North American F-86 Sabre


The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Soviet MiG-15 in high-speed dogfights in the skies of the Korean War, 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 Although it was developed in the late 1940s and was outdated by the end of the 1950s, the Sabre proved versatile and adaptable and continued as a front-line fighter in numerous air forces until the last active operational examples were retired by the Bolivian Air Force in 1994.
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 airframes, and the significantly redesigned CAC Sabre, had a production run of 112. The Sabre is by far the most-produced Western jet fighter, with total production of all variants at 9,860 units.

Development

North American Aviation had produced the propeller-powered P-51 Mustang 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. It was an unexceptional transitional jet fighter that had a straight wing derived from the P-51. Initial proposals to meet a United States Army Air Forces 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. 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. 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 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. 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, 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" retrofitted after combat experience was gained in Korea. This modification changed the wing airfoils to the NACA 0009-64 mod 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, California.
The United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command 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, 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. Col. K. K. Compton won the 1951 Bendix air race in an F-86A with an average speed of 553.76 mph.

Design

Overview

The F-86 was produced as both a fighter-interceptor and fighter-bomber. Several variants were introduced over its production life, with improvements and different armament implemented. 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 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 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 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. Firing at a rate of 1,200 rounds per minute, the 0.50 in guns were harmonized to converge at in front of the aircraft, using armor-piercing and armor-piercing incendiary rounds, with one armor-piercing incendiary tracer 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. 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. The 1972 Sacramento Canadair Sabre accident 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'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 F-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. Early variants of the F-86 could not out turn, but they could out dive the MiG-15, although the MiG-15 was superior to the early F-86 models in ceiling, acceleration, rate of climb, and zoom. With the introduction of the F-86F in 1953, 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 was addressed by fielding eight cannon-armed F-86s in the waning months of the war. Despite being able to fire only two of the four 20 mm cannon at a time, the experiment was considered a success. 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 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.
F-86 gun camera footage of a MiG-15 shoot-down over Korea
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. 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. The North Koreans and their allies periodically contested air superiority in MiG Alley, an area near the mouth of the Yalu River 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, 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 hunting of MiGs in Manchuria would lead to many reels of gun camera footage being 'lost' if the reel revealed the pilot had violated Chinese airspace.
The needs of combat operation 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 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 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 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 by half. Internally, the USAF accepted that its pilots in fact downed ~ 200 MiGs
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, although these cannot be reconciled with the number 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 a F-86's 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 were not count the number of aircraft of other types were shot down by MiG-15s.
Data-matching with Soviet records shows that US pilots routinely attributed their own combat losses to "landing accidents" and "other causes". According to official US data, the USAF lost 250 F-86 fighters in Korea. Of these, 184 were lost in combat 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.

Cold War

In addition to its distinguished service in Korea, USAF F-86s also served in various stateside and overseas roles throughout the early part of the Cold War. As newer Century-series fighters came on line, F-86s were transferred to Air National Guard units or the air forces of allied nations. The last ANG F-86s continued in U.S. service until 1970.

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, which was just entering service with the United States. A small team from VMF-323, a Marine FJ-4 Fury 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.

Indo-Pakistani War of 1965

In 1954, Pakistan began receiving the first of a total of 120 F-86F Sabres. 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 −35s were brought up to −40 standards before they were delivered to Pakistan, but a few remained −35s. The F-86 was operated by nine Pakistan Air Force squadrons at various times: Nos. 5, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 26 Squadrons.
The Sabre was no longer a world-class fighter. However, many sources state the F-86 gave the PAF a technological advantage.

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 aircraft, comprising nine Hunters, four Vampires, and two Gnats. India, however, admitted a loss of 14 combat aircraft to the PAF's F-86s. 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 claimed to have shot down four PAF Sabres in air-to-air combat.
The Indian Air Force claimed that seven F-86 Sabres were shot down by Folland Gnats and six F-86 Sabres were shot down by Hawker Hunters.

Ground attack

The aircraft remained a potent weapon for use against ground targets. On the morning of 6 September, six F-86s of No. 19 Sqn struck advancing columns of the Indian army using 5-in rockets along with their six.50-in M3 Browning machine guns. On the same day, eight F-86 fighters of the same squadron executed an attack against IAF Pathankot. No. 14 PAF Squadron earned the nickname "Tailchoppers" for their successful attack against the Indian bomber base in Kalaikunda.
PAF claims of destroying around 36 aircraft on the ground at various Indian airfields. However, India only acknowledges 22 aircraft lost on the ground to strikes partly attributed to the PAF's F-86s and its bomber Martin B-57 Canberra.

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

The Canadair Sabres, acquired from ex-Luftwaffe stocks via Iran, were the mainstay of the PAF's day-fighter operations during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, and had the challenge of dealing with the threat from IAF.
At the beginning of the war, PAF had eight squadrons of F-86 Sabres. 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, only one PAF F-86 squadron was deployed to face the numerical superiority of the IAF.
In the Battle of Boyra Indian MiG-21and Folland Gnats shot down two F-86E and 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 Hunters, eight Sukhoi Su-7 "Fitters", one MiG 21, and three Gnats 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 better low-speed performance of the Sabre in comparison to the delta-winged MiG-21.
India, however, claims to have shot down 11 PAF Sabres for the loss of 11 combat aircraft to the PAF F-86s. The IAF numerical superiority overwhelmed the sole East Pakistan Sabres squadron which were either shot down, or grounded by Pakistani fratricide as they could not hold out, enabling complete air superiority for the IAF.
After this war, Pakistan slowly phased out its F-86 Sabres and replaced them with Chinese F-6 fighters. The last of the Sabres were withdrawn from service in PAF in 1980. They are now displayed in Pakistan Air Force Museum and in the cities in which their pilots lived.

Guinea-Bissau War of Independence

In 1958, the Forca Aerea Portuguesa 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. These aircraft formed "Detachment 52", initially equipped with eight F-86Fs from the Esquadra 51, based at the BA5 – Monte Real Air Base. These aircraft were used in the Guinea-Bissau War of Independence, in ground-attack and close-support operations against the insurgent forces. In August 1962, 5314 overshot the runway during 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

The Philippine Air Force 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 PhAF was based. Later on, in 1960, the PhAF 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 PhAF. 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 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." 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 and NA-161
;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-86D: prototype all-weather interceptor originally ordered as YF-95A, two built but 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" ; 456 built, North American model NA-170, NA-172, essentially the F-86F airframe with the F-86E engine ; 60 of these built by Canadair for USAF
;F-86E: 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, NA-176, NA-191, NA-193, NA-202, NA-227, NA-231, NA-238, and NA-256 ; 300 additional airframes in this series assembled by Mitsubishi 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 task: the nuclear tactical attack with one of the new small "nukes". The F-40 had a new slatted wing, with a slight decrease of speed, but also a much better agility at high and low speed with a landing speed reduced to. The USAF upgraded many of previous F versions to the F-40 standard. One E and two Fs were modified for improved performance via rocket boost.
;F-86F: F-86F-30 had a Rocketdyne AR2-3 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 and six F-86F-1s 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 F-86F airframes 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 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 and provision for nuclear weapon, North American model NA-187 and NA-203
;QF-86H: Target conversion of 29 airframes for use at United States Naval Weapons Center
;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

CAC Sabre (Australia)

Two types based on the U.S. F-86F were built under licence by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation in Australia, for the Royal Australian Air Force as the CA-26 and CA-27. The RAAF operated the CA-27 from 1956 to 1971. Ex-RAAF Avon Sabres were operated by the Royal Malaysian Air Force between 1969 and 1972. From 1973 to 1975, 23 Avon Sabres were donated to the Indonesian Air Force ; five of these were ex-Malaysian aircraft.
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.
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 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 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

aerobatic display team, of the Imperial Iranian Air Force.
According to the FAA there are 50 privately owned and registered F-86s in the US, including Canadair CL-13 Sabres.

Notable pilots

  • Sqn Ldr M. M. Alam, Pakistan Air Force, became a flying ace by shooting down five Indian Air Force fighters within one minute in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. He was awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat and bar.
  • 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. Shot down and killed in 1962 while flying a U-2 spy plane over Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
  • Colonel Royal N. Baker, commander USAF 4 FIW.
  • Wing Commander John Robert Baldwin 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 received the Distinguished Conduct Star for his valor and bravery in providing close air support to ground forces.
  • Major General Frederick C. Blesse
  • 1st Lieutenant John Boyd, USAF, flying 22 missions in the F-86E and F models, with the 25th FIS June–July 1953.
  • 1st Lieutenant John M. Conroy, completed "Operation Boomerang" on May 21, 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, USAF 4 FIW, awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously
  • Captain Manuel "Pete" Fernandez,, USAF 4 FIW
  • Colonel Francis S. "Gabby" Gabreski, USAF 51 FIW commander, top European U.S. ace in World War II
  • Colonel Vermont Garrison, USAF 4 FIW, ace in World War II and combat veteran of three wars
  • Colonel Ralph "Hoot" Gibson, USAF 4 FIW
  • Major John Glenn, a U.S. Marine Corps exchange pilot with the USAF 51 FIW. First American astronaut to orbit the Earth, later a U.S. Senator from Ohio.
  • Lieutenant Colonel Virgil "Gus" Grissom, astronaut in the Mercury, 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, USAF 4 FIW, novelist and author of The Hunters under the pen name James Salter
  • Colonel James Jabara, USAF 4 FIW
  • Colonel James H. Kasler, USAF 4 FIW and only three-time recipient of the Air Force Cross
  • Flying Officer Waleed Ehsanul Karim, Pakistan Air Force, youngest Sabre pilot.
  • Captain Iven Kincheloe USAF 51 FIW, test pilot selected to fly the North American X-15
  • 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, DFC. RCAF Second World War fighter ace ; 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, USAF 51 FIW, who later died in a crash at Edwards Air Force Base testing the F-86H
  • General John C. Meyer, USAF 4 FIW commander and later Vice Chief of Staff of the USAF.
  • Squadron Leader Sarfaraz Ahmed Rafiqui, PAF no. 5 squadron, awarded the Hilal-i-Jur'at during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
  • Brigadier General James Robinson Risner, USAF awarded the Air Force Cross, later Vietnam War POW
  • Colonel Harrison R. Thyng, 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, August 13, 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.

    Surviving aircraft

Specifications (F-86F-40-NA)

Citations