The Air Force's first sweptwing jet fighter, the F-86 was flown by 20
other countries. In spring 1948, the prototype become the first US fighter
to go faster than the speed of sound when it exceeded Mach 1 in a shallow
dive. On September 15, 1948, Maj. Richard L. Johnson recaptured the world
speed record for the US, flying an F-86 over a three-km course at Muroc
AFB, Calif., at 670.981 mph. In the Korean War, Sabre pilots shot down
792 Soviet-built MiG-15s at a loss of only 76 F-86s, a victory ratio of
10 to one. On December 17, 1950, Lt. Col. Bruce Hinton won the first combat
between sweptwing fighters when he shot down a MiG-15. On July 27, 1953,
Capt. Ralph S. Parr, while flying an F-86, recorded the last aerial victory
in the Korean War when he shot down an Il-2. Air Force requirements for
Korea precipitated the need for a second Sabre line, which was opened in
Columbus, Ohio. The F-86D was designed as an all-weather interceptor and
featured a redesigned nose to carry the radar. Pilots referred to this
version as a "Sabre Dog." The F-86D was also the first Air Force
fighter to have an all- rocket armament and the first all-weather interceptor
to have only one person operating the radar fire-control system and flying
the aircraft. It was one of the first airplanes to succeed itself in setting
new world speed records, with pilots reaching 698.505 mph on November 19,
1952, and 715.697 mph on July 16, 1953. Lt. Col. William Barnes, the pilot
on the latter flight, was also the first person to pass the 700 mph barrier.
The F-86 was the mount for all 36 allied jet aces during the Korean War.
F-86s were built under license in Canada, Japan, Australia, and Italy.
More F-86Ds were produced than any other model: 2,504. The last F-86L (a
modified D) left Air Defense Command service in June 1960, and the type
served with the Air National Guard until mid-1965. Some aircraft (mostly
foreign-built) were modified into remotely controlled full-scale targets
and were used primarily by the Navy into the 1980s.
| Contractors: |
North American Aviation, Inc. |
| Locations Built: |
Inglewood, Calif., and Columbus, Ohio |
| Number Built: (USAF) |
6,353 (5,893) |
| First Flight: |
October 1, 1947 |
| First Flight Model: |
XP-86 |
| First Flight Location: |
Muroc AAF, Calif. |
| First Flight Pilot: |
George S. "Wheaties" Welch |
| Models/Variants: |
F-86A, D, E, F, H, L. RF-86A,
F |
| Powerplant: |
One General Electric J47-GE-27 turbojet
of 5,970 lb thrust |
| Wingspan: |
37 ft 1 in. |
| Length: |
37 ft 6 in. |
| Height: |
14 ft 8 in. |
| Weight: |
17,000 lb gross |
| Armament: |
Six .50-cal. machine guns and
2,000 lb of bombs or 16 5-in. rockets |
| Accommodation: |
Pilot only |
| Cost: |
$211,111 |
| Max. Speed: |
690 mph |
| Range: |
Approx 1,200 mi with external tanks |
| Ceiling: |
50,000 ft. |
|
