear warheads using the LTV TA-7C Corsair II . As a result of Greco-Turkish tension caused by the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus ,

4068-488: The speed of sound . Jet aircraft generally cruise most efficiently at about Mach 0.8 (981 km/h (610 mph)) and at altitudes around 10,000–15,000 m (33,000–49,000 ft) or more. The idea of the jet engine was not new, but the technical problems involved did not begin to be solved until the 1930s. Frank Whittle , an English inventor and RAF officer, began development of a viable jet engine in 1928, and Hans von Ohain in Germany began work independently in

4181-486: The 'Talos' modernisation programme. Subsequently, in 1989, the first fourth-generation fighter jets were introduced, marking the beginning of a new era: the first Mirage 2000 EG/BG aircraft were delivered to the 114 Combat Wing in Tanagra air force base, and equipped the 331 and 332 squadrons. In January 1989, the first F-16C/D Block 30 arrived in 111 Combat Wing in Nea Anchialos air force base, and were allocated to

4294-541: The 1950s and 1960s, and became the most commonly used type of jet. The Tu-144 supersonic transport was the fastest commercial jet aircraft at Mach 2.35 (2,503 km/h (1,555 mph)). It went into service in 1975, but was withdrawn from commercial service shortly afterwards. The Mach 2 Concorde entered service in 1976 and flew for 27 years. The fastest military jet aircraft was the SR-71 Blackbird at Mach 3.35 (3,661 km/h (2,275 mph)). Most people use

4407-872: The 1950s in Central Europe were the early variants of the Soviet MiG- the MiG-15 , MiG-17 , MiG-19 and MiG-21 . Based on the Korean War experience, the selection of the Mk.6 Sabre to provide an effective opposition to the MiG threat proved to be a logical one. Canada's commitment to NATO was to provide 12 squadrons located at four bases – two in France ( Marville and Grostenquin ) and two in West Germany ( Zweibrücken and Baden Soellingen ). Initially,

4520-517: 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. In 1948,

4633-569: The A-7 Corsair II to deploy tactical B61 nuclear warheads from Araxos Air Force Base. Greece then strategically decided to remove all nuclear weapons under storage in Greece, and did not purchase any more aircraft with nuclear mounting capabilities. In September 2004, Greece also decided to upgrade all of its existing Mirage 2000 to the Mirage 2000-5F (Mk2) standard, and place an additional order for fifteen new Mirage 2000-5Mk2 aircraft. The project

Canadair Sabre - Misplaced Pages Continue

4746-473: The Air Force was rebuilt and organised according to NATO standards. New aircraft, including jets, were introduced. The first jet fighter flown by the RHAF was the Republic F-84G Thunderjet in 1955. It was also flown by the first Air Force aerobatic team 337 SQ 'Hellenic Flame' ( Greek : Ελληνική Φλόγα). The RF-84F entered service with the 348 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron in 1956. Although

4859-416: 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

4972-417: The Canadian Minister of Defence, arranged for her to borrow 19200 , the sole Sabre 3. Canadair sent a 16-man support team to California for the attempt. On 18 May 1953, Ms. Cochran set a new 100 km speed record of 1,050.15 km/h (652.53 mph). Later on 3 June, she set a new 15 km closed circuit record of 1,078 km/h (670 mph). While she was in California, she exceeded 1270 km/h in

5085-433: The Canadian government decided to re-equip the RCAF with the F-86 Sabre with Canadair contracted to produce them in Montreal , Quebec , Canada. An initial batch of 10 aircraft was ordered for tool verification. The Korean War changed this to a production batch of 100 aircraft. Canadair slowly built up its production facility to make all components with related equipment obtained from other Canadian suppliers. Canadair gave

5198-422: The F-4. This was on the same day as Turkey's approval to buy 40 F-16Vs and 79 modernisation kits for its F-16Cs. The procurement of 20 aircraft was approved by the Hellenic Parliament on 27 June 2024. Greece signed the relevant Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LoA) on July 25, 2024. The C-130B/H variants are coming to the end of their service lives and will need to be replaced soon. As announced in January 2023,

5311-441: The F-84G was replaced by the Canadair Sabre 2 in 1954 and 1955 after one-hundred units were retired from the Royal Canadian Air Force and upgraded in the United Kingdom before entering service with the RHAF, the RF-84F remained in service until 1991. The Lockheed T-33 was also delivered as a trainer in 1955. Some RT-33s were used for reconnaissance missions. In the late 1960s, the RHAF acquired new jet aircraft. These included

5424-449: The German occupation of Greece, the Air Force was rebuilt under the expatriated Greek Air Force Ministry based in Cairo . Three squadrons were built, operating under the command of the British RAF . These squadrons were the 13th Light Bombing Squadron flying Avro Ansons , Bristol Blenheims , and Martin Baltimores , and the 335 and 336 Fighting Squadrons flying Hawker Hurricane I and IIs and Spitfire V types. The RHAF squadrons in

5537-421: The Hellenic Air Force and offered as F-16 52M by Lockheed Martin, due to the improved computing power of the onboard mission computer (MMC). The difference between the Block 52+ and the Block 52+ Advanced, is the LINK 16 communications system of the Advanced version, as well as a more powerful mission control computer, an extra multi-function display with a movable map navigation, advanced debriefing system, and

5650-477: The Hellenic Air Force is in talks to potentially buy the Embraer C-390 Millennium from the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer. A potential option of retired C-130Js from the Royal Air Force or Royal Australian Air Force did not produce any results, neither the two C-130H from the USAF that were promised by the US diplomat Antony Blinken as a free-of-charge package of help via EDA, as costs to return into flight status were significant high. Despite this, there

5763-419: The Hellenic Air Force is the ancient Greek phrase Αἰὲν Ὑψικρατεῖν ( Aièn Hypsikrateîn , 'Always Dominate the Heights'), and the HAF emblem represents a flying eagle in front of the Hellenic Air Force roundel . The General Air Staff (GEA) is based at the Papagou Camp in the Municipality of Filothei - Psychiko of the Prefecture of Attica. In 1911, the Greek Government appointed French specialists to form

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5876-421: The Italian invasion on air and ground had been successfully pushed back, aided by the vital contribution of the RHAF to the Greek victory. During the Greco-Italian War the Royal Hellenic Air Force shot down 68 enemy aircraft (official records) and claimed another 24. The British RAF claimed 150 additional air victories against Italian aircraft. However, the Italian Air Force recorded only 65 aircraft lost, during

5989-423: The Me 262 program having started earlier than that of the Meteor, as Projekt 1065, with initial plans drawn up by Waldemar Voigt's design team in April 1939. The Messerschmitt Me 262 was the first operational jet fighter , manufactured by Germany during World War II and entering service on 19 April 1944 with Erprobungskommando 262 at Lechfeld just south of Augsburg. An Me 262 scored the first combat victory for

6102-549: The Mirage jets. As well, the older F-16s may be sold to Ukraine which is in desperate need of new aircraft. In November 2024, the Hellenic Air Force announced that obsoleted Russian air-defence systems such as the S-300, TOR-M1 and Osa-AK would be phased out. These will be sent to Armenia which can maintain them as well as Ukraine wanting western systems. This de-Russify the Greek arsenal and help Armenia, and these systems will likely be replaced by Israeli air-defence systems. The airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) in

6215-408: The Mk 2 and the Mk 4 were identical. Of 438 Mk 4s built, approximately 70 were used temporarily by the RCAF, all surviving examples being passed to the RAF . The other Sabre 4s went directly to the RAF under a mutual aid program, equipping 11 RAF squadrons. The majority served in West Germany with NATO, with two squadrons being based in the UK as part of RAF Fighter Command . The Sabre Mk.4 served with

6328-403: 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

6441-417: The P.24F version had 2 machine guns and 2 20mm autocannons, the remaining 24 planes of the P.24G version had 4 machine guns. In 1939, an order for 24 Marcel Bloch MB.151 fighter aircraft was placed, but only nine of the aircraft reached Greece, since the outbreak of World War II prevented the French from completing the order. The aircraft entered service in the 24th Pursuit Squadron (MD – Moira Dioxis ) of

6554-410: The RAF achieved many victories. Rhodesian -born Wing Commander John Agorastos Plagis shot down 16 enemy aircraft over Malta and Western Europe. Lieutenant Vasilios Michael Vassiliadis was credited with 11.5 enemy aircraft over Western Europe before he was killed in action on 15 March 1945, over Germany. Steve Pisanos , an immigrant to the US in 1938, joined an Eagle Squadron of American volunteers in

6667-512: The RAF and fought over Western Europe. He later joined the USAAF and acquired US citizenship and continued to fly with the same squadron, now part of the USAF 4th FG . He had achieved ten victories with the USAAF by 1944. After Greece's liberation in 1944, RHAF returned to Greece and subsequently played a decisive role in the Greek Civil War , which lasted until 1950. By then, it was re-equipped with Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX, Spitfire Mk.XVI fighters, and Curtiss SB2C Helldiver bombers. After

6780-489: The RAF until mid-1956 when they were replaced by Hawker Hunters . The survivors were overhauled in the UK, fitted with '6-3' wing modifications and handed to the USAF (which had funded these aircraft) which in turn passed them on to other NATO members, with the majority going to Italy and Yugoslavia. On 30 July 1953, the first Sabre Mk.5 flew with the Orenda 10 engine, which gave it a clear rate of climb and ceiling advantage over earlier variants. Other Mk 5 improvements included

6893-399: The Sabre 5 in RCAF service from 1954, just over 210 surviving Sabre 2s were overhauled and modified in the UK and supplied in roughly equal numbers to the Greek Air Force and Turkish Air Forces . In mid-1952, the Sabre Mk.4 went into production with the first one flown on 28 August 1952. Apart from some minor structural and systems changes, including improved air-conditioning and gun sight,

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7006-426: The Sabre Mk.6. The last Sabre to be manufactured by Canadair (Sabre No. 1815 ), after being donated by the Pakistan Air Force , is now part of the permanent collection in the Western Canada Aviation Museum (WCAM) in Winnipeg, Manitoba . From 1950 to 1958, a total of 1,815 CL-13 Sabres were built at the Canadair plant in Montreal. The second generation of Canadair Sabre aircraft, and first to be built in quantity,

7119-483: The Sabre the project number CL-13. Canadair produced six versions of the CL-13 Sabre. The sole Sabre Mk.1 was essentially the same as the North American Sabre F-86A. It had a General Electric J47-GE-13 turbojet of 5,200 lbf (23 kN) thrust. The Sabre Mk.2 had the same engine, although after the first 20 aircraft were produced, the remainder of the production run was distinguished in having power-assisted controls and an "all-flying" tailplane . The sole Sabre Mk.3

7232-499: The U.S. removed its nuclear weapons from Greek and Turkish alert units to storage. Greece saw this as another pro-Turkish move by NATO and withdrew its forces from NATO's military command structure from 1974 to 1980. In March 1985, the Greek government announced the purchase of thirty-four F-16C and six F-16D Block 30 variant in the 'Peace Xenia I' modernisation programme. In the same month, Greece ordered thirty-six single-seat Mirage 2000 EG and four two-seat Mirage 2000 BG, as part of

7345-427: The aging fighter fleet. It dedicated resources for the upgrade of the fleet of its existing Mirage 2000 and F-16 fighters. In 2018, Lockheed Martin was contracted to upgrade eighty-four F-16C/D Block 52+ and Block 52+ Advanced (Block 52M) to the latest F-16C/D Block 70/72 (F-16V Viper) standard, bringing capabilities to the fleet only available in 5th generation fighters such as the F-35 Lightning II . This upgrade

7458-566: The air force. During the Italian invasion of Greece (1940-1941) in the Second World War, although being severely outnumbered and counting only 79 aircraft against 380 fighters and bombers of the Italian Regia Aeronautica , RHAF managed to successfully resist the assault. On 30 October, two days after the start of the war, there was the first air battle. Some Henschel Hs126s of 3/2 Flight of 3 Observation Mira took off to locate Italian Army columns. But they were intercepted and attacked by Fiat CR.42 Falcos of 393 Squadriglia . A first Henschel

7571-467: The aircraft an excellent and modern platform for precision strikes. In 2000, Greece decided to purchase a large number of fighters to replace the remaining non-upgraded F-4E Phantoms, a number of A-7 Corsairs, and the fleet of Mirage F1CGs. An order for sixty F-16 Block 52 Plus was placed. The order was for fifty single-seaters of the C version and ten two-seaters of the D version. Until 2001, Greece participated in NATO's nuclear weapons sharing , using

7684-413: The capability to carry the RECCE reconnaissance pod. The first aircraft were delivered in May 2009, and operated by the 335 'Tiger' squadron at Araxos air base. Due to the retirement and obsolescence of units that had concluded their operational cycle (A-7E Corsair II and F-4 Phantom II), HAF was looking forward to acquiring new 4th , 4.5th or 5th generation fighters , and at the same time, maintain

7797-630: The contribution consisted of only Sabre aircraft; however, later it was decided to include the Avro Canada CF-100 aircraft in the defense package to provide a night and all-weather fighter capability. Though the main use of the Sabre by the RCAF was in Europe, they were also used by RCAF Auxiliary part-time units in Canada, replacing de Havilland Vampire jets. 400 "City Of Toronto" and 411 "County Of York" Squadrons based at RCAF Station Downsview near Toronto, as well as 401 "City Of Westmount" and 438 "City Of Montreal" Squadrons at RCAF Station St-Hubert near Montreal, were equipped with Sabre 5s, as

7910-402: The current fleet is the Embraer E-99 fitted with the SAAB Erieye radar. This was introduced over twenty five-years ago, and it is ageing. SAAB has offered the "Erieye ER" upgraded radar, or the buying of the new GlobalEye as a replacement for these old aircraft. This is still unconfirmed. During the latter part of the Greek Economic Crisis, HAF after years of austerity decided to modernize

8023-492: The early 1930s. In August 1939 the turbojet powered Heinkel He 178 , the world's first jet aircraft, made its first flight. A wide range of different types of jet aircraft exist, both for civilian and military purposes. After the first instance of powered flight, a large number of jet engine designs were suggested. René Lorin , Morize, Harris proposed systems for creating a jet efflux. After other jet engines had been run, Romanian inventor Henri Coandă claimed to have built

8136-691: The end of the Greek Civil War in November 1950, Greece sent seven Douglas C-47 Dakota transport aircraft of the 13th Transport Aircraft Squadron to South Korea to assist the United Nations (UN). Greek aircraft participated in many battles including Battle of Chosin and operated in Korea until May 1955. Greek pilots flew thousands of missions including air evacuations, personnel transport, intelligence gathering, and supply flights. In 1952 Greece joined NATO , and

8249-813: The entire campaign against the Greeks and later the British, with 495 additional aircraft reported as damaged. In April 1941, the German Wehrmacht invaded Greece in order to assist the Italian assault. During this second wave of foreign invasion, the Luftwaffe eventually succeeded in destroying most of the Royal Hellenic Air Force. However, some aircraft managed to escape to the Middle East, including five Avro Anson , one Dornier Do 22 , one Arado 196 , and three Avro 626 . During

8362-671: The entire family of the Paveway (I, II and III) laser-guided bombs . These aircraft were the F-4E Peace Icarus 2000 (PI2000) or F-4E Phantom II AUP (Avionics Upgrade Programme) variants. Although gradual retirement of F-4 units started in 2017, they are still operational in multi-role missions with the 338 Squadron 'Ares' and the 339 Squadron 'Ajax' based in Andravida air force base. The F-4E Phantom II PI2000 (AUP) has been certified for use of GBU-27 Paveway III laser-guided bombs, making

8475-666: The first combat mission, a reconnaissance flight over Thessaly . This was on the first day of the Balkan wars . On the same day a similar mission was flown by German mercenaries in Ottoman service, over the Thrace front against the Bulgarian Army. The Greek and the Ottoman missions, coincidentally flown on the same day, were the first military aviation missions in the history of conventional war. As

8588-458: The first commercial jet service, from London to Johannesburg , in 1952 with the de Havilland Comet jetliner . This highly innovative aircraft travelled far faster and higher than propeller aircraft, was much quieter, smoother, and had stylish blended wings containing hidden jet engines. However, due to a design defect, and use of aluminium alloys, the aircraft suffered catastrophic metal fatigue which led to several crashes, which gave time for

8701-570: The first six aircraft could only arrive in Greece by 2022, at the earliest. On 30 June 2022, Greece's prime minister confirmed that the country has sent a request to the United States for the purchase of twenty F-35s, with the option of buying a second group of jets also being examined. The expected delivery date is 2027–2028. On 27 January 2024, it was announced that the USA approved the sale of 40 F-35s to Greece. These will replace ageing aircraft such as

8814-485: The high temperatures within the engine) had not been solved, and the engine quickly burned out. Von Ohain's design, an axial-flow engine, as opposed to Whittle's centrifugal flow engine, was eventually adopted by most manufacturers by the 1950s. The first flight of a jet-propelled aircraft to come to public attention was the Italian Caproni Campini N.1 motorjet prototype which flew on August 27, 1940. It

8927-617: The larger, heavier and older Sabre. The Gnat was referred to as a "Sabre Slayer" by the Indian Air Force since most of its combat kills during the two wars were against Sabres. Although the Canadair Sabre Mk.6 was widely regarded as the best dogfighter of its era, tactics called for Gnats taking on the Sabres in the vertical arena, where the Sabres were at a disadvantage. Moreover, because the Gnat

9040-595: The main day fighter of the Pakistan Air Force. Canadair Sabres were the mainstay of their respective air forces in the two major conflicts in which they were employed: the Korean War, where F-86 Sabres racked up a 6-1 kill record, and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 . The diminutive Folland Gnat was its main opponent in the Indo-Pakistan war. By the end of 1971, the Gnat proved to be a frustrating opponent for

9153-596: The majority designated for use in the RCAF's Air Division squadrons in Europe to replace the Mk.2s. A total of 75 RCAF Sabre 5s were transferred to the German Luftwaffe during 1957. The Canadair Sabre Mk.6 was the final variant and was considered to be the best production Sabre ever built. It was equipped with a two-stage Orenda engine developing 7,275 pounds (3,300 kg)) of static thrust. Its altitude performance and climb rate

9266-476: The many helicopters where the rotors were driven by tip jets . Jet-powered wingsuits exist – powered by model aircraft jet engines – but of short duration and needing to be launched at height. Because of the way they work, the typical exhaust speed of jet engines is transonic or faster, therefore most jet aircraft need to fly at high speeds, either supersonic or speeds just below the speed of sound (" transonic ") so as to achieve efficient flight. Aerodynamics

9379-576: The mechanical energy actually used to propel the aircraft. It is always less than 100% because of kinetic energy loss to the exhaust, and less-than-ideal efficiency of the propulsive mechanism, whether a propeller , a jet exhaust, or a fan. In addition, propulsive efficiency is greatly dependent on air density and airspeed. Mathematically, it is represented as η = η c η p {\displaystyle \eta =\eta _{c}\eta _{p}} where η c {\displaystyle \eta _{c}}

9492-640: The new F3-R version, and would replace an equal number of older Mirage 2000EGM aircraft, that had not been previously upgraded to the 2000-5 Mk2 version. Finally in January 2021, the official agreement with Dassault Aviation was ratified in parliament, and included the purchase of six newly built, and twelve 'slightly used' F3-R aircraft in previous service with the Armée de l'Air , for a total cost of €2.4 billion, including their armament and ground support. Theodoros Lagios, Director General of Armament and Investments of

9605-399: The oldest type, and are mainly used when extremely high speeds are needed, or operation at extremely high altitudes where there is insufficient air to operate a jet engine. Due to the extreme, typically hypersonic , exhaust velocity and the necessity of oxidiser being carried on board, they consume propellant extremely quickly, making them impractical for routine transportation. Turbojets are

9718-669: The positions of the Turkish fleet, against which they dropped four bombs. This was not the first air-to-ground attack in military history, as there was a precedent in the Turkish-Italian war of 1911, but the first recorded attack against ships from the air. Initially, the Hellenic Army and the Royal Hellenic Navy operated separate Army Aviation and Naval Aviation units. During the Balkan Wars, various French Henry and Maurice Farman aircraft types were used. The Hellenic Naval Air Service

9831-549: The rocket-propelled Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet was a faster operational aircraft during the war. Around this time, mid 1944, the United Kingdom's Meteor was being used for defence of the UK against the V-1 flying bomb  – the V-1 itself a pulsejet -powered aircraft and direct ancestor of the cruise missile  – and then ground-attack operations over Europe in the last months of

9944-507: The sale of eighteen to twenty-four F-35 jets to Greece, during U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Athens earlier that month. The following month, Greece officially addressed a letter of intent (LoI) to the US Pentagon . In that LoI, Greece even showed interest in acquiring used USAF jets, if that meant initial deliveries could be agreed as early as 2021. According to earlier reports from Greek national daily Estia on 19 October however, an optimistic scenario would mean that

10057-460: The same day, 2nd Lieutenant Marinos Mitralexis having run out of ammunition, aimed the nose of his PZL P.24 right into the tail of an enemy CANT Z.1007bis bomber, smashing the rudder and sending the aircraft out of control. After 65 days of war, the RHAF had lost 31 officers, seven wounded, plus four NCOs killed and five wounded. Meanwhile, the number of combat aircraft had dropped to 28 fighters and 7 battle-worthy bombers. By March 1941,

10170-409: The second oldest type; they have a high, usually supersonic, exhaust speed and low frontal cross-section, and so are best suited to high-speed, usually supersonic, flight. Although once widely used, they are relatively inefficient compared to turboprop and turbofans for subsonic flight. The last major aircraft to use turbojets were Concorde and Tu-144 supersonic transports . Low bypass turbofans have

10283-512: The selection process for the new HAF 5th generation fighter , Greece selected the Lockheed Martin F-35 as a replacement of its older F-16 Block 30s or F-4 Phantoms, and as complementary to the F-16V upgrade programme. The timeline for acquisition of the new aircraft, depended mainly on the country's fiscal plans and Washington's ability to offer a long-term payment framework. At the same time,

10396-484: The term 'jet aircraft' to denote gas turbine based airbreathing jet engines , but rockets and scramjets are both also propelled by jet propulsion. Cruise missiles are single-use unmanned jet aircraft, powered predominantly by ramjets or turbojets or sometimes turbofans, but they will often have a rocket propulsion system for initial propulsion. The fastest airbreathing jet aircraft is the unmanned X-43 scramjet at around Mach 9–10. The fastest manned (rocket) aircraft

10509-502: The upgraded, without any final conclusion as of September 2024. The upgrade programme is scheduled to be completed by 2027, and carried out exclusively in Greece by Hellenic Aerospace (HAI). As of July 2024, 20 aircraft have been upgraded. In addition, Block 30s were decided not to receive any kind of modernization. Various proposals were made about selling them in Croatia, Lockheed Martin, USAF/USN or UAE. As of September 2024, there

10622-578: The upgrading of the Greek F-16 fleet in 2027. However, reports in September and October 2020, claimed that Greece could receive at least six F-35 jets much earlier, originally built for Turkey before its ouster from the programme, after the latter conducted tests of the S-400 missile systems purchased from Russia . In late-October 2020, it was made public that the United States and Greece had further discussed

10735-578: The value of the local speed of sound. In this case: V = a M {\displaystyle V=aM} where M {\displaystyle M} is the cruise Mach number and a {\displaystyle a} the local speed of sound. The range equation can be shown to be: R = a M c T C L C D l n W 1 W 2 {\displaystyle R={\frac {aM}{c_{T}}}{\frac {C_{L}}{C_{D}}}ln{\frac {W_{1}}{W_{2}}}} which

10848-481: The war. In 1944 Germany introduced the Arado Ar 234 jet reconnaissance and bomber aircraft into service, though chiefly used in the former role, with the Heinkel He 162 Spatz single-jet light fighter appearing at the end of 1944. USSR tested its own Bereznyak-Isayev BI-1 in 1942, but the project was scrapped by leader Joseph Stalin in 1945. The Imperial Japanese Navy also developed jet aircraft in 1945, including

10961-613: Was 442 "City Of Vancouver" Squadron at RCAF Station Sea Island , near Vancouver. In addition to the RCAF deliveries, 225 Canadair Mk.6 Sabres were exported to the West German Luftwaffe , six were delivered to the Colombian Air Force , and 34 went to the South African Air Force . In January 1966, Germany sold 90 of its Canadian Mk 6 Sabres to Iran. These aircraft were quickly transferred to Pakistan and became

11074-437: Was $ 160 million. In addition, some long-awaited programmes were rescheduled for the future. The HAF modernisation programme estimated in 2007 that a purchase of forty-five advance training aircraft, fifteen search and rescue (SAR) helicopters, and forty-to-sixty new fighters was necessary. Some of these programmes were either postponed, or eventually cancelled. The Hellenic Air Force currently possesses several fighter types and

11187-603: Was also considered by HAF as an essential first step for future compatibility with the F-35 fighter. Though HAF originally planned to upgrade all of its 123 Block 50/52+/52+ Advanced fighters and leave the Block 30 to receive parts of the upgraded ones, due to lack of funds, HAF decided to proceed with only Block 52+/52+ Advanced. After that, the Hellenic Air Force General Staff seemed to have decided to upgrade Block 50s to Block 50Ms (for Modernized), using equipment from

11300-510: Was delivered on 25 July 1997. These aircraft, equipped with the LANTIRN navigation and targeting pod, along with AIM-120 AMRAAM and AGM-88 HARM missiles, were allocated to the 341 'Arrow' and 347 'Perseus' squadrons in Nea Anchialos air force base. The basic mission of 341 'Arrow' squadron is Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD). The role of 347 'Perseus' squadron is air-to-ground missions. In 1998, Greece decided, in collaboration with

11413-507: Was enhanced over the Mk 5 and the reinstatement of the wing leading edge slat gave it excellent low-speed characteristics. The first production model was completed on 2 November 1954 and ultimately 655 were built with production terminating on 9 October 1958. A total of 390 Mk.6s went to the RCAF with the majority replacing the existing Canadair Sabre Mk.5s at the Air Division squadrons in West Germany and France. The main air threats to NATO in

11526-473: Was envisioned as performing for only one year, but the Golden Hawks were so popular after their single 63-show season that the team was expanded. In the following year, another plane was added to the team, allowing for a five-plane main formation with two solo jets. The Golden Hawks continued performing for three more seasons, changing to the Mk 6 in 1961, until they were disbanded on 7 February 1964, having flown

11639-472: Was hit and crashed, killing its observer, Pilot Officer Evanghelos Giannaris, the first Greek aviator to die in the war. A second Hs126 was downed over Mount Smolikas , killing Pilot Officer Lazaros Papamichail and Sergeant Constantine Yemenetzis. On 2 November 1940, a Breguet 19 intercepted the 3 Alpine Division Julia while it was penetrating the Pindos mountain range in an attempt to occupy Metsovo . On

11752-414: Was lightweight and compact in shape, it was hard to see, especially at the low levels where most of the dogfights took place. In 1952, Jacqueline Cochran , then aged 47, decided to challenge the world speed record for women, then held by Jacqueline Auriol . She tried to borrow an F-86 from the U.S. Air Force, but was refused. She was introduced to an Air Vice-Marshal of the RCAF who, with the permission of

11865-487: Was made on 13 May 1912, by Lieutenant Dimitrios Kamberos . In June, Kamberos flew with the 'Daedalus', a Farman Aviation Works aircraft that had been converted into a seaplane , setting a new average speed world record at 110 kilometres per hour (68 miles per hour). In September of the same year, the Greek Army fielded its first squadron, the 'Aviators Company' ( Greek : Λόχος Αεροπόρων ). On 5 October 1912, Kamberos flew

11978-428: Was no change in their status, remaining active, although Defense Minister Nikos Dendias has stated that Greek government is interested in selling them. Latest decisions on the 38 Block 50s point out that they are going to be upgraded to Viper standard, giving a total of 121 Vipers instead of the in-base modernization that was planned from spare equipment of Block52+/52+ Advanced. The Greek government has already sent

12091-748: Was officially founded in 1914 by the then Commander in Chief (CnC) of the Royal Hellenic Navy, British Admiral Mark Kerr . Greek aviation units participated in World War I and the Asia Minor Campaign , equipped by the Allies with a variety of French and British designs. In 1930, the Aviation Ministry was founded, establishing the Air Force as the third branch of the Hellenic Armed Forces . The Hellenic Army Air Service and Hellenic Naval Air Service were merged into

12204-500: Was officially the first air force in the world to add the F-16 Block 52 Plus to its inventory, since the first aircraft were delivered. This advanced F-16 type is an improved version of the Block 50, featuring a more powerful radar, conformal fuel tanks for longer operational range , advanced communication systems, an upgraded engine, Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS), and is capable of carrying more advanced weapons, including

12317-557: Was the Mk.2, with 350 produced from 1952 to 1953. The RCAF received 290 of these improved aircraft. During the first half of 1952, the remaining 60 Mk.2s were supplied to the U.S. Air Force for use in the Korean War . Most RCAF Mk.2 Sabres were utilized in the air defence role with NATO's No. 1 Air Division in Europe, proving itself to be an outstanding dogfighter. Others were assigned to the training role at bases in Canada. After replacement by

12430-697: Was the first jet aircraft recognised by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (at the time the German He 178 program was still kept secret). Campini began development of the motorjet in 1932; it differed from a true turbojet in that the turbine was driven by a piston engine, rather than combustion of the turbine gases - which was a much more complex solution. The British experimental Gloster E.28/39 first flew on May 15, 1941, powered by Sir Frank Whittle 's turbojet. The United States Bell XP-59A flew on October 1, 1942, using two examples of

12543-670: Was the first of the Canadian Sabres to use the Avro Canada Orenda turbojet (Orenda 3 with 6,000 lbf (27 kN) thrust). The Sabre Mk.4 retained the General Electric engine, was destined for the RAF and was later passed on to other overseas air forces. The Sabre Mk.5 was the next production version, equipped with an Orenda 10 with 6,500 lbf (29 kN) thrust. A change to the Orenda 14 with 7,440 lbf (33.1 kN) powered

12656-530: Was undertaken by Dassault Aviation and the Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI/EAB). The Mirage 2000-5Mk2 has a new and more powerful radar, improved long range air-to-ground capabilities which includes the SCALP EG cruise missile , a new self-protection system (SPS), a new inertial navigation system (INS), a glass cockpit , and the addition of aerial refuelling capability. Eventually in 2005, HAF

12769-570: Was used for reconnaissance over Korea. On November 8, 1950, during the Korean War , United States Air Force Lt. Russell J. Brown, flying in an F-80 , intercepted two North Korean MiG-15s near the Yalu River and shot them down in the first jet-to-jet dogfight in history. The UK put the English Electric Canberra into service in 1951 as a light bomber . It was designed to fly higher and faster than any interceptor . BOAC operated

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