As a child, Murray Favro witnessed the passing of four Sabre jets on their way from North Bay to Toronto, instilling in him an early fascination for flight. Continuing this interest, Favro began to work with images of the jets in his paintings and then to materialize their form in three dimensions through sculpture. The artist built "Sabre Jet, 55% Size" with such attention to detail that it would have flight capability if completed. Yet having left one side incomplete to expose the airplane's inner construction, Favro hopes to engage the imaginations of viewers so that "by finishing it in their minds … they see it could fly." Scaled to 55% of its actual size, the jet is small enough to fit in a gallery but still large enough to accommodate a pilot.
