North American F-86 Sabre

TheNorth American F-86 Sabre(sometimes called theSabrejet) was atransonicjetfighter aircraft. Produced byNorth American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's firstswept wingfighter which could counter the similarly winged SovietMiG-15in high-speed dogfights over the skies of theKorean War. Considered one of the best and most important fighter aircraft in the Korean War, the F-86 is also rated highly in comparison with fighters of other eras.[3]Although it was developed in the late 1940s and was outdated by the end of the 1950s, the Sabre proved versatile and adaptable, and continued as a front-line fighter in numerous air forces until the last active operational examples were retired by theBolivian Air Forcein 1994.

Its success led to an extended production run of more than 7,800 aircraft between 1949 and 1956, in the United States, Japan and Italy. Variants were built in Canada and Australia. TheCanadair Sabreadded another 1,815 airframes, and the significantly redesignedCAC Sabre(sometimes known as theAvonSabre or CAC CA-27), had a production run of 112. It was by far the most-produced Western jet fighter, with total production of all variants at 9,860 units.[1]

Specifications (F-86F-40-NA)[edit]

Data fromThe North American Sabre[73]

General characteristics

• Crew:1
  
• Length:37 ft 1 in (11.4 m)
  
• Wingspan:37 ft 0 in (11.3 m)
  
• Height:14 ft 1 in (4.5 m)
  
• Wing area:313.4 sq ft (29.11 m²)
  
• Empty weight:11,125 lb (5,046 kg)
  
• Loaded weight:15,198 lb (6,894 kg)
  
• Max. takeoff weight:18,152 lb (8,234 kg)
  
• Powerplant:1 Ã General Electric J47-GE-27turbojet, 5,910lbf(maximum thrust at 7.950 rpm for five min) (26.3 kN)
  
• Fuel provisionsInternal fuel load: 437 US gallons (1,650L)), Drop tanks: 2x200 US gallons (760L) JP-4 fuel
  

Performance

• Maximum speed:687 mph (1,106 km/h) at sea level at 14,212 lb (6,447 kg) combat weight
  also reported 678mph (1,091km/h) and 599 at 35,000 feet (11,000m) at 15,352 pounds (6,960 kg). (597 knots (1,106km/h) at 6446 m, 1,091 and 964km/h at 6,960 m.)
  
• Stall speed:124 mph (power off) (108 knots (200km/h))
  
• Range:1,525 mi, (2,454 km)
  
• Service ceiling:49,600 ft at combat weight (15,100 m)
  
• Rate of climb:9,000 ft/min at sea level (45.72 m/s)
  
• Wing loading:49.4 lb/ft² (236.7kg/m²)
  
• lift-to-drag:15.1
  
• Thrust/weight:0.38
  

Armament

• Guns:6 X0.50 in (12.7 mm)M3 Browning machine guns(1,602 rounds in total)
  
• Rockets:variety of rocket launchers; e.g: 2 Matra rocket pods with 18SNEB68 mm rockets per pod
  
• Bombs:5,300 lb (2,400 kg) of payload on four externalhardpoints, bombs were usually mounted on outer two pylons as the inner pairs were plumbed for 2 200 US gallons (760L)drop tankswhich gave the Sabre a more useful range. A wide variety of bombs could be carried (max standard loadout being 2 1,000 lb bombs plus two drop tanks),napalmcanisters and could have included a tactical nuclear weapon.
  
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