F-86 Sabers

History

With the end of the year 1944, North American had started to work on a project intended required a jet fighter to the American marine , which was going to give rise to FJ Fury. When USAF emitted in its turn an invitation to tender for a hunter of day able to reach 965 km/h, the company proposed an answer based on the same project. The first tests out of blower showed however that its right wings prevented the XF-86 from reaching speed envisaged. The work undertaken by German during the Second world war then started just to be diffused with the the United States, which made it possible to the engineers to completely redraw the wing by giving him an arrow of 35 degrees.

The first flight of the XF-86 with its new wings took place only on October 1st 1947. It reached without difficulty 1.045 km/h, which made of it the fastest plane of the time. After some minor changes, mainly a more powerful engine, the delivery of the production aircraft started in 1948. Almost at once, North American started to work on a version " all temps" equipped with a Radar with the top of the frontal air intake, with an engine equipped with a Afterburning and 24 rockets in a retractable system under the fuselage. The deliveries of the F-86D started in 1951 in spite of a development of the difficult system of shooting. This version also encountered problems of engine, which never were completely solved and caused the loss of many apparatuses.

The version produced in greater quantity was the F-86F, delivered as from spring 1952. At the beginning, it was simply about a F-86E with a more powerful engine approximately 14% making it possible to improve the performances of them: its maximum speed of 1.105 km/h and its ceiling of more than 17.000 m changed gives it vis-a-vis the Mig-15. The summer of the same year, a new wing (named " 6-3") a little larger and arrow slightly more marked was tested, and showed an important profit of maneuverability in high-altitude. The adoption of this wing had an immediate effect on the rate of victory of the Saber on Migs. A last series of F-86F was equipped with a calculator of bombardment in order to be able to release the atomic bomb Mk 12.

In 1953, the adoption of an engine definitely more powerful (70% of more than that of the F-86A) made it possible to carry out the version fighter-bomber F-86H. Larger and more door which the previous models, it finally made it possible to carry a sufficient load without too much impact on the performances. This version was followed F-86K (a simplified F-86D intended for the export, also built under license in Italy) and of the F-86L, equipped with the electronic necessary for its integration to the WISE defense system.

The Canada started to build the Saber under license starting from 1950, improving it little by little until producing its own versions and exporting them. On the whole, 1 800 planes were built by Canadair. A specific version of the Saber was also built under license by the Australia starting from 1954, for a hundred specimens. Lastly, the Japan assembled to him even 300 specimens between 1956 and 1961. The total production of the Saber, all confused versions, was of 8 740 specimens, to which one can add the 1 120 specimens of FJ Fury.

Engagements

During the War of Korea, the Saber was the only sufficiently powerful and manoeuvrable hunter vis-a-vis the Mig-15 of the opposing side. The American pilot training was moreover more definitely higher, even if certain a number of pilots the Mig one were tested Russian old drivers of hunting who had made the Second world war. The exact number of victories is unknown, each quoting camp of the figures which are obviously favorable for him. Thus the Americans allot approximately 800 victories over the Migones against a hundred Saber lost on mission. On their side, the Soviets acknowledged to have lost 345 planes (but this figure does not take into account the Chinese losses and North-Korean) and claim a rate of victory of 2 compared with 1 in their favor, which seems extremely doubtful.

In 1958, several aerial combats opposed the Saber of the nationalist China to the Mig-15 of the communist China. Besides one saw on this occasion the first victory obtained by a air-to-air Missile, when a AIM-9 Sidewinder drawn by F-86 Saber Taiwan board cut down Mig-15 popular Armée with release the September 24th 1958.

The Pakistan engaged its Saber at the time of the conflicts with the India in 1956 and 1971.

The Argentine used its Saber to counter a coup d'etat in 1962.

The Portugal engaged its Saber of 1961 to 1964, during the war of independence of the Guinea-Bissau

Records

The Saber established several speed records:

1 079 km/h on September 15th 1948 by a F-86A
1 123 km/h on a 3 km, on November 18th old circuit 1952 by a F-86D
1 151 km/h on a 3 km, on July 16th old circuit 1953 by a F-86D
1 044 km/h on a circuit of 500 km, in September 1954 by a F-86H
1 114 km/h on a circuit of 100 km, in September 1954 by a F-86H

Alternatives

F-86A - first version of series
RF-86A - ten F-86A equipped with cameras with recognition
F-86B - version being able to use summary grounds (abandoned)
F-86C - the first designation with the YF-93A (abandoned)
F-86D - version equipped with a Radar, a Afterburning and 24 rockets out of ventral compartment
F-86E - F-86A with improvement with the orders of flight (and particularly with the ailerons) and a new engine
F-86F - F-86E with a more powerful engine and a new wing
RF-86F - some F-86F equipped cameras of recognition
TF-86F - two-seater project of version of drive (2 specimens only)
F-86H - F-86F with a more powerful engine, an increased drift and a calculator of bombardment
F-86K - F-86D with simplified electronics and 4 guns of 20mm instead of the rockets
F-86L - levelling of the F-86D for integration to the WISE system and the same wing as the last F-86F

Users

South Africa, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Argentinian, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Canada, South Korea, Denmark, Spain, the United States, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Holland, Indonesia, Iran? , Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Filipino, Portugal, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Tunisia, Venezuela, Yugoslavia

Bonds

Histoire of F-86 Sabers on the site of Joseph F. Baugher

History and characteristic of F-86 on GlobalSecurity.org

Simple: F-86 Sabers

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