for australia we finished deciding to build the p-51 under licence, because it was argued this was cheaper. i think we should have built the Ca-15 instead anyway, and wore the extra cost. We could well have sold the type to emerging third world countries or israel. these countries for differeing reasons may have preferred our product over the imperialist american equipment...we would ahve been carving a name for ourselves with a distinctive and competitive piston engined fighter.
Australia still managed to redesign the f-86, and re-engine it to produce the socalled avon sabre. if we had had a little more design and development expertise we may have taken that redesign process further than we did. today we would not have the capital to design a fighter by ourselves, but working with someone like the indians, or perhaps the Canadians, or even the US, we may have been able to undertake a fourth or fifth generation jet as a joint venture. it was all about prestige and carving a name for the country