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The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet
North American Aviation had produced the propeller-powered
fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft are fixed-wing military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air superiority of the battlespace. Domination of the airspace above a battlefield ...
. Produced by North American Aviation
North American Aviation (NAA) was a major American aerospace manufacturer that designed and built several notable aircraft and spacecraft. Its products included: the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F ...
, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing
A swept wing is a wing that angles either backward or occasionally forward from its root rather than in a straight sideways direction.
Swept wings have been flown since the pioneer days of aviation. Wing sweep at high speeds was first investigat ...
fighter that could counter the swept-wing Soviet MiG-15 in high-speed dogfights in the skies of the Korean War (1950–1953), fighting some of the earliest jet-to-jet battles in history. Considered one of the best and most important fighter aircraft in that war, the F-86 is also rated highly in comparison with fighters of other eras. Although it was developed in the late 1940s and was outdated by the end of the 1950s, the Sabre proved versatile and adaptable and continued as a front-line fighter in numerous air forces.
Its success led to an extended production run of more than 7,800 aircraft between 1949 and 1956, in the United States, Japan, and Italy. In addition, 738 carrier-modified versions were purchased by the US Navy as FJ-2s and -3s. Variants were built in Canada and Australia. The Canadair Sabre added another 1,815 aircraft and the significantly redesigned CAC Sabre
The CAC Sabre, sometimes known as the Avon Sabre or CA-27, is an Australian variant of the North American Aviation F-86F Sabre fighter aircraft. The F-86F was redesigned and built by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC). Equipping five ...
(sometimes known as the Avon
Avon may refer to:
* River Avon (disambiguation), several rivers
Organisations
*Avon Buses, a bus operating company in Wirral, England
*Avon Coachworks, a car body builder established in 1919 at Warwick, England, relaunched in 1922, following ...
Sabre or CAC CA-27), had a production run of 112. The Sabre is by far the most-produced Western jet fighter, with a total production of all variants at 9,860 units.Winchester 2006, p. 184.
Development
North American Aviation had produced the propeller-powered P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...
in World War II, which saw combat against some of the first operational jet fighters. By late 1944, North American proposed its first jet fighter to the U.S. Navy, which became the FJ-1 Fury
The North American FJ-1 Fury was the first operational jet aircraft in United States Navy service, and was developed by North American Aviation as the NA-135.United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) requirement for a medium-range, single-seat, high-altitude, jet-powered day escort fighter/ fighter bomber were drafted in mid-1944. In early 1945, North American Aviation submitted four designs. The USAAF selected one design over the others and granted North American a contract to build three examples of the XP-86 ("experimental pursuit"). Deleting specific requirements from the FJ-1 Fury, coupled with other modifications, allowed the XP-86 to be lighter and considerably faster than the Fury, with an estimated top speed of , versus the Fury's . Despite the gain in speed, early studies revealed the XP-86 would have the same performance as its rivals, the XP-80 and XP-84. Because these rival designs were more advanced in their development stages, it was feared that the XP-86 would be cancelled.
Crucially, the XP-86 was not able to meet the required top speed of ; North American had to quickly devise a radical change that could leapfrog its rivals. The North American F-86 Sabre was the first American aircraft to take advantage of flight research data seized from the German aerodynamicists at the end of World War II."North American F-86."
''Aviation History On-line Museum''. Retrieved: 20 August 2010. These data showed that a thin, swept wing could greatly reduce drag and delay compressibility problems that had bedeviled fighters such as the
"The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage."
''ae.illinois.edu,'' 15 October 2010. Retrieved: 19 July 2011. with an automatic slat design based on that of the Messerschmitt Me 262 and an electrically adjustable stabilizer, another feature of the Me 262A. Many Sabres had the "6–3 wing" (a fixed leading edge with a 6-inch extended chord at the root and a 3-inch extended chord at the tip) retrofitted after combat experience was gained in Korea. This modification changed the wing airfoils to the NACA 0009-64 modified configuration at the root and the NACA 0008.1–64 mod at the tip. The XP-86 prototype, which led to the F-86 Sabre, was rolled out on 8 August 1947. The first flight occurred on 1 October 1947 with George Welch at the controls, flying from Muroc Dry Lake (now Edwards AFB), California. The United States Air Force's
The F-86A set its first official world speed record of on September 15, 1948, at Muroc Dry Lake, flown by Major 
On 2 February 1958, a team of Pakistan Air Force F-86 Sabres called "Falcons" set a world record at
The fighter-bomber version (F-86H) could carry up to of bombs, including an external fuel-type tank that could carry napalm. Unguided rockets were used on some fighters on training missions, but rockets were later carried on combat operations. The F-86 could also be fitted with a pair of external jettisonable jet fuel tanks (four on the F-86F beginning in 1953) that extended the range of the aircraft. Both the interceptor and fighter-bomber versions carried six M3 Browning machine guns with electrically-boosted feed in the nose (later versions of the F-86H carried four cannon instead of machine guns). Firing at a rate of 1,200 rounds per minute, the 0.50-inch guns were harmonized to converge at in front of the aircraft, using armor-piercing (AP) and armor-piercing incendiary (API) rounds, with one armor-piercing incendiary
The F-86 entered service with the USAF in 1949, joining the
"Sabre: The F-86 in Korea."
''Flight Journal'', December 2002. Retrieved: 30 June 2011. Early variants of the F-86 could not out-turn MiG-15s, but they could out-dive them. The MiG-15 was superior to early F-86 models in
Many of the American pilots were experienced World War II veterans, while the North Koreans and the Chinese lacked combat experience, thus accounting for much of the F-86's success."Fact Sheet: The United States Air Force in Korea."
''National Museum of the United States Air Force.'' Retrieved: 7 June 2011. However, United Nations pilots suspected many of the MiG-15s were being flown by experienced Soviet pilots who also had combat experience in World War II. Former Communist sources now acknowledge Soviet pilots initially flew the majority of MiG-15s that fought in Korea, and dispute that more MiG-15s than F-86s were shot down in air combat. Later in the war, North Korean and Chinese pilots increased their participation as combat flyers.
''acepilots/com.'' Retrieved: 20 August 2010. The North Koreans and their allies periodically contested air superiority in MiG Alley, an area near the mouth of the Yalu River (the boundary between Korea and China) over which the most intense air-to-air combat took place. Although the F-86A could be safely flown through Mach 1, the F-86E's all-moving tailplane greatly improved maneuverability at high speeds. The MiG-15 could not safely exceed Mach 0.92, an important disadvantage in near-sonic air combat. Far greater emphasis had been given to the training, aggressiveness, and experience of the F-86 pilots. American Sabre pilots were trained at
On 17 June 1951, at 01:30 hours,
"Air Combat Past, Present and Future."
''Project Air Force'', Rand, August 2008. Retrieved" 11 March 2009. According to Soviet data, the Soviets lost 335 MiG-15s in Korea to all causes, including accidents, antiaircraft fire, and ground attacks. Chinese claims of their losses amount to 224 MiG-15s in Korea. North Korean losses are not known, but according to North Korean defectors, their air force lost around 100 MiG-15s during the war. Thus, 659 MiG-15s are admitted as being lost, many of these to F-86 Sabres The Soviets claimed to have downed over 600 Sabres, together with the Chinese claims (211 F-86s shot-down), although these cannot be reconciled with the number of Sabres recorded as lost by the US. The status of many claimed air-to-air victories in the Korean War has been increasingly debated as more data becomes available, showing that instances of over-claiming abounded on both sides. The research by Dorr, Lake and Thompson claimed an F-86 kill ratio closer to 2:1. A recent RAND report made reference to "recent scholarship" of F-86 v MiG-15 combat over Korea and concluded that the actual kill:loss ratio for the F-86 was 1.8:1 overall, and likely closer to 1.3:1 against MiGs flown by Soviet pilots. However, this ratio did not count the number of aircraft of other types (including the B-29, A-26, F-80, F-82, F-84 and Gloster Meteor) shot down by MiG-15 pilots. Data-matching with Soviet records suggests that US pilots routinely attributed their own combat losses to "landing accidents" and "other causes". According to official US data ("USAF Statistical Digest FY1953"), the USAF lost 250 F-86 fighters in Korea. Of these, 184 were lost in combat (78 in air-to-air combat, 19 by anti-aircraft guns, 26 were "unknown causes" and 61 were "other losses") and 66 in incidents. South African Air Force lost 6 F-86s in the war. This gives 256 confirmed F-86 losses during the Korean War.
The Republic of China Air Force of Taiwan was an early recipient of surplus USAF Sabres. From December 1954 to June 1956, the ROC Air Force received 160 ex-USAF F-86F-1-NA through F-86F-30-NA fighters. By June 1958, the Nationalist Chinese had built up an impressive fighter force, with 320 F-86Fs and seven RF-86Fs having been delivered.
Sabres and MiGs were shortly to battle each other in the skies of Asia once again in the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis. In August 1958, the Chinese Communists of the People's Republic of China attempted to force the Nationalists off of the islands of Quemoy and Matsu by shelling and blockade. Nationalist F-86Fs flying combat air patrol over the islands found themselves confronted by Communist MiG-15s and MiG-17s, and numerous dogfights resulted.
During these battles, the Nationalist Sabres introduced a new element into aerial warfare. Under a secret effort designated Operation Black Magic, the U.S. Navy had provided the ROC with the AIM-9 Sidewinder, its first infrared-homing
In 1954, Pakistan started receiving the first of a total of 102 F-86F Sabres under the
''Aviation History On-line Museum''. Retrieved: 20 August 2010. These data showed that a thin, swept wing could greatly reduce drag and delay compressibility problems that had bedeviled fighters such as the
Lockheed P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive twi ...
when approaching the speed of sound. By 1944, German engineers and designers had established the benefits of swept wings based on experimental designs dating back to 1940. A study of the data showed that a swept wing would solve their speed problem, while a slat on the wing's leading edge that extended at low speeds would enhance low-speed stability.
Because development of the XP-86 had reached an advanced stage, the idea of changing the sweep of the wing was met with resistance from some senior North American staff. Despite stiff opposition, after good results were obtained in wind tunnel tests, the swept-wing concept was eventually adopted. Performance requirements were met by incorporating a 35° swept-back wing, using modified NACA four-digit airfoils, NACA 0009.5–64 at the root and NACA 0008.5–64 at the tip,Lednicer, David"The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage."
''ae.illinois.edu,'' 15 October 2010. Retrieved: 19 July 2011. with an automatic slat design based on that of the Messerschmitt Me 262 and an electrically adjustable stabilizer, another feature of the Me 262A. Many Sabres had the "6–3 wing" (a fixed leading edge with a 6-inch extended chord at the root and a 3-inch extended chord at the tip) retrofitted after combat experience was gained in Korea. This modification changed the wing airfoils to the NACA 0009-64 modified configuration at the root and the NACA 0008.1–64 mod at the tip. The XP-86 prototype, which led to the F-86 Sabre, was rolled out on 8 August 1947. The first flight occurred on 1 October 1947 with George Welch at the controls, flying from Muroc Dry Lake (now Edwards AFB), California. The United States Air Force's
Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...
had F-86 Sabres in service from 1949 through 1950. The F-86s were assigned to the 22nd Bomb Wing, the 1st Fighter Wing, and the 1st Fighter Interceptor Wing. The F-86 was the primary U.S. air combat fighter during the Korean War, with significant numbers of the first three production models seeing combat.
The F-86 Sabre was also produced under license by Canadair, Ltd, as the Canadair Sabre. The final variant of the Canadian Sabre, the Mark 6, is generally rated as having the highest capabilities of any Sabre version.
Breaking sound barrier and other records
The F-86A set its first official world speed record of on September 15, 1948, at Muroc Dry Lake, flown by Major Richard L. Johnson
Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'str ...
, USAF. Five years later, on 18 May 1953, Jacqueline Cochran became the first woman to break the sound barrier, flying a "one-off" Canadian-built F-86 Sabre Mk 3, alongside Chuck Yeager.Knaack 1978, p. 52. Col. K. K. Compton won the 1951 Bendix air race in an F-86A with an average speed of 553.76 mph (891.19 km/h).
On 2 February 1958, a team of Pakistan Air Force F-86 Sabres called "Falcons" set a world record at PAF Base Masroor
PAF Base Masroor is the largest airbase operated by the Pakistan Air Force. It is located in the Mauripur area of Karachi, in the Sindh province.
The base was originally known as RPAF Station Mauripur and after 1956, as PAF Station Mauripur. ...
by performing a loop while in a 16 aircraft diamond formation. The team was led by then Wing Commander Zafar Masud
Air Commodore Muhammad Zafar Masud ( ur, ; 17 October 1927 – 7 October 2003) also known as Mitty Masud, was a one star air officer in the Pakistan Air Force and a military strategist who was known for his role as air officer commanding ...
.
Design
Overview
The F-86 was produced as both afighter-interceptor
An interceptor aircraft, or simply interceptor, is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically for the defensive interception role against an attacking enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Aircraft that are c ...
and fighter-bomber
A fighter-bomber is a fighter aircraft that has been modified, or used primarily, as a light bomber or attack aircraft. It differs from bomber and attack aircraft primarily in its origins, as a fighter that has been adapted into other roles, wh ...
. Several variants were introduced over its production life, with improvements and different armament implemented (see below). The XP-86 was fitted with a General Electric J35-C-3 jet engine that produced of thrust. This engine was built by GM's Chevrolet
Chevrolet ( ), colloquially referred to as Chevy and formally the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Company, is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors (GM). Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941) and ous ...
division until production was turned over to Allison. The General Electric J47-GE-7 engine was used in the F-86A-1 producing a thrust of , while the General Electric J73-GE-3 engine of the F-86H produced of thrust.
The fighter-bomber version (F-86H) could carry up to of bombs, including an external fuel-type tank that could carry napalm. Unguided rockets were used on some fighters on training missions, but rockets were later carried on combat operations. The F-86 could also be fitted with a pair of external jettisonable jet fuel tanks (four on the F-86F beginning in 1953) that extended the range of the aircraft. Both the interceptor and fighter-bomber versions carried six M3 Browning machine guns with electrically-boosted feed in the nose (later versions of the F-86H carried four cannon instead of machine guns). Firing at a rate of 1,200 rounds per minute, the 0.50-inch guns were harmonized to converge at in front of the aircraft, using armor-piercing (AP) and armor-piercing incendiary (API) rounds, with one armor-piercing incendiary tracer
Tracer may refer to:
Science
* Flow tracer, any fluid property used to track fluid motion
* Fluorescent tracer, a substance such as 2-NBDG containing a fluorophore that is used for tracking purposes
* Histochemical tracer, a substance used for tr ...
(APIT) for every five AP or API rounds. The API rounds used during the Korean War contained magnesium, which were designed to ignite upon impact, but burned poorly above as oxygen levels were insufficient to sustain combustion at that height. Initial planes were fitted with the Mark 18 manual-ranging computing gun sight. The last 24 F-86A-5-Nas and F-86Es were equipped with the A-1CM gunsight-AN/APG-30 radar, which used radar to automatically compute a target's range, which later proved to be advantageous against MiG opponents over Korea.
Flying characteristics
The Sabre's swept wings and jet engine produced a flying experience that was very different from the propeller-driven fighters of the time. The transition from props to jets was not without accidents and incidents even for experienced fighter pilots. Early on in the jet age, some US manufacturers instituted safety and transition programs where experienced test and production pilots toured operational fighter squadrons to provide instruction and demonstrations designed to lower the accident rate. Additionally, the ongoing technical development and long production history of the F-86 resulted in some significant differences in the handling and flying characteristics between the various F-86 models. Some of the important changes to the design included the switch from an elevator/stabilizer to an all-flying tail, the discontinuation of leading edge slats for a solid leading edge with increased internal fuel capacity, increased engine power, and an internal missile bay (F-86D). Each of these design changes impacted the handling and flying characteristics of the F-86, not necessarily for the better. In the case of the solid leading edge and increased internal fuel capacity, the design change produced increased combat performance but exacerbated a dangerous and often fatal handling characteristic upon take-off if the nose were raised prematurely from the runway. This 'over-rotation' danger is now a major area of instruction and concern for current F-86 pilots. The1972 Sacramento Canadair Sabre accident
On September 24, 1972, a privately owned Canadair Sabre Mk. 5 jet, piloted by Richard Bingham, failed to take off while leaving the "Golden West Sport Aviation Air Show" at Sacramento Executive Airport in Sacramento, California, United States. Th ...
resulting in 22 fatalities and 28 other casualties was a result of over-rotation on take-off.
Operational history
Korean War
The F-86 entered service with the USAF in 1949, joining the 1st Fighter Wing
The 1st Fighter Wing (1 FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Fifteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, VA. where it is a tenant unit, being supported by the 633d Air Base Wing.
Its 1 ...
's 94th Fighter Squadron and became the primary air-to-air jet fighter used by the Americans in the Korean War. While earlier straight-winged jets such as the P-80 and F-84 initially achieved air victories, when the swept-wing Soviet MiG-15 was introduced in November 1950, it outperformed all UN-based aircraft. In response, three squadrons of F-86s were rushed to the Far East in December.Thompson, Warren"Sabre: The F-86 in Korea."
''Flight Journal'', December 2002. Retrieved: 30 June 2011. Early variants of the F-86 could not out-turn MiG-15s, but they could out-dive them. The MiG-15 was superior to early F-86 models in
ceiling
A ceiling is an overhead interior surface that covers the upper limits of a room. It is not generally considered a structural element, but a finished surface concealing the underside of the roof structure or the floor of a story above. Ceilings ...
, acceleration, rate of climb, and zoom. With the introduction of the F-86F in 1953, however, the two aircraft were more closely matched, with many combat-experienced pilots claiming a marginal superiority for the F-86F. The heavier firepower of the MiG (and many other contemporary fighters) was addressed by “Project Gun-Val” which saw the combat testing of seven F-86Fs each armed with four 20 mm T-160 cannons (such F-86s were designated as F-86F-2s). Despite being able to fire only two of the four 20 mm cannon at a time, the experiment was considered a success and signaled the end of the decades-long use of the Browning .50 caliber in the air-to-air role.Ray Wagner, The North American Sabre The MiGs flown from bases in Manchuria by Chinese, North Korean, and Soviet VVS pilots were pitted against two squadrons of the 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing
Fourth or the fourth may refer to:
* the ordinal form of the number 4
* ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971
* Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision
* Fourth (music), a musical interval
* ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...
forward-based at K-14, Kimpo, Korea. In October 1951, the Soviets managed to recover a downed Sabre, and in their investigation of the type they concluded that the Sabre's advantage in combat was due to the APG-30 gun-sight that facilitated accurate fire at longer ranges.
Many of the American pilots were experienced World War II veterans, while the North Koreans and the Chinese lacked combat experience, thus accounting for much of the F-86's success."Fact Sheet: The United States Air Force in Korea."''National Museum of the United States Air Force.'' Retrieved: 7 June 2011. However, United Nations pilots suspected many of the MiG-15s were being flown by experienced Soviet pilots who also had combat experience in World War II. Former Communist sources now acknowledge Soviet pilots initially flew the majority of MiG-15s that fought in Korea, and dispute that more MiG-15s than F-86s were shot down in air combat. Later in the war, North Korean and Chinese pilots increased their participation as combat flyers.
''acepilots/com.'' Retrieved: 20 August 2010. The North Koreans and their allies periodically contested air superiority in MiG Alley, an area near the mouth of the Yalu River (the boundary between Korea and China) over which the most intense air-to-air combat took place. Although the F-86A could be safely flown through Mach 1, the F-86E's all-moving tailplane greatly improved maneuverability at high speeds. The MiG-15 could not safely exceed Mach 0.92, an important disadvantage in near-sonic air combat. Far greater emphasis had been given to the training, aggressiveness, and experience of the F-86 pilots. American Sabre pilots were trained at
Nellis Nellis may refer to:
People
* Alice Nellis (born 1971), Czech filmmaker
* Duane Nellis (born 1954), American educator and Ohio University president
* William Harrell Nellis (1916-1944), World War II fighter pilot, after whom the Air Force base is n ...
, where the casualty rate of their training was so high, they were told, "If you ever see the flag at full staff, take a picture." Despite rules of engagement to the contrary, F-86 units frequently initiated combat over MiG bases in the Manchurian "sanctuary".
The needs of combat operations balanced against the need to maintain an adequate force structure in Western Europe led to the conversion of the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing from the F-80 to the F-86 in December 1951. Two fighter-bomber wings, the 8th and 18th, converted to the F-86F in the spring of 1953. No. 2 Squadron, South African Air Force (SAAF) also distinguished itself flying F-86s in Korea as part of the 18 FBW.
On 17 June 1951, at 01:30 hours, Suwon Air Base
Suwon Air Base is a Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) base near Suwon city.
Units
The base is home to the ROKAF's 10th Fighter Wing (제10전투비행단), comprising:
*101st Fighter Squadron flying KF-5E/KF-5F/F-5F
*153rd Fighter Squadron f ...
was bombed by two Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes. Each Po-2 dropped a pair of fragmentation bombs: one scored a hit on the 802nd Engineer Aviation Battalion's motor pool, damaging some equipment. Two bombs burst on the flightline of the 335th Fighter Interceptor Squadron. One F-86A Sabre (FU-334 / 49-1334) was struck on the wing and began burning. The fire took hold, gutting the aircraft. Prompt action by personnel who moved aircraft away from the burning Sabre prevented further loss. Eight other Sabres were damaged in the brief attack, four seriously. One F-86 pilot was among the wounded. The North Koreans subsequently credited Lt. La Woon Yung with this damaging attack.
By the end of hostilities, F-86 pilots were credited with shooting down 792 MiGs for a loss of only 78 Sabres in air-to-air combat, a victory ratio of 10:1. Of the 41 American pilots who earned the designation of ace during the Korean War, all but one flew the F-86 Sabre, the exception being a Navy Vought F4U Corsair night fighter pilot. However, after the war, the USAF reviewed its figures in an investigation code-named ''Sabre Measure Charlie'' and downgraded the kill ratio of the North American F-86 Sabre against the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 (russian: Микоя́н и Гуре́вич МиГ-15; USAF/DoD designation: Type 14; NATO reporting name: Fagot) is a jet fighter aircraft developed by Mikoyan-Gurevich for the Soviet Union. The MiG-15 was one of ...
by half. Internally, the USAF accepted that its pilots in fact downed ~ 200 MiGsStillion, John and Scott Perdue"Air Combat Past, Present and Future."
''Project Air Force'', Rand, August 2008. Retrieved" 11 March 2009. According to Soviet data, the Soviets lost 335 MiG-15s in Korea to all causes, including accidents, antiaircraft fire, and ground attacks. Chinese claims of their losses amount to 224 MiG-15s in Korea. North Korean losses are not known, but according to North Korean defectors, their air force lost around 100 MiG-15s during the war. Thus, 659 MiG-15s are admitted as being lost, many of these to F-86 Sabres The Soviets claimed to have downed over 600 Sabres, together with the Chinese claims (211 F-86s shot-down), although these cannot be reconciled with the number of Sabres recorded as lost by the US. The status of many claimed air-to-air victories in the Korean War has been increasingly debated as more data becomes available, showing that instances of over-claiming abounded on both sides. The research by Dorr, Lake and Thompson claimed an F-86 kill ratio closer to 2:1. A recent RAND report made reference to "recent scholarship" of F-86 v MiG-15 combat over Korea and concluded that the actual kill:loss ratio for the F-86 was 1.8:1 overall, and likely closer to 1.3:1 against MiGs flown by Soviet pilots. However, this ratio did not count the number of aircraft of other types (including the B-29, A-26, F-80, F-82, F-84 and Gloster Meteor) shot down by MiG-15 pilots. Data-matching with Soviet records suggests that US pilots routinely attributed their own combat losses to "landing accidents" and "other causes". According to official US data ("USAF Statistical Digest FY1953"), the USAF lost 250 F-86 fighters in Korea. Of these, 184 were lost in combat (78 in air-to-air combat, 19 by anti-aircraft guns, 26 were "unknown causes" and 61 were "other losses") and 66 in incidents. South African Air Force lost 6 F-86s in the war. This gives 256 confirmed F-86 losses during the Korean War.
1958 Taiwan Strait crisis
The Republic of China Air Force of Taiwan was an early recipient of surplus USAF Sabres. From December 1954 to June 1956, the ROC Air Force received 160 ex-USAF F-86F-1-NA through F-86F-30-NA fighters. By June 1958, the Nationalist Chinese had built up an impressive fighter force, with 320 F-86Fs and seven RF-86Fs having been delivered.
Sabres and MiGs were shortly to battle each other in the skies of Asia once again in the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis. In August 1958, the Chinese Communists of the People's Republic of China attempted to force the Nationalists off of the islands of Quemoy and Matsu by shelling and blockade. Nationalist F-86Fs flying combat air patrol over the islands found themselves confronted by Communist MiG-15s and MiG-17s, and numerous dogfights resulted.
During these battles, the Nationalist Sabres introduced a new element into aerial warfare. Under a secret effort designated Operation Black Magic, the U.S. Navy had provided the ROC with the AIM-9 Sidewinder, its first infrared-homing air-to-air missile
The newest and the oldest member of Rafael's Python family of AAM for comparisons, Python-5 (displayed lower-front) and Shafrir-1 (upper-back)
An air-to-air missile (AAM) is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying a ...
, which was just entering service with the United States. A small team from VMF-323
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323 (VMFA-323) is an aircraft carrier-based aviation squadron of the United States Marine Corps. The squadron is equipped with the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet and is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Ca ...
, a Marine FJ-4 Fury
The North American FJ-4 Fury is a swept-wing carrier-capable fighter-bomber for the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The final development in a lineage that included the Air Force's F-86 Sabre, the FJ-4 shared its general layout and engine w ...
squadron with later assistance from China Lake and North American Aviation, initially modified 20 of the F-86 Sabres to carry a pair of Sidewinders on underwing launch rails and instructed the ROC pilots in their use flying profiles with USAF F-100s simulating the MiG-17. The MiGs enjoyed an altitude advantage over the Sabres, as they had in Korea, and Communist Chinese MiGs routinely cruised over the Nationalist Sabres, only engaging when they had a favorable position. The Sidewinder took away that advantage and proved to be devastatingly effective against the MiGs.
Pakistan Air Force
In 1954, Pakistan started receiving the first of a total of 102 F-86F Sabres under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program
The Mutual Defense Assistance Act was a United States Act of Congress signed by President Harry S. Truman on 6 October 1949. For US Foreign policy, it was the first U.S. military foreign aid legislation of the Cold War era, and initially to Eur ...
. Many of these aircraft were F-86F-35s from USAF stocks, but some were from the later F-86F-40-NA production block (made specifically for export). Many of the F−35s were brought up to F−40 standards before they were delivered to Pakistan, but a few remained F−35s. The F-86 was operated by nine Pakistan Air Force (PAF) squadrons at various times: Nos. 5, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 26 Squadrons.
Moreover in April 1959, a PAF F-86F flown by Flight Lieutenant Yunis of the No. 15 Squadron "Cobras" shot down an Indian Canberra Spy Plane over Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi ( or ; Urdu, ) is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad, and third largest in Punjab after Lahore and Faisalabad. Rawalpindi is next to Pakistan's ...
marking the first aerial victory for the Pakistan Air Force.
In 1966, Pakistan accquired 90 Ex-Luftwaffe CL-13 Mk.6s via Iran due to postwar US sanctions. They were known as the F-86E in the PAF. (Not to be confused with the North American F-86E variants)
The last of the Sabres were withdrawn from PAF service in 1980 & were replaced with the Shenyang F-6 fighters. In total Pakistani pilots flew 320,185 hours in the Sabres out of which about 4,500 hours were flown in wartime operations.They are now on display at PAF Museum
Pakistan Air Force Museum Faisal ( ur, ) is an Air Force museum and park situated near ''Karsaz Flyover'' on Shahrah-e-Faisal in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.various cities around Pakistan.
The Sabre was no longer a world-class fighter (due to availability of supersonic jets). However, various sources state the F-86 gave the PAF a technological advantage in 1965..
*Air to air combat
In the air-to-air combat of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, the PAF Sabres claimed to have shot down 15
''bhart-rakshak.com''. Retrieved: 20 August 2010. The F-86s of the PAF had the advantage of being armed with AIM-9B/GAR-8 Sidewinder missiles, whereas none of its Indian adversaries had this capability. Despite this, the
"IAF Kills in 1965."
''bharat-rakshak.com''. Retrieved: 20 August 2010. *Ground attack
The F-86F remained a potent aircraft for use against ground targets. On the morning of 6 September 1965, six F-86s of No. 19 Squadron struck advancing columns of the Indian army using 5-in (127-mm) rockets along with their six .50-in (12.7-mm) M3 Browning machine guns. On the same day, eight F-86 fighters of the same squadron executed
The CL-13B Mk.6 Sabres (known as the F-86E in PAF) were the mainstay of the PAF's day-fighter operations during the
''Time'', 13 December 1971. Retrieved: 11 March 2009. Along with the newer fighter types such as the Mirage III and the Shenyang F-6, the Sabres were tasked with the majority of operations during the war. In East Pakistan, PAF's only Tail Choppers squadron was equipped with 16 F-86Es out of which 4 were modified to fire AIM-9/GAR-8 missiles. In the
"It is the Man Behind the Gun."
''defencejournal.co'', 2001. Retrieved: 25 November 2015. India, however, claims to have shot down 11 PAF Sabres for the loss of 11 combat aircraft to the PAF F-86s.
''Bharat Rakshak.com''. Retrieved: 20 August 2010. The IAF numerical superiority overwhelmed the sole East Pakistan Sabres squadron (and other military aircraft)
subcontinent.com. Retrieved: 30 June 2011. which were either shot down, or grounded by Pakistani fratricide as they could not hold out, enabling complete
"Ghost pilots and mystery aircraft of the Korean War."
''Korean Confidential'', 4 December 2012. Retrieved: 31 March 2013. The Soviets studied and copied the optical gunsight and radar from the captured aircraft to produce the ASP-4N gunsight and SRC-3 radar. Installed in the MiG-17, the gunsight system was later used against American fighters in the Vietnam War. The F-86 studies also contributed to the development of aircraft aluminum alloys such as V-95.
;XF-86: three prototypes, originally designated XP-86, North American model NA-140
;YF-86A: this was the first prototype fitted with a General Electric J47 turbojet engine.
;F-86A: 554 built, North American model NA-151 (F-86A-1 block and first order of A-5 block) and NA-161 (second F-86A-5 block)
;DF-86A: A few F-86A conversions as drone directors
;RF-86A: 11 F-86A conversions with three cameras for reconnaissance
;F-86B: 188 ordered as upgraded A-model with wider fuselage and larger tires but delivered as F-86A-5, North American model NA-152
;F-86C: Original designation for the YF-93A, two built, ''48–317'' & ''48–318'', order for 118 cancelled, North American model NA-157
;YF-95A: Prototype all-weather interceptor, two built, designation changed to YF-86D, North American model NA-164
;F-86D/L:Production transonic all-weather search-radar equipped interceptor originally designated F-95A, 2,506 built. The F-86D had only 25 percent commonality with other Sabre variants, with a larger fuselage, larger afterburning engine, and a distinctive nose radome. Sole armament was Mk. 4 unguided rockets instead of machine guns. F-86Ls were upgraded F-86Ds.
;F-86E: Improved flight control system and an "all-flying tail" (This system changed to a full power-operated control with an "artificial feel" built into the aircraft's controls to give the pilot forces on the stick that were still conventional, but light enough for superior combat control. It improved high-speed maneuverability); 456 built, North American model NA-170 (F-86E-1 and E-5 blocks), NA-172, essentially the F-86F
''RAAF Museum''. Retrieved: 20 August 2010. The CAC Sabres included a 60% fuselage redesign, to accommodate the Rolls-Royce Avon Mk 26 engine, which had roughly 50% more thrust than the J47, as well as 30 mm Aden cannon and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. As a consequence of its powerplant, the Australian-built Sabres are commonly referred to as the Avon Sabre. CAC manufactured 112 of these aircraft. Ex-RAAF Avon Sabres were operated by the Royal Malaysian Air Force (''TUDM'') between 1969 and 1972. From 1973 to 1975, 23 Avon Sabres were donated to the Indonesian Air Force (''TNI-AU''); five of these were ex-Malaysian aircraft. CA-27 marques: *Mk 30: 21 built, wing slats, Avon 20 engine. *Mk 31: 21 built, 6–3 wing, Avon 20 engine. *Mk 32: 69 built, four wing pylons, F-86F fuel capacity, Avon 26 engine.
The F-86 was also manufactured by
: ''Source:'' F-86 Sabre Jet: History of the Sabre and FJ FuryDorr 1993, pp. 65–96.
;
* Argentine Air Force
: Acquired 28 F-86Fs, 26 September 1960, FAA s/n CA-101 through CA-128. The Sabres were already on ''reserve'' status at the time of the
"F-86 Foreign Service."
''USAAC/USAAF/USAF Fighter and Pursuit Aircraft: North American F-86 Sabre.'' Retrieved: 20 August 2010. ; *
;
* Tunisian Air Force
: Acquired 15 used U.S.-built F-86F in 1969.
;
* Turkish Air Force
: Acquired ex-RCAF 107 Canadair CL-13 Sabre Mk.2 “F-86E(M)„ in 1954, retired 1968.
;
* United Nations Operation in the Congo
: Received 5 F-86E(M)s from Italy as MAP redeployment 1963, manned by Philippine pilots; F-86F units from Ethiopia and Iran also used in ONUC.
;
* United States Air Force
;
* Venezuelan Air Force
: Acquired 30 U.S.-built F-86Fs, October 1955 – December 1960; and assigned to one group, Grupo Aéreo De Caza No. 12, three other squadrons.
;
* Yugoslav Air Force
: Acquired 121 Canadair CL-13s and F-86Es, operating them in several fighter aviation regiments between 1956 and 1971.
''FAA''. Retrieved: 17 May 2011.
"Alam's Speed-shooting Classic."
''defencejournal.com''. Retrieved: 20 August 2010. * Colonel Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, USAF test pilot and NASA astronaut of Apollo 11 fame. Credited with shooting down two MiGs over Korea. * Major Rudolf Anderson, Jr. USAF (
"Faller's heroic act remembered by community."
''The New Review'' (Ridgecrest, California), 14 August 2014. Retrieved: 25 November 2015.
''USN F-4 Phantom II vs VPAF MiG-17: Vietnam 1965–72.''
Oxford, UK: Oxford, 2009. . * Dorr, Robert F. ''F-86 Sabre Jet: History of the Sabre and FJ Fury''. St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks International Publishers, 1993. . * Futrell, Robert F. ''The United States Air Force in Korea, 1950-1953''. Air Force History and Museums Program, 2000. . * Dunlap, Roy F. ''Ordnance Went Up Front.'' Plantersville, South Carolina: Samworth Press, 1948. * * * Hoover, R.A. ''Forever Flying: Fifty Years of High-Flying Adventures, From Barnstorming in Prop Planes to Dogfighting Germans to Testing Supersonic Jets: An Autobiography''. New York: Pocket Books, 1997. . * Jenkins, Dennis R. and Tony R. Landis. ''Experimental & Prototype U.S. Air Force Jet Fighters.'' North Branch, Minnesota, USA: Specialty Press, 2008. . * Joos, Gerhard W. ''Canadair Sabre Mk 1–6, Commonwealth Sabre Mk 30–32 in RCAF, RAF, RAAF, SAAF, Luftwaffe & Foreign Service''. Kent, UK: Osprey Publications Limited, 1971. . * Käsmann, Ferdinand C.W. ''Die schnellsten Jets der Welt: Weltrekord- Flugzeuge'' (in German). Oberhaching, Germany: Aviatic Verlag-GmbH, 1994. . * Knaack, Marcelle Size. ''Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems, Volume 1, Post-World War Two Fighters, 1945–1973''. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History, 1978. . * Leyes, Richard A. and William A. Fleming
''The History of North American Small Gas Turbine Aircraft Engines. (Library of Flight Series)''
Washington, D.C.: AIAA, 1999. . * Michel, Marshall L., III
''Clashes: Air Combat Over North Vietnam, 1965–1972.''
Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 2007. . * Radinger, Willy and Walter Schick. ''Me 262: Entwicklung und Erprobung des ertsen einsatzfähigen Düsenjäger der Welt, Messerschmitt Stiftung'' (in German). Berlin: Avantic Verlag GmbH, 1996. . * Robinson, Robbi
120 p. Le Havre, France: Editions Minimonde76, 2018. . * Schrøder, Hans. ''Royal Danish Airforce''. Copenhagen, Denmark: Tøjhusmuseet, 1991. . * Singh, Sarina et al. ''Pakistan & the Karakoram Highway''. London: Lonely Planet Publications, 2004. . * Swanborough, F. Gordon. ''United States Military Aircraft Since 1909''. London: Putnam, 1963. . * Thompson, Warren E. and David R. McLaren. ''MiG Alley: Sabres vs. MiGs Over Korea''. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 2002. . * ''United States Air Force Museum Guidebook''. Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio: Air Force Museum Foundation, 1975. * Wagner, Ray. ''American Combat Planes – Second Edition''. New York: Doubleday and Company, 1968. . * Wagner, Ray. ''The North American Sabre''. London: Macdonald, 1963. No ISBN. * * Westrum, Ron. ''Sidewinder''. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1999. . * * * Winchester, Jim, ed. ''Military Aircraft of the Cold War'' (The Aviation Factfile). London: Grange Books plc, 2006. .
F-86 Sabre Pilots Association
* ttp://www.warbirdalley.com/f86.htm Warbird Alley: F-86 Sabre page – Information about F-86s still flying today
Sabre site
{{Authority control F-086 Sabre 1940s United States fighter aircraft Single-engined jet aircraft Low-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1947
1960-1961 Bajaur Campaign
In late 1960, regular and irreguar Afghan forces invaded the Bajaur area of North West Frontier Province in an attempt to anex the region. In response, PAF F-86s were sent into the area to provideClose Air Support
In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...
for Pakistani Forces and local Pakistani Pashtun tribesmen who were fighting the Afghan infiltrators. The Sabres also executed bombing runs on Royal Afghan Army
The Army of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (), also referred to as the Islamic Emirate Army and the Afghan Army, is the land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The roots of an army in Afghanistan can be tr ...
positions in Kunar which were attacking Frontier Corps border posts.
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Sabre was no longer a world-class fighter (due to availability of supersonic jets). However, various sources state the F-86 gave the PAF a technological advantage in 1965..
*Air to air combat
In the air-to-air combat of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, the PAF Sabres claimed to have shot down 15 Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...
(IAF) aircraft, comprising nine Hunters, four Vampires
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deaths ...
, and two Gnats
A gnat () is any of many species of tiny flying insects in the dipterid suborder Nematocera, especially those in the families Mycetophilidae, Anisopodidae and Sciaridae. They can be both biting and non-biting. Most often they fly in large num ...
. India, however, admitted a loss of 14 combat aircraft to the PAF's F-86s."1965 Losses."''bhart-rakshak.com''. Retrieved: 20 August 2010. The F-86s of the PAF had the advantage of being armed with AIM-9B/GAR-8 Sidewinder missiles, whereas none of its Indian adversaries had this capability. Despite this, the
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...
claimed that seven F-86 Sabres were shot down by Folland Gnats and six F-86 Sabres were shot down by Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet-powered fighter aircraft that was developed by Hawker Aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was designed to take advantage of the newly developed Rolls-R ...
s.Rakshak, Bharat"IAF Kills in 1965."
''bharat-rakshak.com''. Retrieved: 20 August 2010. *Ground attack
The F-86F remained a potent aircraft for use against ground targets. On the morning of 6 September 1965, six F-86s of No. 19 Squadron struck advancing columns of the Indian army using 5-in (127-mm) rockets along with their six .50-in (12.7-mm) M3 Browning machine guns. On the same day, eight F-86 fighters of the same squadron executed airstrikes
An airstrike, air strike or air raid is an offensive operation carried out by aircraft. Air strikes are delivered from aircraft such as blimps, balloons, fighters, heavy bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters and drones. The offici ...
on the IAF Pathankot.
In East Pakistan, F-86s from the No. 14 Squadron struck the Indian airbase
An air base (sometimes referred to as a military air base, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base) is an aerodrome used as a military base by a military force for the operation ...
s of Kalaikunda, Bagdogra, Barrackpore
Barrackpore (also known as Barrackpur) is a city and a municipality of urban Kolkata of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is also a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA ...
& Agartala
Agartala () is the capital city of the Indian state of Tripura, and is one of the largest cities in northeast India. The city is governed by the Agartala Municipal Corporation. The city is the seat of the Government of Tripura. It is located on ...
which resulted in the destruction of more than 20 Indian aircraft. The airstrikes
An airstrike, air strike or air raid is an offensive operation carried out by aircraft. Air strikes are delivered from aircraft such as blimps, balloons, fighters, heavy bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters and drones. The offici ...
on kalaikunda in particular were highly successful after which the No. 14 Squadron was nicknamed " Tail Choppers".
In total, Pakistani B-57 Canberras and F-86s destroyed around 39 Indian warplanes on the ground at various IAF airbase
An air base (sometimes referred to as a military air base, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base) is an aerodrome used as a military base by a military force for the operation ...
s. However, India claims of losing 22 aircraft on the ground.
1971 Civil conflict and subsequent Indo-Pakistani war
*Air to Air combat
The CL-13B Mk.6 Sabres (known as the F-86E in PAF) were the mainstay of the PAF's day-fighter operations during the 1971 War
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military confrontation between India and Pakistan that occurred during the Bangladesh Liberation War in East Pakistan from 3 December 1971 until the
Pakistani capitulation in Dhaka on 16 Decemb ...
, and had the challenge of dealing with the threat from IAF Folland Gnats, Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet-powered fighter aircraft that was developed by Hawker Aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was designed to take advantage of the newly developed Rolls-R ...
s, Sukhoi Su-7
The Sukhoi Su-7 ( NATO designation name: Fitter-A) is a swept wing, supersonic fighter aircraft developed by the Soviet Union in 1955. Originally, it was designed as a tactical, low-level dogfighter, but was not successful in this role. On the ...
s and Mig-21s.
At the beginning of the war, PAF had eight squadrons of F-86 Sabres."India and Pakistan: Over the Edge."''Time'', 13 December 1971. Retrieved: 11 March 2009. Along with the newer fighter types such as the Mirage III and the Shenyang F-6, the Sabres were tasked with the majority of operations during the war. In East Pakistan, PAF's only Tail Choppers squadron was equipped with 16 F-86Es out of which 4 were modified to fire AIM-9/GAR-8 missiles. In the
Battle of Boyra
The Battle of Boyra, on 22 November 1971, was a Ground and aerial battle that was fought between the India and Pakistan The Pakistani Army was engaged in combat against the Mukti Bahini (Bengali Guerrilla fighters) and a Division size detachment ...
Indian Folland Gnats of 22 Squadron IAF shot down two F-86Es and severely damaged one F-86E.
PAF F-86s performed well, with Pakistani claims of downing 31 Indian aircraft in air-to-air combat. These included 17 Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet-powered fighter aircraft that was developed by Hawker Aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was designed to take advantage of the newly developed Rolls-R ...
s, eight Sukhoi Su-7 "Fitters", one MiG 21, and three Gnats
A gnat () is any of many species of tiny flying insects in the dipterid suborder Nematocera, especially those in the families Mycetophilidae, Anisopodidae and Sciaridae. They can be both biting and non-biting. Most often they fly in large num ...
while losing seven F-86s. The most interesting of these was a battle between two Sabres and four MiG-21s. One MiG was shot down, without any Sabres lost. This was achieved due to the greater low-speed performance of the Sabre in comparison to the delta-winged MiG-21.Tufail, Air Cdre M. Kaise"It is the Man Behind the Gun."
''defencejournal.co'', 2001. Retrieved: 25 November 2015. India, however, claims to have shot down 11 PAF Sabres for the loss of 11 combat aircraft to the PAF F-86s.
''Bharat Rakshak.com''. Retrieved: 20 August 2010. The IAF numerical superiority overwhelmed the sole East Pakistan Sabres squadron (and other military aircraft)
subcontinent.com. Retrieved: 30 June 2011. which were either shot down, or grounded by Pakistani fratricide as they could not hold out, enabling complete
air superiority
Aerial supremacy (also air superiority) is the degree to which a side in a conflict holds control of air power over opposing forces. There are levels of control of the air in aerial warfare. Control of the air is the aerial equivalent of c ...
for the IAF.
*Ground Attack
In East Pakistan, the F-86Es of the Tail Choppers took active part in several CAS
Cas may refer to:
* Caș, a type of cheese made in Romania
* ' (1886–) Czech magazine associated with Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk
* '' Čas'' (19 April 1945–February 1948), the official, daily newspaper of the Democratic Party of Slovakia
* ''CA ...
& COIN missions against Mukti Bahini militants & irregular Indian forces.
On 15 April 1971, a formation of 4 Sabres led by Flight Lt. Abbas Khattak strafed and rocketed many rebel strongholds at Bhairab Bazar
Bhairab ( bn, ভৈরব) is a upazila of Kishoreganj District in the Division of Dhaka Division, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Joanshahi was another name of Bhairab. The city centre of this upazila is Bhairab Bazaar. About 118,992 people live in Bhairab ...
to support the Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...
's efforts in re-capturing food stocks & silos from the Mukti-Bahini militiants.
On 26 April 1971, Flight Lt. Abbass led another Sabre formation at Patuakhali where surviving rebels had regrouped after facing a defeat at Barisal by the hands of the Army. The Sabres struck several rebel strongpoints to soften up resistance after which SSG units were inserted via Mi-8s to clear out the area.
On the Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to:
Military frontiers
*Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany
*Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany
*Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...
, F-86Es and F-86Fs from various PAF squadrons played a vital role in backing the Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...
's counter attacks at several sectors with Air support.
At Shakargarh
Shakargarh ( ur, ), the capital of Shakargarh Tehsil, is a city in the north-eastern part of Narowal District in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. It borders Jammu, India to the north and Sialkot to the west Its literacy rate i ...
& Marala Marala, also known as Murala, is a village in Gujrat District of Punjab province, Pakistan. It is located at 32°38'60N 74°30'0E and has an altitude of 234 metres.
Notable people
*Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry 5th President of Pakistan from 1973 until 1978 ...
sectors, PAF F-86F/Es from the No. 17, No. 18 & 26 Squadrons alongside Shenyang F-6s took part in air support missions backing Pakistan's I Strike Corps counter attacks against the Indian army's I Corps. Although ill-equipped for anti-tank roles, the Sabres were modified to carry general purpose bomb
A general-purpose bomb is an aerial bomb, air-dropped bomb intended as a compromise between blast damage, penetration, and fragmentation (weaponry), fragmentation in explosive effect. They are designed to be effective against enemy troops, vehi ...
s in an effort to provide as much effective air support as possible.
In the Battle of Chamb
The Battle of Chamb was a battle in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The Pakistan Army attacked Chamb on the same principle as the Battle of Chamb (1965). The Pakistan Army's primary objective was to capture the town of Chamb and surrounding ...
, F-86Fs from the No. 26 Squadron "Black Spiders" and F-86Es from the No. 18 Squadron supported Iftikhar Janjua
Major General Iftikhar Khan Janjua ( ur, ) (died December 9, 1971) of the Pakistan Army is one of the most senior Pakistani officers to have been killed in action. He is known in Pakistan as the hero of Rann of Kutch, as he was a brigadier in c ...
's forces in capturing Chumb
Chhamb ( pa, ), also known as Iftikharabad ( pa, ), named after Iftikhar Khan Janjua is an area in the southern tip of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. The Chhamb sector consists of many villages, Kherowal, Burejal, Nagial, Paur, Dingawali, Chak Pandit ...
flying 146 air support sorties. At one point, the Indian Army suffered a major blow at Akhnur when sabres from the No. 18 Squadron destroyed their ammunition dumps.
At Sulemanki, F-86Es of the No. 17 Squadron "Tigers" flew 55 CAS
Cas may refer to:
* Caș, a type of cheese made in Romania
* ' (1886–) Czech magazine associated with Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk
* '' Čas'' (19 April 1945–February 1948), the official, daily newspaper of the Democratic Party of Slovakia
* ''CA ...
sorties in support of the IV Corps offensive in which they claimed 6 Indian tanks and a number of military vehicles destroyed.
At Thar, F-86E & Fs belonging to the No. 19 Squadron struck Indian army positions during their Close Air Support missions. In total, they destroyed 8 Indian Tanks and several military vehicles while also damaging 2 Military trains.
Guinea-Bissau War of Independence
In 1958, the Forca Aerea Portuguesa (FAP) received 50 F-86Fs from ex-USAF stocks. A few former Norwegian Air Force F-86Fs were also purchased as spares in 1968–69. The FAP deployed some of its F-86F Sabres to Portuguese Guinea in 1961, being based at AB2 – Bissalanca Air Base,Bissau
Bissau () is the capital, and largest city of Guinea-Bissau. Bissau had a population of 492,004. Bissau is located on the Geba River estuary, off the Atlantic Ocean, and is Guinea-Bissau's largest city, major port, and its administrative and m ...
. These aircraft formed "Detachment 52", initially equipped with eight F-86Fs (serials: 5307, 5314, 5322, 5326, 5354, 5356, 5361, and 5362) from the ''Esquadra 51'', based at the BA5 – Monte Real Air Base
Monte Real Air Base, officially designated as Air Force Base No. 5 ( pt, Base Aérea Nº 5, BA5), is a Portuguese Air Force (PoAF) air base located in Monte Real, Leiria, Portugal. Its mission is to guarantee the readiness and deployment of the ...
. These aircraft were used in the Guinea-Bissau War of Independence
The Guinea-Bissau War of Independence (), or the Bissau-Guinean War of Independence, was an armed independence conflict that took place in Portuguese Guinea from 1963 to 1974. It was fought between Portugal and the African Party for the Independ ...
, in ground-attack and close-support operations against the insurgent forces. In August 1962, 5314 overshot the runway during an emergency landing with bombs still attached on underwing hardpoints and burned out. F-86F 5322 was shot down by enemy ground fire on 31 May 1963; the pilot ejected safely and was recovered. Several other aircraft suffered combat damage but were repaired.
In 1964, 16 F-86Fs based at Bissalanca returned to mainland Portugal due to U.S. pressure. They had flown 577 combat sorties, of which 430 were ground-attack and close-air-support missions.
Philippine Air Force
ThePhilippine Air Force
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) ( tgl, Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas, , Army of the Air of the Philippines) ( es, Ejército Aérea del Filipinas, , Ejército de la Aérea de la Filipinas) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Armed Forc ...
(PAF) first received the Sabres in the form of F-86Fs in 1957, replacing the North American P-51 Mustang as their
primary interceptor. F-86s first operated from Basa Air Base, known infamously as the "Nest of Vipers", where the 5th Fighter Wing of the PAF was based. Later on, in 1960, the PAF acquired the F-86D as their first all-weather interceptor. The most notable use of the F-86 Sabres was in the Blue Diamonds aerobatic display team, which operated eight Sabres until the arrival of the newer, supersonic Northrop F-5. The F-86s were subsequently phased out of service in the 1970s as the Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter and Vought F-8 Crusaders became the primary fighters and interceptors of the PAF. Antonio Bautista was a Blue Diamonds pilot and a decorated officer. He was killed on 11 January 1974 during a combat sortie against rebels in the south of the country.
Soviet Sabre
During the Korean War, the Soviets were searching for an intact U.S. F-86 Sabre for evaluation/study purposes. Their search was frustrated, largely due to the U.S. military's policy of destroying their weapons and equipment once they had been disabled or abandoned; in the case of U.S. aircraft, USAF pilots destroyed most of their downed Sabres by strafing or bombing them. However, on one occasion, an F-86 was downed in the tidal area of a beach and subsequently was submerged, preventing its destruction. The aircraft was ferried to Moscow and a new OKB (Soviet Experimental Design Bureau) was established to study the F-86, which later became part of the Sukhoi OKB. "At least one F-86… was sent to the Soviet Union, the admitted, and other planes and prizes such as U.S. G-suits and radar gun sights also went."Sauter, Mark"Ghost pilots and mystery aircraft of the Korean War."
''Korean Confidential'', 4 December 2012. Retrieved: 31 March 2013. The Soviets studied and copied the optical gunsight and radar from the captured aircraft to produce the ASP-4N gunsight and SRC-3 radar. Installed in the MiG-17, the gunsight system was later used against American fighters in the Vietnam War. The F-86 studies also contributed to the development of aircraft aluminum alloys such as V-95.
Feather Duster
The old but nimble MiG-17 had become such a serious threat against the Republic F-105 Thunderchief over North Vietnam that the USAF created project "Feather Duster" to test which tactics supersonic American fighters could use against fighters such as the MiG-17. ANG F-86H units proved to be an ideal stand-in for the Soviet jets. One pilot remarked, "In any envelope except nose down and full throttle", either the F-100 or F-105 was inferior to the F-86H in a dogfight.Variants
North American F-86
;XF-86: three prototypes, originally designated XP-86, North American model NA-140
;YF-86A: this was the first prototype fitted with a General Electric J47 turbojet engine.
;F-86A: 554 built, North American model NA-151 (F-86A-1 block and first order of A-5 block) and NA-161 (second F-86A-5 block)
;DF-86A: A few F-86A conversions as drone directors
;RF-86A: 11 F-86A conversions with three cameras for reconnaissance
;F-86B: 188 ordered as upgraded A-model with wider fuselage and larger tires but delivered as F-86A-5, North American model NA-152
;F-86C: Original designation for the YF-93A, two built, ''48–317'' & ''48–318'', order for 118 cancelled, North American model NA-157
;YF-95A: Prototype all-weather interceptor, two built, designation changed to YF-86D, North American model NA-164
;F-86D/L:Production transonic all-weather search-radar equipped interceptor originally designated F-95A, 2,506 built. The F-86D had only 25 percent commonality with other Sabre variants, with a larger fuselage, larger afterburning engine, and a distinctive nose radome. Sole armament was Mk. 4 unguided rockets instead of machine guns. F-86Ls were upgraded F-86Ds.
;F-86E: Improved flight control system and an "all-flying tail" (This system changed to a full power-operated control with an "artificial feel" built into the aircraft's controls to give the pilot forces on the stick that were still conventional, but light enough for superior combat control. It improved high-speed maneuverability); 456 built, North American model NA-170 (F-86E-1 and E-5 blocks), NA-172, essentially the F-86F airframe
The mechanical structure of an aircraft is known as the airframe. This structure is typically considered to include the fuselage, undercarriage, empennage and wings, and excludes the propulsion system.
Airframe design is a field of aerospa ...
with the F-86E engine (F-86E-10 and E-15 blocks); 60 of these built by Canadair
Canadair Ltd. was a civil and military aircraft manufacturer in Canada. In 1986, its assets were acquired by Bombardier Aerospace, the aviation division of Canadian transport conglomerate Bombardier Inc.
Canadair's origins lie in the establishm ...
for USAF (F-86E-6)
;F-86E(M): Designation for ex- RAF Sabres diverted to other NATO air forces
;QF-86E: Designation for surplus RCAF Sabre Mk. Vs modified to target drones
;F-86F: Uprated engine and larger "6–3" wing without leading-edge slats, 2,239 built; North American model NA-172 (F-86F-1 through F-15 blocks), NA-176 (F-86F-20 and −25 blocks), NA-191 (F-86F-30 and −35 blocks), NA-193 (F-86F-26 block), NA-202 (F-86F-35 block), NA-227 (first two orders of F-86F-40 blocks comprising 280 aircraft that reverted to leading-edge wing slats of an improved design), NA-231 (70 in third F-40 block order), NA-238 (110 in fourth F-40 block order), and NA-256 (120 in final F-40 block order); 300 additional aircraft in this series assembled by Mitsubishi
The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries.
Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group historically descended from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company which existed from 1870 ...
in Japan for Japanese Air Self-Defense Force. Sabre Fs had much improved high-speed agility, coupled with a higher landing speed of over . The F-35 block had provisions for a new operational role: the tactical nuclear attack utilizing newer, smaller, and lighter nuclear weapons ("second generation" nuclear ordnance). The F-40 had a new slatted wing with a slightly higher span, resulting in a slight decrease in speed, but also much better agility at both high and low speeds and a reduced landing speed of . The USAF upgraded many previous F versions to the F-40 standard. One E and two Fs were modified for improved performance via rocket boost.
;F-86F(R): F-86F-30 (52-4608) had a Rocketdyne AR2-3
The Rocketdyne AR2, also known by the military designation LR42, was a family of liquid-fuelled rocket engines designed and produced in the United States (US) during the 1950s and 1960s.
Design and development
The Rocketdyne division of North A ...
with thrust at , giving a top speed of M1.22 at .
;F-86F-2: Designation for 10 aircraft modified to carry the M39 cannon in place of the M3 .50 caliber machine gun "six-pack". Four F-86E-10s (serial numbers 51-2803, 2819, 2826 and 2836) and six F-86F-1s (serial numbers 51-2855, 2861, 2867, 2868, 2884 and 2900) were production-line aircraft modified in October 1952 with enlarged and strengthened gun bays, then flight tested at Edwards Air Force Base and the Air Proving Ground at Eglin Air Force Base in November. Eight were shipped to Japan in December and seven forward-deployed to Kimpo Airfield as "Project GunVal" for a 16-week combat field trial in early 1953. Two were lost to engine compressor stalls after ingesting excessive propellant gases from the cannons.
;QF-86F: About 50 former Japan Self-Defense Forces (JASDF) F-86F aircraft converted to drones for use as targets by the U.S. Navy
;RF-86F: Some F-86F-30s converted with three cameras for reconnaissance; also 18 Japan Self-Defense Forces (JASDF) aircraft similarly converted
;TF-86F: Two F-86F converted to two-seat training configuration with lengthened fuselage and slatted wings under North American model NA-204
;YF-86H: Extensively redesigned fighter-bomber model with deeper fuselage, uprated engine, longer wings and power-boosted tailplane, two built as North American model NA-187
;F-86H: Production model, 473 built, with Low Altitude Bombing System (LABS) and provision for nuclear weapon, North American model NA-187 (F-86H-1 and H-5 blocks) and NA-203 (F-86H-10 block)
;QF-86H: Target conversion of 29 aircraft for use at United States Naval Weapons Center
Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake is a large military installation in California that supports the research, testing and evaluation programs of the United States Navy. It is part of Navy Region Southwest under Commander, Navy Installat ...
;F-86J: Single F-86A-5-NA, ''49-1069'', flown with Orenda turbojet under North American model NA-167 – same designation reserved for A-models flown with the Canadian engines but project not proceeded with
;F-86K:
;F-86L:
North American FJ Fury
: ''See: North American FJ-2/-3 Fury for production figures of U.S. Navy versions.''CAC Sabre (Australia)
Two types based on the U.S. F-86F were built under licence by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) in Australia, for theRoyal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
as the CA-26 (one prototype) and CA-27 (production variant). The RAAF operated the CA-27 from 1956 to 1971."Sabre."''RAAF Museum''. Retrieved: 20 August 2010. The CAC Sabres included a 60% fuselage redesign, to accommodate the Rolls-Royce Avon Mk 26 engine, which had roughly 50% more thrust than the J47, as well as 30 mm Aden cannon and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. As a consequence of its powerplant, the Australian-built Sabres are commonly referred to as the Avon Sabre. CAC manufactured 112 of these aircraft. Ex-RAAF Avon Sabres were operated by the Royal Malaysian Air Force (''TUDM'') between 1969 and 1972. From 1973 to 1975, 23 Avon Sabres were donated to the Indonesian Air Force (''TNI-AU''); five of these were ex-Malaysian aircraft. CA-27 marques: *Mk 30: 21 built, wing slats, Avon 20 engine. *Mk 31: 21 built, 6–3 wing, Avon 20 engine. *Mk 32: 69 built, four wing pylons, F-86F fuel capacity, Avon 26 engine.
Canadair Sabre
The F-86 was also manufactured by Canadair
Canadair Ltd. was a civil and military aircraft manufacturer in Canada. In 1986, its assets were acquired by Bombardier Aerospace, the aviation division of Canadian transport conglomerate Bombardier Inc.
Canadair's origins lie in the establishm ...
in Canada as the CL-13 Sabre to replace its de Havilland Vampires, with the following production models:
;Sabre Mk 1: one built, prototype F-86A
;Sabre Mk 2: 350 built, F-86E-type, 60 to USAF, three to RAF, 287 to RCAF
;Sabre Mk 3: one built in Canada, test-bed for the Orenda jet engine
;Sabre Mk 4: 438 built, production Mk 3, 10 to RCAF, 428 to RAF as Sabre F-4
;Sabre Mk 5: 370 built, F-86F-type with Orenda engine, 295 to RCAF, 75 to Luftwaffe
;Sabre Mk 6: 655 built, 390 to RCAF, 225 to Luftwaffe, six to Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
and 34 to South Africa
Production summary
* NAA built a total of 6,297 F-86s and 1,115 FJs, * Canadair built 1,815, * Australian CAC built 112, * Fiat built 221, and * Mitsubishi built 300; * for a total Sabre/Fury production of 9,860.Production costs
Note: The costs are in approximately 1950 United States dollars and have not been adjusted for inflation.Operators
: ''Source:'' F-86 Sabre Jet: History of the Sabre and FJ FuryDorr 1993, pp. 65–96.
;
* Argentine Air Force
: Acquired 28 F-86Fs, 26 September 1960, FAA s/n CA-101 through CA-128. The Sabres were already on ''reserve'' status at the time of the Falklands War
The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial de ...
but were reinstated to active service to bolster air defences against possible Chilean involvement. Finally retired in 1986.
;
* Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
;
* Bangladesh Air Force
: 8 F-86F-40-NAs captured from Pakistan, phased out.
;
* Belgian Air Force
The Belgian Air Component ( nl, Luchtcomponent, french: Composante air) is the air arm of the Belgian Armed Forces, and until January 2002 it was officially known as the Belgian Air Force ( nl, Belgische Luchtmacht; french: Force aérienne belg ...
: 5 F-86F Sabres delivered, no operational unit.
;
* Bolivian Air Force
;
* Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)
;
* Colombian Air Force
: Acquired four F-86Fs from Spanish Air Force (s/n 2027/2028), five USAF F-86F (s/n 51-13226) and other nine Canadair Mk.6; assigned to Escuadron de Caza-Bombardero.
;
* Royal Danish Air Force
: 59 F-86D-31NA(38) F-86D-36NA(21)s in service from 1958 – 1966 ESK 723, ESK 726, ESK 728Schrøder 1991, p. 62.
;
* Ethiopian Air Force
: Acquired 14 F-86Fs in 1960.Baugher, Joe"F-86 Foreign Service."
''USAAC/USAAF/USAF Fighter and Pursuit Aircraft: North American F-86 Sabre.'' Retrieved: 20 August 2010. ; *
German Air Force
The German Air Force (german: Luftwaffe, lit=air weapon or air arm, ) is the aerial warfare branch of the , the armed forces of Germany. The German Air Force (as part of the ''Bundeswehr'') was founded in 1956 during the era of the Cold War a ...
(''Luftwaffe'') – see North American F-86D Sabre
The North American F-86D/K/L Sabre (initially known as the YF-95 and widely known informally as the "Sabre Dog",) was an American transonic jet fighter aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force in the late 1940s, it was an interceptor ...
and Canadair Sabre
;
* Honduran Air Force
: Acquired and 10 CL.13 Mk2 (F-86E) from Yugoslavia.
;
* Imperial Iranian Air Force
: Acquired an unknown number of F-86Fs.
;
* Iraqi Air Force
:Bought some units of the type but they were never operated and were returned.
;
* Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF)
: Acquired 180 U.S. F-86Fs, 1955–1957. Mitsubishi
The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries.
Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group historically descended from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company which existed from 1870 ...
built 300 F-86Fs under license 1956–1961, and were assigned to 10 fighter hikōtai or squadrons. JASDF called F-86F the "Kyokukō" (旭光, Rising Sunbeam) and F-86D the "Gekkō" (月光, Moon Light). Their Blue Impulse Aerobatic Team, a total of 18 F-models were converted to reconnaissance version in 1962. Some aircraft were returned to the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake
Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake is a large military installation in California that supports the research, testing and evaluation programs of the United States Navy. It is part of Navy Region Southwest under Commander, Navy Installat ...
, California, as drones.
;
* Royal Norwegian Air Force
: Acquired 115 F-86Fs, 1957–1958; and assigned to seven squadrons, Nos. 331, 332, 334, 336, 337, 338 and 339.
;
* Pakistani Air Force
: Acquired 102 U.S.-built F-86F-35-NA and F-86F-40-NAs, last of North American Aviation
North American Aviation (NAA) was a major American aerospace manufacturer that designed and built several notable aircraft and spacecraft. Its products included: the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F ...
's production line, 1954–1960s.
;
* Peruvian Air Force
: Acquired 26 U.S.-built F-86Fs in 1955, assigned to Escuadrón Aéreo 111, Grupo Aéreo No.11 at Talara air force base. Finally retired in 1979.
;
* Philippine Air Force
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) ( tgl, Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas, , Army of the Air of the Philippines) ( es, Ejército Aérea del Filipinas, , Ejército de la Aérea de la Filipinas) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Armed Forc ...
: Acquired 50 F-86Fs in 1957. Retired in the late 1970s.
;
* Portuguese Air Force
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 1 July
, equipment =
, equipment_label ...
: A total of 65 acquired: 50 U.S.-built F-86Fs, 1958, including some from USAF's 531st Fighter Bomber Squadron, Chambley and 15 ex-Royal Norwegian Air Force. In Portugal, they served in Squadron 201 (formerly designated as Sqn. 50 and later Sqn. 51, before being renamed in 1978) and Squadron 52, both based at Air Base No. 5, Monte Real. In 1961, the Portuguese Air Force deployed some of its F-86Fs to Portuguese Guinea, where they formed Detachment 52, based at Base-Aerodrome No. 2, Bissalanca/Bissau.
;
* Republic of China Air Force
: Acquired 320 U.S.-built F-86Fs,7 RF-86Fs,18 F-86Ds, The 18 F-86Ds back to U.S. military and US send 6 to Republic of Korea Air Force,8 to Philippine Air Force
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) ( tgl, Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas, , Army of the Air of the Philippines) ( es, Ejército Aérea del Filipinas, , Ejército de la Aérea de la Filipinas) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Armed Forc ...
in 1966.
;
* Royal Saudi Air Force
: Acquired 16 U.S.-built F-86Fs in 1958, and three Fs from Norway in 1966; and assigned to RSAF No. 7 Squadron at Dhahran.
;
* South African Air Force
: Acquired on loan 22 U.S.-built F-86F-30s during the Korean War and saw action with 2 Squadron SAAF
2 Squadron is a squadron in the South African Air Force which was formed in 1940. The squadron has a long history, having been involved in every single combat action in which the SAAF has taken part. During the Second World War it made a name for ...
.
;
* Republic of Korea Air Force
: Acquired U.S.-built 112 F-86Fs and 10 RF-86Fs, beginning 20 June 1955; and assigned to ROKAF 10th Wing. It also served with the ROKAF Black Eagles aerobatic team
The 53rd Air Demonstration Group, nicknamed the Black Eagles, is the flight display team of the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) based at Wonju, Gangwon Province.
The ROKAF Aerobatic Team has operated on various occasions at national ceremonie ...
for annual event from 1959 to 1966. The last F-86s retired in 1990.
;
* Spanish Air Force
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march = Spanish Air and Space Force Anthem
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 10 December
, equipment ...
: Acquired 270 U.S.-built F-86Fs, 1955–1958; designated C.5s and assigned to 5 wings: Ala de Caza 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6. Retired 1972.
;
* Royal Thai Air Force
: Acquired 40 U.S.-built F-86Fs, 1962; assigned to RTAF Squadrons, Nos. 12 (Ls), 13, and 43.
;
* Tunisian Air Force
: Acquired 15 used U.S.-built F-86F in 1969.
;
* Turkish Air Force
: Acquired ex-RCAF 107 Canadair CL-13 Sabre Mk.2 “F-86E(M)„ in 1954, retired 1968.
;
* United Nations Operation in the Congo
: Received 5 F-86E(M)s from Italy as MAP redeployment 1963, manned by Philippine pilots; F-86F units from Ethiopia and Iran also used in ONUC.
;
* United States Air Force
;
* Venezuelan Air Force
: Acquired 30 U.S.-built F-86Fs, October 1955 – December 1960; and assigned to one group, Grupo Aéreo De Caza No. 12, three other squadrons.
;
* Yugoslav Air Force
: Acquired 121 Canadair CL-13s and F-86Es, operating them in several fighter aviation regiments between 1956 and 1971.
Civil aviation
According to the FAA there are 50 privately owned and registered F-86s in the US, including Canadair CL-13 Sabres."FAA Registry: F-86."''FAA''. Retrieved: 17 May 2011.
Notable pilots
*Sqn Ldr
Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also ...
(later Air commodore) M. M. Alam
Air Commodore Muhammad Mahmood Alam (Bengali: মহম্মদ মাহমুদ আলম; ur, ) 6 July 1935 – 18 March 2013) was a Bengali fighter pilot officially credited by the Pakistan Air Force with having downed four India ...
, Pakistan Air Force, became a flying ace by shooting down five Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...
fighters within one minute in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 or the Second Kashmir War was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. The conflict began following Pakistan's Operation Gibraltar, which was d ...
. He was awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat
Sitara-e-Jurat (, Star of Courage) is the third highest military award of Pakistan. It was established in 1957 after Pakistan became a republic; however, it was instituted retrospectively back to 1947. It is awarded for Courage, gallantry or dist ...
("''The star of courage''") and bar
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
* Chocolate bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud
* Bar (u ...
.Tufail, Air Cdre M. Kaiser"Alam's Speed-shooting Classic."
''defencejournal.com''. Retrieved: 20 August 2010. * Colonel Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, USAF test pilot and NASA astronaut of Apollo 11 fame. Credited with shooting down two MiGs over Korea. * Major Rudolf Anderson, Jr. USAF (
4028th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron
The 4028th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron was a component of the 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Strategic Air Command, that operated Lockheed U-2 spy planes out of Laughlin AFB, Texas, and Davis–Monthan AFB, Arizona, in the late 1950 ...
). Shot down and killed in 1962 while flying a U-2 spy plane
The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "''Dragon Lady''", is an American single-jet engine, high altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). It provides day ...
over Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis (of 1962) ( es, Crisis de Octubre) in Cuba, the Caribbean Crisis () in Russia, or the Missile Scare, was a 35-day (16 October – 20 November 1962) confrontation between the United S ...
.
* Colonel Royal N. Baker
Lieutenant General Royal Newman "King" Baker (November 27, 1918 – May 1, 1976) was a United States Air Force (USAF) flying ace during the Korean War. He accrued 13 victories in the war.
Baker was one of the few military aviators who flew opera ...
(13 victories), commander USAF 4 FIW.
* Wing Commander John Robert Baldwin
Wing Commander John Robert Baldwin, (16 July 1918 – missing in action 15 March 1952) was a Royal Air Force fighter pilot and the top scoring fighter ace flying the Hawker Typhoon exclusively during the Second World War. He went missing during s ...
DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, AFC was a Royal Air Force fighter pilot and the top scoring fighter ace flying the Hawker Typhoon exclusively during the Second World War. He was posted missing, presumed killed, during service with the United States Air Force in the Korean War flying a Sabre.
* Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Bautista of the Philippine Air Force
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) ( tgl, Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas, , Army of the Air of the Philippines) ( es, Ejército Aérea del Filipinas, , Ejército de la Aérea de la Filipinas) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Armed Forc ...
received the Distinguished Conduct Star for his valor and bravery in providing close air support to ground forces.
* Major General Frederick C. Blesse
Frederick Corbin "Boots" Blesse (August 22, 1921 – October 31, 2012) was a United States Air Force major general and flying ace. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1945. He flew two combat tours during the Korean War, complet ...
(10 victories)
* 1st Lieutenant ater Colonel Ater (Hebrew אֲתַר) is an Old Testament male name.
#A descendant of Hezekiah, who returned from Babylon ;
#An Israelite, who subscribed to Nehemiah
Nehemiah is the central figure of the Book of Nehemiah, which describes his work in reb ...
John Boyd, USAF, flying 22 missions in the F-86E and F models, with the 25th FIS (51st FIW) June–July 1953.
* 1st Lieutenant John M. Conroy, completed "Operation Boomerang" on 21 May 1955, a record-setting coast-to-coast and back in one day during daylight hours of 5058 miles in 11 hours, 26 mins, 33 secs.
* Major George Davis (14 victories), USAF 4 FIW, awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously
* Captain Manuel "Pete" Fernandez, (14.5 victories), USAF 4 FIW
* Colonel Francis S. "Gabby" Gabreski (six and one-half victories), USAF 51 FIW commander, top European U.S. ace in World War II
* Colonel Vermont Garrison
Vermont Garrison (October 29, 1915 – February 14, 1994) was a career officer in the United States Air Force, and a flying ace credited with 17.33 victories in aerial combat. Per USAF records, he has no middle name. He was one of only seven Ameri ...
(five victories), USAF 4 FIW, ace in World War II and combat veteran of three wars
* Colonel Ralph "Hoot" Gibson (five victories), USAF 4 FIW
* Major John Glenn
John Herschel Glenn Jr. (July 18, 1921 – December 8, 2016) was an American Marine Corps aviator, engineer, astronaut, businessman, and politician. He was the third American in space, and the first American to orbit the Earth, circling ...
, a U.S. Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through comb ...
exchange pilot with the USAF 51 FIW (3 victories). First American astronaut to orbit the Earth, later a U.S. Senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
from Ohio.
* Lieutenant Colonel Virgil "Gus" Grissom, astronaut in the Mercury
Mercury commonly refers to:
* Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun
* Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg
* Mercury (mythology), a Roman god
Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to:
Companies
* Merc ...
, Gemini and Apollo programs, died in a fire during testing for the Apollo 1 mission.
* 1st Lieutenant Robert A. "Bob" Hoover, USAF 52 FIW, North American Aviation experimental engineering test pilot.
* Captain James Horowitz (1 victory), USAF 4 FIW, novelist and author of '' The Hunters'' under the pen name James Salter
* Colonel James Jabara (15 victories), USAF 4 FIW
* Colonel James H. Kasler
Colonel James Helms Kasler (May 2, 1926 – April 24, 2014) was a senior officer in the United States Air Force and the only person to be awarded the Air Force Cross three times.Frisbee, John L.(1986). ''AIR FORCE Magazine'', November 1986, Vol. ...
(six victories), USAF 4 FIW and only three-time recipient of the Air Force Cross
* Captain Iven Kincheloe (five victories) USAF 51 FIW, test pilot selected to fly the North American X-15
The North American X-15 is a hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft. It was operated by the United States Air Force and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as part of the X-plane series of experimental aircraft. The X-15 set speed an ...
* Second Lieutenant Gene Kranz, NASA flight director for Gemini and Apollo and assistant flight director on Project Mercury- flew with 69th FBS in South Korea
* Squadron Leader Andy Mackenzie
Andy may refer to:
People
*Andy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
*Horace Andy (born 1951), Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer born Horace Hinds
*Katja Andy (1907–2013), German-American pianist and piano ...
, DFC. RCAF Second World War fighter ace (8.5 victories); taken POW when his F-86 was shot down while flying with the USAF 51 FIW in Korea in 1952.
* Colonel Walker "Bud" Mahurin, USAF 4 FIG commander and World War II ace
* Captain Joseph C. McConnell
Joseph Christopher McConnell Jr. (30 January 1922 – 25 August 1954) was a United States Air Force fighter pilot who was the top American flying ace during the Korean War.Farris, Phillip1990/0690jetwar.aspx "Jet War."''Air Force Magazine,'' Air ...
(16 victories), USAF 51 FIW, who later died in a crash at Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation in California. Most of the base sits in Kern County, but its eastern end is in San Bernardino County and a southern arm is in Los Angeles County. The hub of the base is E ...
testing the F-86H
* General John C. Meyer
General John Charles Meyer (April 3, 1919 – December 2, 1975) was an American World War II flying ace, and later the commander-in-chief of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) and director of the Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff at Of ...
(two victories), USAF 4 FIW commander and later Vice Chief of Staff of the USAF.
* Squadron Leader Sarfaraz Ahmed Rafiqui
Squadron Leader Sarfaraz Ahmed Rafiqui was a fighter pilot in the Pakistan Air Force who is known for his gallant actions in two of the aerial dogfights during Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, and is a recipient of both the Hilal-e-Jurat (Crescen ...
(two victories), Officer Commanding of PAF's No. 5 Squadron, awarded the Hilal-i-Jur'at and later KIA during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 or the Second Kashmir War was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. The conflict began following Pakistan's Operation Gibraltar, which was d ...
.
* Brigadier General James Robinson Risner (eight victories), USAF awarded the Air Force Cross, later Vietnam War POW
* Colonel Harrison R. Thyng
Brigadier General Harrison Reed Thyng (April 12, 1918 – September 24, 1983) was a fighter pilot and a general in the United States Air Force (USAF). He is notable as one of only six USAF fighter pilots to be recognized as an ace in two wars. O ...
(five victories), USAF 4 FIW commander
* Major General Howard Thomas Markey, first chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
* Lieutenant Commander Theodore H Faller
Theodore may refer to:
Places
* Theodore, Alabama, United States
* Theodore, Australian Capital Territory
* Theodore, Queensland, a town in the Shire of Banana, Australia
* Theodore, Saskatchewan, Canada
* Theodore Reservoir, a lake in Saskatche ...
, 13 August 1979 – U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Theodore "Ted" Faller was killed when his QF-86 Sabre suffered an engine failure moments after takeoff. Faller managed to bring the stricken aircraft down in a vacant lot 600 yards south of the Ridgecrest Heights Elementary School, later renamed Theodore Faller Elementary School.Goldstrand, Theresa"Faller's heroic act remembered by community."
''The New Review'' (Ridgecrest, California), 14 August 2014. Retrieved: 25 November 2015.
Surviving aircraft
Specifications (F-86F-40-NA)
See also
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
* Allward, Maurice. ''F-86 Sabre''. London: Ian Allan, 1978. . * * * * * Curtis, Duncan. ''North American F-86 Sabre''. Ramsbury, UK: Crowood, 2000. . * Davies, Peter''USN F-4 Phantom II vs VPAF MiG-17: Vietnam 1965–72.''
Oxford, UK: Oxford, 2009. . * Dorr, Robert F. ''F-86 Sabre Jet: History of the Sabre and FJ Fury''. St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks International Publishers, 1993. . * Futrell, Robert F. ''The United States Air Force in Korea, 1950-1953''. Air Force History and Museums Program, 2000. . * Dunlap, Roy F. ''Ordnance Went Up Front.'' Plantersville, South Carolina: Samworth Press, 1948. * * * Hoover, R.A. ''Forever Flying: Fifty Years of High-Flying Adventures, From Barnstorming in Prop Planes to Dogfighting Germans to Testing Supersonic Jets: An Autobiography''. New York: Pocket Books, 1997. . * Jenkins, Dennis R. and Tony R. Landis. ''Experimental & Prototype U.S. Air Force Jet Fighters.'' North Branch, Minnesota, USA: Specialty Press, 2008. . * Joos, Gerhard W. ''Canadair Sabre Mk 1–6, Commonwealth Sabre Mk 30–32 in RCAF, RAF, RAAF, SAAF, Luftwaffe & Foreign Service''. Kent, UK: Osprey Publications Limited, 1971. . * Käsmann, Ferdinand C.W. ''Die schnellsten Jets der Welt: Weltrekord- Flugzeuge'' (in German). Oberhaching, Germany: Aviatic Verlag-GmbH, 1994. . * Knaack, Marcelle Size. ''Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems, Volume 1, Post-World War Two Fighters, 1945–1973''. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History, 1978. . * Leyes, Richard A. and William A. Fleming
''The History of North American Small Gas Turbine Aircraft Engines. (Library of Flight Series)''
Washington, D.C.: AIAA, 1999. . * Michel, Marshall L., III
''Clashes: Air Combat Over North Vietnam, 1965–1972.''
Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 2007. . * Radinger, Willy and Walter Schick. ''Me 262: Entwicklung und Erprobung des ertsen einsatzfähigen Düsenjäger der Welt, Messerschmitt Stiftung'' (in German). Berlin: Avantic Verlag GmbH, 1996. . * Robinson, Robbi
120 p. Le Havre, France: Editions Minimonde76, 2018. . * Schrøder, Hans. ''Royal Danish Airforce''. Copenhagen, Denmark: Tøjhusmuseet, 1991. . * Singh, Sarina et al. ''Pakistan & the Karakoram Highway''. London: Lonely Planet Publications, 2004. . * Swanborough, F. Gordon. ''United States Military Aircraft Since 1909''. London: Putnam, 1963. . * Thompson, Warren E. and David R. McLaren. ''MiG Alley: Sabres vs. MiGs Over Korea''. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 2002. . * ''United States Air Force Museum Guidebook''. Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio: Air Force Museum Foundation, 1975. * Wagner, Ray. ''American Combat Planes – Second Edition''. New York: Doubleday and Company, 1968. . * Wagner, Ray. ''The North American Sabre''. London: Macdonald, 1963. No ISBN. * * Westrum, Ron. ''Sidewinder''. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1999. . * * * Winchester, Jim, ed. ''Military Aircraft of the Cold War'' (The Aviation Factfile). London: Grange Books plc, 2006. .
External links
F-86 Sabre Pilots Association
* ttp://www.warbirdalley.com/f86.htm Warbird Alley: F-86 Sabre page – Information about F-86s still flying today
Sabre site
{{Authority control F-086 Sabre 1940s United States fighter aircraft Single-engined jet aircraft Low-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1947