North American F-86D Sabre

F-86D/K/L Sabre "Dog"
Early USAF F-86D-1-NA fighters
Role	Fighter interceptor
Manufacturer	North American Aviation
First flight	22 December 1949
Primary users	United States Air Force Italian Air Force SFR Yugoslav Air Force Venezuelan Air Force
Number built	2,847
Unit cost	US$343,839 (F-86D)[1]
Developed from	F-86 Sabre

The North American Aviation F-86D Sabre (sometimes called the "Sabre Dog" or "Dog Sabre") was a transonic jet all-weather interceptor. Based on North American's F-86 Sabre day fighter, the F-86D had only 25 percent commonality with other Sabre variants, with a larger fuselage, larger afterburning engine, and a distinctive nose radome.

Design and development

The YF-95 was a development of the F-86 Sabre, the first aircraft designed around the new 2.75 in (70 mm) Mighty Mouse FFAR (Fin-Folding Aerial Rocket). Begun in March 1949, the unarmed prototype, 50-577, first flew on 22 December 1949 piloted by North American test pilot George Welch and was the first U.S. Air Force night-fighter design with only a single crewman and a single engine, a J47-GE-17 with afterburner rated at 5,425 lbf (24 kN) static thrust. Gun armament was eliminated in favor of a retractable under-fuselage tray carrying 24 unguided Mk. 4 rockets, then considered a more effective weapon against enemy bombers than a barrage of cannon fire. A second prototype, 50-578, was also built, but the YF-95 nomenclature was short-lived as the design was subsequently redesignated YF-86D.

The fuselage was wider and the airframe length increased to 40 ft 4 in, with clamshell canopy, enlarged tail surfaces, and AN/APG-36 all-weather radar fitted in a radome in the nose, above the intake. Later models of the F-86D received an uprated J-47-GE-33 engine rated at 5,550 lbf/25 kN (from the F-86D-45 production blocks onward). A total of 2,504 D-models were built.

Operational history

On 18 November 1952, F-86D-20-NA, 51-2945, set a speed record of 698.505 mph (1,124.135 km/h). Captain J. Slade Nash flew over a three km course at the Salton Sea in California at a height of only 125 ft (38 m). Another F-86D broke this world record on 16 July 1953, when Lieutenant Colonel William F. Barns, flying the first F-86D-35-NA, 51-6145, in the same path of the previous flight, achieved 715.697 mph (1,151.803 km/h).

Variants

A Wyoming Air National Guard F-86L in the late 1950s.

A West German F-86K in 1965.

Exhibit at the Hellenic Air Force Museum at Dekelia (Tatoi), Athens, Greece. North American F-86D Sabre Dog

Danish North American F-86D Sabre

A SFR Yugoslav Air Force F-86D in flight during the 1970s.

YF-95A

prototype all-weather interceptor; two built; designation changed to YF-86D (North American model NA-164)

YF-86D 

originally designated YF-95A.

F-86D 

Production interceptor originally designated F-95A, 2,506 built.

F-86G 

Provisional designation for F-86D variant with uprated engine and equipment changes, 406 built as F-86Ds.

YF-86K 

Basic version of F-86D intended for export with rocket tray replaced by four 20 mm (.79 in) cannon and simplified fire control system, two conversions.

F-86K 

NATO version of F-86D; MG-4 fire control system; four 20 mm (.79 in) M-24A1, with 132 rpg each; APG-37 radar. 120 were built by NAA, 221 were assembled by Fiat.

F-86L 

Upgrade conversion of F-86D with new electronics, extended wingtips and wing leading edges, revised cockpit layout, and uprated engine; 981 converted.

Operators

Source: Dorr^[2]

 Denmark

• Royal Danish Air Force

Received 59 ex-USAF F-86Ds 1958-1960; assigned to 723, 726 and 728 Squadrons.

 France

• French Air Force

Fiat built 62 F-86Ks for France (1956-1957), assigned to EC 1/13 Artois, EC 2/13 Alpes, and EC 3/13 Squadrons. Serials were 55-4814/4844, 55-4846/4865, 55-4872/4874, 55-4876/4879.

 Germany

• Luftwaffe (West German Air Force)

Acquired 88 U.S. F-86Ks 22 July 1957-23 June 1958. The Ks were assigned to Jagdgeschwader 75/renamed 74.

 Greece

• Greek Air Force

Acquired some U.S. F-86Ds were received in 1961 (no details).

 Honduras

• Honduran Air Force

Acquired Six Venezuelan F-86Ks in 1970.

 Italy

• Italian Air Force

Fiat produced 121 F-86Ks for Italy, 1955-1958. Also, 120 U.S. F-86Ks were acquired. F-86s were assigned to the AMI air groups: 6 Gruppo COT/1 Stormo, 17 Gruppo/1 Stormo, 23 Gruppo/1 Stormo, 21 Gruppo/51 Aerobrigata, 22 Gruppo/51 Aerobrigata and 12 Gruppo/4 Aerobrigata.

 Japan

• Japanese Air Self-Defense Force

Acquired 122 US F-86Ds, 1958-1961; assigned to four all-weather interceptor hikotai, and Air Proving Ground at Gifu.

 Netherlands

• Royal Netherlands Air Force (Koninklijke Luchtmacht) (KLu)

Acquired 57 U.S.-built and six Fiat-built F-86K Sabres, 1955-1956; and assigned to three squadrons, No. 700, 701 and 702.

 Norway

• Royal Norwegian Air Force

Acquired 60 U.S.-built F-86K Sabres, 1955-1956, and four Italian-assembled Fiat K-models.

 Philippines

• Philippine Air Force

Acquired 20 F-86Ds, beginning 1957; part of the U.S. military assistance package.

 South Korea

• Republic of Korea Air Force

Acquired 40 F-86Ds, beginning 20 June 1955.

 Republic of China (Taiwan)

• Republic of China Air Force

 Turkey

• Turkish Air Force

Acquired 50 US-built F-86Ds, and 40 F-86Ks.

 Thailand

• Royal Thai Air Force

Acquired 20 F-86Ls.

 United States

• United States Air Force

Further information: List of Sabre and Fury units in US military

 Venezuela

• Venezuelan Air Force

Acquired 74 Fiat-built F-86Ks, October 1955 - December 1960; acquired 51 US-built F-86Ks from West Germany.

 Yugoslavia

• SFR Yugoslav Air Force

Acquired 130 US-made F-86Ds and operated them between 1961 and 1974.

Survivors

Main article: List of surviving Sabre aircraft

Many Sabres of several different Marks are preserved around the world, some examples being:

• F-86D Sabre, 51-6171, Former USAF & Greek AF (as 6171), on display at the North East Aircraft Museum, United Kingdom
• F-86D Sabre, 51-8453, Danish F-453, Danish AF, Copenhagen, Denmark.^[3]
• F-86D Sabre, 52-3863, National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
• F-86D Sabre, 52-10023 Yugoslav 14102, YUAF, manufacturers number 190-748; at Yugoslav Aeronautical Museum, Nikola Tesla Airport, Belgrade, Serbia.
• F-86L Sabre, 53-0965 Pima Air Museum, Tucson Arizona

Specifications (F-86D-40-NA)

North American F-86K Sabre.

Data from Combat Aircraft since 1945,^[4] The American Fighter ^[5]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 40 ft 3 in (12.27 m)
• Wingspan: 37 ft 1.5 in (11.31 m)
• Height: 15 ft in (4.57 m)
• Empty weight: 13,518 lb (6,132 kg)
• Gross weight: 19,975 lb (9,060 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × General Electric J47-GE-17B, 5,425 lbf (24.1 kN)dry, 7,500 lbf (33.4 kN) with afterburner

Performance

• Maximum speed: 693 mph (1,115 km/h)
• Range: 330 miles (531 km)
• Service ceiling: 49,750 ft (15,163 m)
• Rate of climb: 12,150 ft/min (61.7 m/s)

Armament

• 24 × 2.75 in (70 mm) Mighty Mouse FFAR rockets in ventral tray

See also

• Air Defense Command
• NORAD
• Semi-Automatic Ground Environment
  

Related development

• FJ-1 Fury
• F-86 Sabre
• Canadair Sabre
• CAC Sabre
• FJ-2/3/4 Fury
• North American YF-93
• Fuji T-1
• F-100 Super Sabre
  

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• F3D Skyknight
• F4D Skyray
• F-89 Scorpion
• F-94 Starfire
• Saab 29 Tunnan
• Supermarine Swift
• Fiat G.91
  

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of the United States
• List of fighter aircraft
  

References

Notes

1. ^ Knaack 1978
2. ^ Dorr 1993, pp. 65–96.
3. ^ Dorr 1993, p. 72.
4. ^ Wilson 2000, p. 111.
5. ^ Angelucci and Bowers 1987, pp. 346–347.

Bibliography

• Allward, Maurice. F-86 Sabre. London: Ian Allen, 1978. ISBN 0-7110-0860-4.
• Angelucci, Enzo and Peter Bowers. The American Fighter: the Definite Guide to American Fighter Aircraft from 1917 to the Present. New York: Orion Books, 1987. ISBN 0-517-56588-9.
• Curtis, Duncan. North American F-86 Sabre. Ramsbury, UK: Crowood, 2000. ISBN 1-86126-358-9.
• 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.
• Käsmann, Ferdinand C.W. Die schnellsten Jets der Welt: Weltrekord- Flugzeuge (in German). Oberhaching, Germany: Aviatic Verlag-GmbH, 1994. ISBN 3-925505-26-1.
• Knaack, Marcelle Size. Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems, Volume 1, Post-World War Two Fighters, 1945-1973. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History, 1978. ISBN 0-912799-59-5.
• Wilson, Stewart. Combat Aircraft since 1945. Fyshwick, ACT, Australia: Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd, 2000. ISBN 1-875671-50-1.
• Swanborough, F. Gordon. United States Military Aircraft Since 1909. London: Putnam, 1963. ISBN 0-87474-880-1.
• Wagner, Ray. American Combat Planes - Second Edition. Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company, 1968. ISBN 0-370-00094-3.
• Wagner, Ray. The North American Sabre. London: Macdonald, 1963. No ISBN.
• Westrum, Ron. Sidewinder. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1999. ISBN 1-55750-951-4.

External links

• Globalsecurity.org profile of the F-86D/L Sabre
• Four part series about the F-86 Sabre – Extended F-86 Sabre article set
• Sabre site
• North American F-86D Sabre
• Aviation Museums of the World