The North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic combat aircraft built for the Air Force. This was North American Aviation’s first attempt at a jet powered fighter in the 1940’s. The design incorporated the swept back wing concept originally developed by the Germans during World War II.
he F-86 was a basic single engine, single seat fighter with six 50 cal. M3 Browning machine guns with a total of 1,800 rounds of ammunition, with a radar gun sight. The fighter was introduced at the beginning of the Cold War and became operational in 1948.
The F-86 was the primary US air-combat fighter during the Korean War. Although the MIG-15 could out climb and turn the Sabre, the Sabre was more than a match for the MIG-15, with a kill ratio of 14 to 1.
There were 9,860 F-86’s built, one of the most produced western jet fighters in the Cold War era. The F-86 was fielded as a front line fighter by the US until 1957. Different variants continued to be used all over the world until 1969. Portugal retired their last F-86 in 1980.
The F-86 may have been the first aircraft to break the sound barrier. Although it was designed as a subsonic aircraft, it is capable of breaking the sound barrier in a dive. Unofficially, George Welch broke the sound barrier while in a dive on the first test flight on 1 October, 1947. Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier on 14 October, 1947 in the rocked propelled Bell X-1 during level flight, making it the first true supersonic aircraft. Five years later, on 18 May, 1953, Jacqueline Cochran became the first woman to break the sound barrier flying a Canadian built F-86 Mk3.
The F-86 displayed is the reconnaissance variant, the RF-86F. This is a very rare aircraft, one of only two remaining in the United States.
TYPE: Fighter/Bomber, Reconnaissance
CREW: One
COST: $219,457
CAMERAS: Three
ENGINE: J47, 5,200 LB Thrust
RANGE: 1,200 Miles
SPEED: 685 MPH
CEILING: 49,000 FT
LENGTH: 34 FT 6 IN
HEIGHT: 14 FT 8 IN
WINGSPAN: 37 FT 1 IN
EMPTY WEIGHT: 10,950 LB
MAX WEIGHT: 13,791 LB
This aircraft is on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, FL.