North American NA-140 / F-86 Sabre / F-95 Dog Sabre
![]() F-86A
![]() F-86D / YF-95 Dog Sabre
Subsequent production included the 1950 F-86E (NA-170, -172) with an all-moving tailplane and power-boost controls, and the F-86F (1,539) with a new wing and J47-GE-27 engine. 336 F-86E were built, plus 60 built by Canadair as Sabre Mk.III/IV.
![]() F-86E 51-2721
The sole 1951 F-86G was a provisional designation for an engine test-bed with a modified J47. Production of 406 were completed as F-86D.
The F-86F, QF-86F, RF-86F, and TF-86F (NA-172, -176, -191, -193, -202, -204, -206, -210, -227, -231, -238, -256) of 1952 had new leading edge and boundary layer fences, and six nose guns. First flying on 19 March 1952 (p: George Smith). 2,540 were built, of which one was converted as RF-86F photo-recon and two as two-seat TF-86F (NA-204, -216) trainer (first flying on 5 January 1954). Many were later used as QF-86F targets and drones. The NA-231, 238, and -256 were 300 exports to Japan.
![]() RF-86F 52-4808
![]() TF-86F 52-5016
Destined to be the final production version of the Sabre (477) for the USAF, the F-86H featured a deeper fuselage to accommodate the larger air intake required by an 8,920 lb st (4 046 kgp) General Electric J73-GE-3 engine and permitting a substantial increase in internal fuel capacity. The first F-86H was flown on 30 April 1953 piloted byJoe Lynch, this retaining the slatted wing of the F-86E. Two prototypes were built, 52-1975 and 52-1976. Subsequent aircraft omitted the slats and adopted the extended wing leading edge introduced during F-86F production the final 10 aircraft having both slats and extended wing. Intended for the fighter-bomber role, the F-86H had four underwing stores stations, and could carry a pair of 1,000-lb (463,6-kg) GP bombs or 750-lb (340-kg) napalm bombs in addition to drop tanks, or a 1,200-lb (544-kg) 100-kT nuclear store under the port wing.
![]() F-86H 53-1298
First flying on 4 September 1953, deliveries of the F-86H (NA-187, -203) to the USAF commenced in January 1954, the first 113 having an armament of six 05-in (12,7-mm) machine guns which gave place to four 20-mm cannon in subsequent aircraft, and a total of 473 (plus two pre-series) F-86H Sabres was built with the last being accepted on 11 April 1956.
The F-86K (120) was a simplified version of the F-86D.Evolved from the F-86D specifically for supply to NATO forces under the MDAP, the F-86K differed from its predecessor primarily in having a simpler fire control system and cannon armament which could be supplemented by a pair of AIM-9B Sidewinder AAMs. Development began on 14 May 1953, two F-86D-40s being modified as YF-86K(NA-205) prototypes (52-3630, -3804) and the first of these flying on 15 July 1954. These were subsequently sent to Italy to serve as pattern aircraft for similar aircraft assembled under licence by Fiat. The parent company built 120 F-86Ks, deliveries commencing in May 1955, these being powered by a 147-GE-17B engine rated at 5,425 lb st (2460 kgp) and boosted to 7,500 lb st (3402 kgp) with afterburning, built in armament comprising four 20-mm cannon.
![]() North American F-86K 54-1231
Of the NAA-built F-86Ks (NA-213, -221, -232, -242), 60 were supplied to Norway and 59 to the Netherlands. The first Fiat-assembled F-86K was flown on 23 May 1955, a total of 221 (from North American-built kits of components) being delivered of which 63 were supplied to the Italian air arm, 60 to France, 88 to Germany, six to the Netherlands and four to Norway. The last 45 Fiat-assembled aircraft had the extended wing of the F-86F-40, others being retroactively modified. The Dutch F-86Ks were passed on to Turkey in 1963-64, and, in 1967-68, 47 ex-German aircraft were passed to Venezuela, four of the latter being sold to Honduras in 1969.
In total, 341 were built, plus those license-built by Fiat in Italy, with four 20mm nose cannon.
Production from North American-built kits of components began in Japan, with Mitsubishi leading a group of Japanese companies which first assembled, then increasingly constructed, a total of 300 similar to the F-86F and RF-86F. The designation F-86L was applied in 1956 to rebuilds (981) from F-86Ds, which introduced an increased span wing, leading‑edge slats and electronic equipment integrating them into the American SAGE air defence system.
![]() North American F-86L 52-10143
In 1952 North American installed a 6000lb Avro-Canada Orenda in one F-86A-5 pulled from their own production line as an experimental prototype F-86J (NA-167). Canadian-built production with the 6000 lb Avro-Canada Orenda were designated Canadair CL-13. 60 planes for USAF were refitted with GE J47 and re-designated F-86E.
Canadair built 60 F-86Es for the USAF, followed by 290 generally similar Sabre Mk 2 fighters, comprising 230 for the RCAF and 60 for the Mutual Defense Assistance Program. Canadian production continued with one Sabre Mk 3 to flight test the indigenous Orenda engine, 438 Sabre Mk 4 for the RAF with General Electric engines, 370 Sabre Mk 5 aircraft with the 2883kg thrust Orenda 10 turbojet, and 655 Sabre Mk 6 aircraft with the 3300kg thrust Orenda 14.
![]() JA+111 Canadair CL-13B Sabre Mk.6 1625
The Sabre 6 served the RCAF from 1950-68. The Sabre 6 with its extra power and slatted wings served in many air forces around the world into the 1970's, though it stood down in Canada in 1968. ![]() Canadair CL-13 Sabre 6
![]() Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Sabre Mk.32
The RAAF received its aircraft 1956, based at Williamstown, NSW.
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More than 9,000 Sabres were built; 1,815 of them in Canada.
The German Luftwaffe purchased 225 Sabres from Canadair and in addition received 75 under MDAP arrangements.
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This fighter was the prime contender against the North Korean MiG-15, typically flown by Russian and Chinese pilots. The tally at the end of the war was telling, both about American technology and pilot skills. By the end of hostilities, it had shot down 729 MiGs, loosing only 76 Sabres—a victory ration of 10:1. During the Korean War, approximately 22 Canadian pilots were attached to the USAF (United States Air Force) and flew Sabres in combat.
F-86A Sabre
F-86F
Engine: 1 x General Electric J47-GE-27, 5970 lb / 26.3 kN
Wing span: 39 ft 1 in (11.91 m)
Length: 37 ft 6 in (11.43 m)
Height: 14 ft 8 in (4.47m)
Max TO wt: 17,100 lb (7756 kg)
Max level speed: 707 mph (1138 kph)
Cruise speed: 603 mph
Service Ceiling: 49,600 ft / 15,100 m Range: 1270 mi
Ceiling: 50,000 ft YF-86H
Engine: GE YJ73, 9300 lb
Wingspan: 39'1"
Length: 38'8"
Useful load: 8016 lb
Max speed: 692 mph
Range: 1040 mi
Ceiling: 49,000 ft
F-86H
Engine: G.E.C. J73, 8920 lb
Max speed at sea level, 692 mph (1114 km/h)
Max speed at 35,000 ft (10 670 m) 617 mph (993 km/h)
Initial climb, 12,900 ft/min (65,53 m/sec)
Range (two 200-US gal/757-lt drop tanks), 1,040 mls (1674 km)
Empty weight, 13,836 lb (6 276 kg)
Loaded weight (with two drop tanks), 21,852 lb (9912kg)
Span, 39ft 1½ in(l1,92m)
Length, 38ft l0in(11,84 m)
Wing area, 313.37 sq ft (29,11 sq.m)
F-86K
F-86L
Wingspan: 39'1"
Length: 40'3"
Canadair F-86 Sabre 6 ![]() North American F-86 Sabre
![]() North American F-86D / YF-95 Dog Sabre
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