In the early 1950s Canada was bringing the CF-100 into service as an all-weather interceptor into service, and realised that an attack aircraft was also needed. The requirements were that it be stable at low-level, rugged enough to withstand cold weather and dirt airfields, and speed in the high subsonic range. The Saab Lansen seemed ideal for the role, and was also coming on-line at the same time. After test flights by Canadian pilots garnered very favourable reviews, it was decided to purchase the type.
Click on
images below to see larger images
|
|
Various subtle modifications enabled the aircraft to fulfill the roles of ground attack, anti-shipping, and interceptor, and was a fair-weather complement to the CF-100. Those based in Europe wore a standard grey/green camouflage, while some Canadian based squadrons utilised a grey/white winter scheme.