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Will the F-35 be another ‘Widow Maker’ for Canadian pilots?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/will-the-f-35-be-another-widow-maker-for-canadian-pilots/article19133525/
Will the F-35 be another ‘Widow Maker’ for Canadian pilots?
MICHAEL BYERS
Special to The Globe and Mail
Published Thursday, Jun. 12 2014, 8:51 AM EDT
Last updated Thursday, Jun. 12 2014, 1:25 PM EDT
Thirty-nine Canadian pilots lost their lives flying the CF-104 Starfighter, in planes that never saw combat. A staggering 110 of the 239 Starfighters purchased by Canada in the 1960s crashed before they were replaced by CF-18s.
These numbers remain relevant today given the similarities between the Starfighter and the F-35 that the Harper government is now poised to buy.
The Starfighter was built by Lockheed Corporation. The F-35 is built by the same company, which since 1995 has been named Lockheed Martin.
Designed as an interceptor, the Starfighter was soon re-tasked with ground attack. The F-35 is intended for ground attack, hence its name: ‘Strike Fighter’.
