North American F-86 Sabre: Difference between revisions

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|name= F-86 Sabre

|image= File:F-86 Sabre hertiage flight.jpg

|caption= An F-86 Sabre during a [[USAF Heritage Flight|Heritage Flight]] over [[Davis-Monthan AFB]]

|type= [[Fighter aircraft]]

|manufacturer= [[North American Aviation]]

|designer=

|status=

|produced=

}}

 

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 [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15|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.<ref>[http://www.mnangmuseum.org/exhibits/fagot.html "MiG-15 'Fagot'."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727091700/http://www.mnangmuseum.org/exhibits/fagot.html |date=27 July 2011 }} ''mnangmuseum.org.'' Retrieved: 19 July 2011.</ref> Although it was developed in the late 1940s and was outdated by the end of the 1950s, the Sabre proved versatile and adaptable and continued as a front-line fighter in numerous air forces.

[[File:North American NA-140-XP-86 3-view.png|thumb|Straight-wing NA-140/XP-86]]

 

 

Crucially, the XP-86 was not able to meet the required top speed of {{Convert|600|mph|km/h|abbr=on}};<ref name="Werrell p.6">{{harvnb|Werrell|2005|p=6.}}</ref> North American had to quickly devise a radical change that could leapfrog its rivals. The F-86 was the first American aircraft to take advantage of [[Operation Paperclip|flight research data seized]] from the German aerodynamicists at the end of World War II.<ref name="Aviation History On-line Museum">[http://www.aviation-history.com/north-american/f86.html "North American F-86."] ''Aviation History On-line Museum''. Retrieved: 20 August 2010.</ref> These data showed that a thin, swept wing could greatly reduce drag and delay [[Compressibility#Aeronautical dynamics|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. 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 wing|swept-back wing]], using modified [[NACA airfoil|NACA four-digit airfoils]], NACA 0009.5–64 at the root and NACA 0008.5–64 at the tip,<ref name="Lednicer">Lednicer, David. [http://www.ae.illinois.edu/m-selig/ads/aircraft.html "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420012244/http://www.ae.illinois.edu/m-selig/ads/aircraft.html |date=20 April 2010 }} ''ae.illinois.edu,'' 15 October 2010. Retrieved: 19 July 2011.</ref> with an automatic slat design based on that of the [[Messerschmitt Me 262]] and an electrically adjustable stabilizer, another feature of the Me 262A.{{sfn|Blair|1980}}<ref>Radinger and Schick 1996, p. 15.</ref><ref>Willy and Schick 1996, p. 32.</ref> 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.{{sfn|Blair|1980}}<ref>Bevan, Duncan. [http://f-86.tripod.com/wings.html "F-86 Sabre wings explained."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726105323/http://f-86.tripod.com/wings.html |date=26 July 2011 }} tripod.com. Retrieved: 7 June 2011.</ref> 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.<ref name="Lednicer"/>{{Dead link|date=June 2021}}

 

 

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.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20010221141832/http://www.perrinairforcebase.net/p-f86.htm "Planes of Perrin, North American F-86L "Dog Sabre."] ''perrinairforcebase.net.'' Retrieved: 20 August 2010.</ref> 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 was produced as both a [[Interceptor aircraft|fighter-interceptor]] and [[Ground attack aircraft|fighter-bomber]]. Several variants were introduced over its production life, with improvements and different armament implemented (see below). The XP-86 was fitted with a [[Allison J35|General Electric J35-C-3]] jet engine that produced {{convert|4000|lbf|kN|abbr=on|0}} of thrust. This engine was built by [[General Motors|GM]]'s [[Chevrolet]] division until production was turned over to [[Allison Engine Company|Allison]].<ref>Leyes 1999, pp. 243, 530.</ref> The [[General Electric J47|General Electric J47-GE-7]] engine was used in the F-86A-1 producing a thrust of {{convert|5,200|lbf|kN|abbr=on|0}}, while the [[General Electric J73|General Electric J73-GE-3]] engine of the F-86H produced {{convert|9,250|lbf|kN|abbr=on|0}} of thrust.<ref>{{cite web |last=Goebel |first=Greg |url=http://www.faqs.org/docs/air/avf862.html |title=F-86E Through F-86L |website=faqs.org |date=August 1, 2002 |access-date=November 27, 2017}}</ref>

 

The fighter-bomber version (F-86H) could carry up to {{convert|2,000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} of bombs, including an external fuel-type tank that could carry [[napalm]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/MuseumExhibits/FactSheets/Display/tabid/509/Article/198071/north-american-f-86h-sabre.aspx |title=North American F-86H Sabre |publisher=National Museum of the US Air Force |date=May 29, 2015 |access-date=November 7, 2017}}</ref> Unguided {{convert|2.75|in|mm|adj=on|abbr=off|sp=us|0}} [[rocket (weapon)|rocket]]s were used on some fighters on training missions, but {{convert|5|in|mm|adj=on|0}} 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 {{cvt|0.50|in|mm|1|adj=on}} [[M3 machine gun|M3 Browning machine gun]]s with electrically-boosted feed in the nose (later versions of the F-86H carried four {{cvt|20|mm|in|2|adj=on}} cannon instead of machine guns).{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} Firing at a rate of 1,200 rounds per minute,<ref>Dunlap 1948, pp. 310–311.</ref> the {{cvt|0.50|in|mm|1|adj=on}} guns were [[Gun harmonisation|harmonized]] to converge at {{convert|1,000|ft|m|abbr=on}} in front of the aircraft, using armor-piercing (AP) and armor-piercing incendiary (API) rounds, with one armor-piercing incendiary [[Tracer ammunition|tracer]] (APIT) for every five AP or API rounds.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} The API rounds used during the Korean War contained [[magnesium]], which were designed to ignite upon impact, but burned poorly above {{convert|35000|ft|m|abbr=on}} as oxygen levels were insufficient to sustain combustion at that height.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} Initial planes were fitted with the [[Gyro gunsight|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.<ref name=SabreSnatch>{{cite web|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/to-snatch-a-sabre-4707550/|title=To Snatch a Sabre|website=Smithsonianmag.com|access-date=2 March 2022}}</ref>

 

===Flying characteristics===

 

As F-86 models continued to be upgraded, the learning curve continued. Some important design changes included switching from an elevator/stabilizer to an [[Stabilator|all-flying tail]], discontinuation of [[leading edge slat]]s for a solid wing with a small forward-mounted [[wing fence]] and increased internal fuel capacity, increased engine power, and an internal missile bay (F-86D). While the solid leading edge and increased internal fuel capacity increased combat performance, they exacerbated a dangerous and often fatal handling characteristic upon take-off if the nose were raised prematurely from the runway.<ref>Hoover 1997, p. 184.</ref> 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.

In response, three squadrons of F-86s were rushed to the Far East in December.<ref name="Sabre: The F-86 in Korea">Thompson, Warren. [https://web.archive.org/web/20090221174427/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3897/is_200212/ai_n9149844 "Sabre: The F-86 in Korea."] ''Flight Journal'', December 2002. Retrieved: 30 June 2011.</ref> The MiG-15 was superior to early F-86 models in [[Ceiling (aeronautics)|ceiling]], firepower, acceleration, turning, rate of climb, and ability to [[zoom climb]]. The F-86 was marginally faster, and could out-dive the MiGs. When the F-86F was introduced in 1953, the two aircraft became more closely matched, and by the end of the war, many American combat-experienced pilots claiming a marginal superiority for the F-86F.

 

 

Although the F-86A could be safely flown through Mach 1, the F-86E's all-moving [[horizontal stabilizer|tailplane]] greatly improved maneuverability at high speeds.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> 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.<ref name="Korea"/> American Sabre pilots were trained at [[Nellis Air Force Base|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".<ref name="Bud' Mahurin"/>

 

====Deployment of MiGs and Sabres====

[[File:North korean bombing cropped1.jpg|thumb|Wreckage of F-86A Sabre (FU-334 / 49-1334) after being bombed on 17 June 1951]]

 

The MiGs flown from bases in [[Manchuria]] by Chinese, North Korean, and Soviet [[Soviet Air Force|VVS]] pilots were pitted against two squadrons of the [[4th Fighter Wing|4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing]] forward-based at [[Gimpo International Airport|K-14, Kimpo]], Korea.<ref name="Sabre: The F-86 in Korea"/> 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.

 

 

====Evaluations of the success of the F-86====

By the end of hostilities, F-86 pilots were initially credited by American sources with shooting down 792 MiGs for a loss of only 78 Sabres in air-to-air combat, a victory ratio of 10:1.<ref>Thompson and McLaren 2002</ref> Of the 41 American pilots who earned the designation of [[Flying ace|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, to 5:1.<ref name="Brune p. 215">{{harvnb|Brune|1996|p=215}}</ref> Internally, the USAF accepted that its pilots had actually downed about 200 MiGs<ref name="auto">Stillion, John and Scott Perdue. [http://www.mossekongen.no/downloads/2008_RAND_Pacific_View_Air_Combat_Briefing.pdf "Air Combat Past, Present and Future."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006120643/http://www.mossekongen.no/downloads/2008_RAND_Pacific_View_Air_Combat_Briefing.pdf |date=6 October 2012 }} ''Project Air Force'', Rand, August 2008. Retrieved" 11 March 2009.</ref>

 

 

Suggested reasons for the F-86's success include the fact that many of the American pilots were experienced World War II veterans, while the North Koreans and the Chinese lacked combat experience,<ref name="Korea">[http://korea50.army.mil/history/factsheets/air_f_fs.shtml "Fact Sheet: The United States Air Force in Korea."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070716131319/http://korea50.army.mil/history/factsheets/air_f_fs.shtml |date=16 July 2007 }} ''National Museum of the United States Air Force.'' Retrieved: 7 June 2011.</ref> but 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, but they also 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.<ref name="Bud' Mahurin">[http://www.acepilots.com/korea_mahurin2.html " 'Bud' Mahurin."] ''acepilots/com.'' Retrieved: 20 August 2010.</ref><ref>Zampini, Diego. [http://www.acepilots.com/korea/george.html "Lt. Col. George Andrew Davis."] acepilots.com, 8 July 2011. Retrieved: 20 August 2010.</ref>

===1958 Taiwan Strait crisis===

[[File:ROCAF F-86 6408 in Military Airplanes Display Area 20111015.jpg|thumb|left|An ROCAF F-86F on display]]

 

 

During these battles, the ROCAF 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 [[North American FJ-4 Fury|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 PLAAF MiGs routinely cruised over the ROCAF Sabres, only engaging when they had a favorable position. The Sidewinder took away that advantage and proved to be devastatingly effective against the MiGs.<ref>Robbins, Robby. [http://home.inreach.com/tc/page7.html "323 Death Rattlers."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529041504/http://home.inreach.com/tc/page7.html |date=29 May 2015 }} ''inreach.com''. Retrieved" 20 August 2010.</ref>

===Pakistan Air Force===

[[File:Pakistani F-86 Sabres.jpg|thumb|Pakistani Sabres lined up at [[PAF Base Mauripur|Masroor Airbase]] in 1958]]

 

Moreover, in April 1959, a PAF F-86F flown by Flight Lieutenant Yunis of the No. 15 Squadron "Cobras" [[1959 Canberra shootdown |shot down]] an Indian [[English Electric Canberra|Canberra Spy Plane]] over [[Rawalpindi]] marking the first aerial victory for the Pakistan Air Force.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20010111073300/http://www.defencejournal.com:80/2000/sept/sabre.htm|url=http://defencejournal.com:80/2000/dec/f86.htm|website=DefenceJournal|archive-date=11 January 2001|title=PAF Sabre Draws First Blood}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://paf.gov.pk/#/feats-of-courage|title=The First Blood, Rawalpindi|date=10 April 1959|website=Pakistan Air Force|access-date=29 September 2022|archive-date=26 August 2022|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220826081717/https://paf.gov.pk/#/feats-of-courage|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.dawn.com/news/1538253|title=Forgotten PAF heroes|website=Dawn|author=Azmat Ansari|date=4 March 2020}}</ref>

====1960–1961 Bajaur Campaign====

{{main|Bajaur Campaign}}

 

{{main|Indo-Pakistani Air War of 1965}}

[[File:IAF Hunter being shot down by PAF F-86 Sabre (1965 War).jpg|upright|thumb|Gun camera film from [[Sharbat Ali Changezi]]'s F-86F Sabre of [[No. 26 Squadron PAF]] shows the last moments of an IAF [[Hawker Hunter]] before being shot down over [[Lahore District]].]]

In total, Pakistani [[B-57 Canberra]]s and F-86s destroyed around 39 Indian [[warplanes]] on the ground at various IAF [[airbase]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://casstt.com/the-1965-air-war-and-the-pafs-air-dominance/|title=1965 Air War and the PAF's Air Dominance|website=[[Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies]]|date=23 Sep 2022|author=Moiz Khan|quote=India lost minimum of 66 aircraft, in which 39 were destroyed by the PAF in its air to ground strikes.}}</ref><ref name="shamim">{{cite book|url=https://a.co/d/2rbIClW|title=Cutting Edge PAF|author=Air Chief Marshal [[Anwar Shamim]]|via=Amazon.com}}</ref> However, India claims of losing 22 aircraft on the ground.<ref name="Brakshak"/>

 

*'''Air to Air combat'''

[[File:Flight Lieutenant Salim Baig Gun Cam.jpg|thumb|Indian [[Folland Gnat|Gnat]] being shot down by a PAF F-86F of the [[No. 26 Squadron (Pakistan Air Force)|No. 26 Squadron]] over [[Srinagar]]]]

At the beginning of the war, PAF had eight squadrons of F-86 Sabres.<ref name="time_ote">"[https://web.archive.org/web/20070312102331/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,910155-4,00.html "India and Pakistan: Over the Edge."] ''Time'', 13 December 1971. Retrieved: 11 March 2009.</ref> 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 [[No. 14 Squadron (Pakistan Air Force)|Tail Choppers]] squadron was equipped with 16 [[Canadair Sabre|F-86E]]s out of which 4 were modified to fire [[GAR-8|AIM-9/GAR-8]] missiles.<ref name="kaiser"/>

 

 

PAF F-86s performed well, with Pakistani claims of downing 31 Indian aircraft in air-to-air combat. These included 17 [[Hawker Hunter]]s, eight [[Sukhoi Su-7|Sukhoi Su-7 "Fitters"]], one MiG 21, and three [[Folland Gnat|Gnats]]{{Citation needed|date=July 2012}} 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.<ref name =man-behind-gun>Tufail, Air Cdre M. Kaiser.[http://www.defencejournal.com/2001/dec/manbehindthegun.htm "It is the Man Behind the Gun."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112021320/http://www.defencejournal.com/2001/dec/manbehindthegun.htm |date=12 November 2020 }} ''defencejournal.co'', 2001. Retrieved: 25 November 2015.</ref>

India, however, claims to have shot down 11 PAF Sabres for the loss of 11 combat aircraft to the PAF F-86s.<ref name="Brakshak3">[http://bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/Misc/Loss1971.html "IAF Losses in 1971."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060907222607/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/Misc/Loss1971.html |date=7 September 2006 }} ''Bharat Rakshak.com''. Retrieved: 20 August 2010.</ref> The IAF numerical superiority overwhelmed the sole East Pakistan Sabres squadron (and other military aircraft)<ref name=":0">[http://www.subcontinent.com/1971war/1971war_index.html "1971 Indo-Pakistani war."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225134927/http://www.subcontinent.com/1971war/1971war_index.html |date=25 February 2020 }} subcontinent.com. Retrieved: 30 June 2011.</ref><ref>[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+bd0140) "Bangladesh, The Liberation War."] ''memory/loc.gov.'' Retrieved: 30 June 2011.</ref> which were either shot down, or grounded by Pakistani [[fratricide]]<!--See image to the right and sources in the next para--> as they could not hold out, enabling complete [[air superiority]] for the IAF.<ref>Singh et al. 2004, p. 30.</ref>

*'''Ground Attack'''

 

 

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 [[Pakistan Army|Army]]. The Sabres struck several rebel strongpoints to soften up resistance after which [[Special Services Group|SSG]] units were inserted via [[Mi-8]]s to clear out the area.<ref name="kaiser"/>

At [[Shakargarh]] and [[Marala]] sectors, PAF F-86F/Es from the [[No. 17 Squadron (Pakistan Air Force)|No. 17]], No. 18 and [[No. 26 Squadron (Pakistan Air Force)|26]] Squadrons alongside [[Shenyang F-6]]s took part in air support missions backing Pakistan's [[I Corps (Pakistan)|I Strike Corps]] counter attacks against the Indian army's [[I Corps (India)|I Corps]]. Although ill-equipped for anti-tank roles, the Sabres were modified to carry [[general purpose bomb]]s in an effort to provide as much effective air support as possible.<ref>{{cite web|author=[[Kaiser Tufail]]|website=Aeronaut|date=14 April 2010 |title=Air Support in Shakargarh – 1971 War|url=http://kaiser-aeronaut.blogspot.com/2010/04/air-support-in-shakargarh-1971-war.html}}</ref><ref name="hali"/>

 

 

 

At [[Thar Desert|Thar]], F-86E and 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 [[train (military)|Military trains]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kaiser-aeronaut.blogspot.com/2009/10/air-war-in-thar.html |author= [[Kaiser Tufail]]|title=Air Support in Thar – 1971 War|website=Aeronaut|date=12 October 2009}}</ref>

;F-86E(M): Designation for ex-[[Royal Air Force|RAF]] Sabres diverted to other [[NATO]] air forces

;QF-86E: Designation for surplus [[Royal Canadian Air Force|RCAF]] Sabre Mk. Vs modified to target drones

;F-86F(R): F-86F-30 (52-4608) had a [[Rocketdyne AR2-3]] with {{cvt|3000|–|6000|lbf}} thrust at {{cvt|35000|ft}}, giving a top speed of mach 1.22 at {{cvt|60000|ft}}.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

;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.<ref>Thompson and McLaren 2002, pp. 139–55.</ref>{{#tag:ref|''MiG Alley: Sabres Vs. MiGs Over Korea.'' was researched by North American tech rep John L. Henderson. The aircraft were F-86E-10s: ''51-2303'', ''-2819'', ''-2826'' and ''-2836''; and F-86F-1's 51-2855, −2862, −2867, −2868, −2884 and −2900.|group=Note}}<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/031528.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=27 April 2016 |archive-date=17 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217034918/http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/031528.pdf |url-status= dead }}</ref>

;{{ARG}}

* [[Argentine Air Force]]

;{{AUS}}

* [[Royal Australian Air Force]]

;{{BAN}}

* [[Bangladesh Air Force]]

;{{BEL}}

* [[Belgian Air Force]]

: 5 F-86F Sabres delivered, no operational unit.

;{{BOL}}

;{{CAN}}

* [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] (RCAF)

;{{DEN}}

*[[Royal Danish Air Force]]

;{{flagu|Ethiopia|1897}}

* [[Ethiopian Air Force]]

: Acquired 14 F-86Fs in 1960.<ref name="Baugher86F">Baugher, Joe. [http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_fighters/p86_12.html "F-86 Foreign Service."] ''USAAC/USAAF/USAF Fighter and Pursuit Aircraft: North American F-86 Sabre.'' Retrieved: 20 August 2010.</ref>

* [[German Air Force]] (''Luftwaffe'') – see [[North American F-86D Sabre]] and [[Canadair Sabre]]

;{{HON}}

* [[Honduran Air Force]]

;{{flagu|Iran|1964}}

* [[Imperial Iranian Air Force]]

;{{flagu|Iraq|1924}}

* [[Iraqi Air Force]]

;{{JPN}}

* [[Japanese Air Self-Defense Force]] (JASDF)

;{{POR}}

* [[Portuguese Air Force]]

;{{TWN-ROC}}

* [[Republic of China Air Force]]

;{{flagu|Saudi Arabia|1938}}

* [[Royal Saudi Air Force]]

;{{flagu|South Africa|1928}}

* [[South African Air Force]]

;{{KOR}}

* [[Republic of Korea Air Force]]

;{{flag|Spain|1945|}}

* [[Spanish Air Force]]

;{{TUR}}

* [[Turkish Air Force]]

;{{flagu|United Nations}}

* [[United Nations Operation in the Congo]]

|wing loading note=

|fuel consumption lb/mi=

 

|more performance=<!--</br>

Armament

-->

|rockets=variety of rocket launchers; e.g.: 2 Matra rocket pods with 18 [[SNEB]] 68 mm rockets per pod

|bombs=5,300 lb (2,400 kg) of payload on four external [[hardpoint]]s, bombs were usually mounted on outer two pylons as the inner pairs were plumbed for two {{convert|200|USgal|L}} [[drop tank]]s which gave the Sabre a more useful range. A wide variety of bombs could be carried (max standard loadout being two {{convert|1,000|lb}} bombs plus two drop tanks), [[napalm]] canisters and could have included a tactical nuclear weapon.

* Davies, Peter. [https://books.google.com/books?id=8V1uFM9n1yIC&pg=PA21 ''USN F-4 Phantom II vs VPAF MiG-17: Vietnam 1965–72.'']{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Oxford, UK: Oxford, 2009. {{ISBN|978-1-84603-475-6}}.

* Dorr, Robert F. ''F-86 Sabre Jet: History of the Sabre and FJ Fury''. St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks International Publishers, 1993. {{ISBN|0-87938-748-3}}.

*{{cite journal |last1=Gordon|first1=Doug|title=Early Days of the 81st: The 81st TFW USAFE in the 1950s|journal=Air Enthusiast|date=May–June 1999|issue=81|pages=36–43 |issn=0143-5450}}

*{{cite magazine|last=Gordon|first=Doug|title=Sabre with 'Eyes': The Career of the RF-86|magazine=[[Air Enthusiast]] |date=September–October 2003|issue=107 |pages=2–11 |issn=0143-5450}}

* 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. {{ISBN|978-0-6715-3761-6}}.

* 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. {{ISBN|0-85045-024-1}}.

* Käsmann, Ferdinand C.W. ''Die schnellsten Jets der Welt: Weltrekord- Flugzeuge'' (in German). Oberhaching, Germany: Aviatic Verlag-GmbH, 1994. {{ISBN|3-925505-26-1}}.

* {{Cite book|last=Werrell|first=Kenneth P|title=Sabres Over MiG Alley|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G8mwGZ6Vdc4C|location=Annapolis, Maryland|publisher=Naval Institute Press, 2005|isbn=1-59114-933-9|year=2005}}

* Westrum, Ron. ''Sidewinder''. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1999. {{ISBN|1-55750-951-4}}.

* {{cite book |last=Wilson |first=Stewart |title=Military Aircraft of Australia |year=1994 |publisher=Aerospace Publications, 1994 |location=Weston Creek |isbn=1-875671-08-0}}

* Winchester, Jim, ed. ''Military Aircraft of the Cold War'' (The Aviation Factfile). London: Grange Books plc, 2006. {{ISBN|1-84013-929-3}}.

[[Category:F-86 Sabre| ]]

[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1947]]