Sabre Superb!

Republic was the third US manufacturer to join the fray when, on February 28, 1946, the XP-84 prototype took off from Muroc Air Force Base (later known as Edwards Air Force Base). The engine was a General Electric J-35-GE-7 of 3750 pounds thrust.

The common denominator of these first three US jet fighter designs was a combination of fairly conventional aerodynamics utilising straight wings with only moderately powerful jet engines.

In November 1944 the US Navy, having been impressed by the performance of the P-51 Mustang, saw a carrier-based version successfully operated from the USS Shangri-La. In order to boost performance, the North American Aviation Confidential Design Group under Ed Schmued (who was also connected with the design of the original P-51) was working on a jet-powered version of the P-51 using both turbojet and turboprop propulsion. One interesting version of the proposal used a swept-forward wing. Concurrent with this, North America was awarded two contracts, one for the NA-134 (later known as the XFJ-1) for the US Navy, on January 1, 1945, and the NA-140 (later known as the XP-86) for the US Air Force, on May 18, 1945. Both aircraft used a straight wing similar to that employed by the P-51 and were powered by a General Electric J-35 engine. Because of the promise evident in the XFJ-1 proposal, the Navy dropped consideration of the jet-powered Mustang.

As the design of both fighters progressed, their engineers became most interested in capturing German data regarding wind tunnel tests on swept wings. As early as 1942 the Germans had compared both straight and swept wing configurations for the Me. 262 twin-engined jet aircraft. However, although the swept wing showed advantages in reducing drag, worries about stability problems prompted the Germans to build the Me. 262 with a straight wing inboard with outer panels slightly swept back at 15 degrees.

To aid their investigations a captured Me. 262 was made available in Los Angeles to North American for detailed examination. By June 1945 it was becoming apparent that an XP-86 incorporating a straight wing would offer no better performance than the Republic P-84. The obvious answer to lift performance seemed to be the utilisation of the swept wing. Much captured wind tunnel information on the swept wing Me. 262 with a 35-degree sweep and 5. 0 aspect ratio was readily available. Although there was resistance within North American to “Germanise our design”, approval was given in August 1945 to approach the Air Force with a proposal to change to a swept wing. A wing with a 35-degree sweep and 5. 0 aspect ratio was built and tested on the XP-86 model in the North American low-speed wind tunnel in September 1945. To improve stalling characteristics, full-span leading edge slats were fitted.

During testing, a wing with an aspect ratio of 6. 0 showed advantages, one of which was increased range. However, the vicious pitch-up of this configuration could not be cured, despite the 150 different slat variations tested. In March 1945 it was decided that the 5. 0 aspect ratio should be retained because of its superior flying qualities.

Armed with the facts of the wind tunnel data, the Air Force gave approval on November 1, 1945, to proceed with that wing layout, although there would be a six-month delay because of that decision. One of the trickiest problems to solve was the design of the leading-edge slats. By December 1946 the engineering team came up with a workable solution. The slats to be installed opened and closed automatically by the aerodynamic forces imposed on the wing. On early production Sabres, the slats were fully opened at 130 knots and fully closed at 290 knots indicating air speed. On later aircraft, the range of operation of the slats took place in the 115-180 knots speed range to minimise their opening during manoeuvres.

While all this work was underway on the XP-86 design, the simpler, more conventional XFJ-1 made its maiden flight on November 27, 1946. Powered by a J35-GE-2 of 3820 pounds thrust, a top speed of 542 mph at 16,000 feet was achieved. The rate of climb was 4690 ft/min and the service ceiling was 47,000 feet. The XFJ-1 differed much in appearance from the XF-86 layout. In addition to its straight wings, its fuselage was of larger cross-section to accommodate more internal fuel.

By early 1947 the XP-86 engineers were making design refinements to increase the expected performance. The wing on which so much effort had been placed ended up with an aspect ratio of 4. 79 and a wing sweep back of 35 degrees. The thickness chord ratio was 11 per cent at the root and 1 0 per cent at the tip. The expected empty weight was 9243 lb, gross weight 13,311 lb and maximum weight 16,438 lb. Performance figures hoped for included a maximum speed of 635 mph at 16,000 feet, a service ceiling of 44,200 feet and a climb rate that would enable the XP-86 to reach 35,000 feet in 12 minutes. Like many other aircraft, weight growth was to cut these figures back.

Special emphasis was placed on ease of maintenance. By removing just four bolts aft of the wing root the whole rear section of the fuselage could be removed from around the engine installation. Less than one hour was needed for an engine change as the crews gained experience.

Work on the construction of three XP-86 prototypes was well advanced and by August 8, 1947, the first aircraft was completed. The powerplant was a J35-C-3 of 3750 pounds thrust built by Chevrolet, or an Allison-built J35-A-5 of similar output. It was a handsome-looking aircraft in a natural metal finish. On September 10, 1947, the first XP-86, serial number 45-59597, was transported from the North American factory at Inglewood to the base at Muroc on the back of a truck. After arrival at Muroc, it was assembled and taxi trials commenced.

All the effort was rewarded when, on October 1, 1947, the first flight took place, with Major George S. Welch at the controls. Welch had earlier made history when, on December 7, 1941, he became the first USAAF pilot to shoot down a Japanese aircraft during the attack at Pearl Harbor. The only problem encountered during the initial flight was a reluctant nosewheel which refused to lock fully in the down position. However, the shock of the main wheels landing first jolted the nosewheel into a locked position and a safe landing was made.

The XP-86 settled down to be a pleasant aircraft to fly. Its pressurised cockpit, located forward of the wing, gave excellent visibility. With a gross weight of 13,790 pounds, a speed of 513 knots at sea level was reached. The initial rate of climb was 41oo ft/min and the service ceiling was 41,200 feet. An altitude of 30,000 feet was reached in 12. 1 minutes. A ground run of 3020 feet was required for take-off. Wing span was 37’1″, length 37’6½” and height 14’9″. A notable milestone was passed on April 26, 1948, when Welch took an XP-86 through the sound barrier in a shallow dive. It was the second US aircraft to achieve this feat, Captain Charles Yeager had earlier piloted the Bell X-1 on October 14, 1947, on its historic first supersonic flight.

Flight testing did reveal the need to further modify the wing slat design. On occasion it was discovered that one wing slat could be locked open while the other one was locked closed, producing wild gyrations in flight. Another problem encountered during spin tests was the impact of the slats slamming open and closed. To help cushion them in operation, a simple rubber snubber was installed to absorb some of the impact.

The three XP-86 prototypes gave valuable test data during their careers. The first aircraft to fly number 45-59597 was lost in a crash in September 1952 and aircraft Nos 2 and 3 were retired in April 1953 after flying 202 and 75 hours respectively. George Welch was unfortunately killed on October 12, 1954, in the crash of an F-100A Super Sabre during a test flight.

The first production version was the P-86A. A contract for 33 aircraft was signed on December 20, 1946, before the initial flight of the XP-86 prototype. When the designation system used by the USAF was changed, on June 1, 1948, from using “P” for pursuit to “F” for fighter, deliveries were made as the F-86A. Power went up significantly with the substitution of a General Electric J-47 delivering 5000 pounds thrust. The maiden flight of the F-86A was on May 20, 1948. Although empty weight was up by 347 pounds to 10,077 lb, the extra power boosted speed to 673 mph at sea level. The service ceiling was 46,000 feet and the initial rate of climb was 7800 ft/min.

With such a sparkling performer, both North America and the USAF combined to make an assault on the existing world air speed record of 650. 796 mph, which was held at that time by a Douglas D-558-1 Skystreak of the US Navy. Under existing Federation Aeronautique Internationale rules, the attempt had to be flown over a 3 km course twice in both directions at an altitude not exceeding 50 metres, to enable recording cameras to function. The F-86A was thwarted in its attempt by various factors beyond its control. Intruding light aircraft, other aircraft setting off the timer and turbulence contributed to the attempt being unsuccessful. Notwithstanding this, a speed of 669. 480 mph was reached on the fastest run.

With Major Robert Johnson at the helm at Muroc, on September 15, 1948, the F-86A was finally successful and lifted the speed record to 670. 981 mph. Low-level addicts would have enjoyed watching the runs made at altitudes between 75 and 125 feet. To rub salt into the wounds of its competitors, North America stated that all production F-86A aircraft exceeded this record during routine testing. A total of 554 F-86As were produced. It was in March 1949 that the name Sabre was bestowed upon the F-86 following a contest conducted amongst officers at March Air Force Base. The majority of production of this version was the improved F-86A-5 variant. Some of the external differences were no gun doors, as fitted to the earlier F-86A-1, and a V-shaped windscreen instead of a curved one. The powerplant was either the J47-GE-7 or J47-GE-13, delivering 5340 and 5450 pounds thrust respectively.

Internal fuel capacity of 435 US gallons was usually augmented with two 120-gallon drop tanks. With larger 206. 5-gallon drop tanks, the range was 1170 miles with a combat radius of 461 miles. The armament consisted of six 0. 5-inch guns with a firing rate of approximately 1100 rounds per minute. The ammunition supply carried was 267 rounds per gun. Underwing attachment points were fitted to allow the carriage of a variety of bombs or rockets. The gun sight was linked to radar installed in the nose at the upper portion of the air intake.

The next version proposed was the F-86B, however it was not proceeded with. It was to have had a seven-inch wider fuselage, and although 188 were ordered that number was ultimately included in F-86A-5 production. Main reason for the cancellation was the F-86C version. The F-86C was a major departure from the earlier models. Powered by a 6250 pounds thrust Pratt & Whitney J48-P-6 with an afterburner, the familiar nose intake was replaced by flush fuselage intakes located just forward of the wings. It was intended as an ultra-long-range fighter and grew in size and weight accordingly. Span was 38’9″, length 44’1″, empty weight 14,035 pounds and maximum weight 26,516 pounds. Fuel capacity leaped to 1581 gallons. Maximum speed was 708 mph at sea level, range 1967 miles and initial climb 11,960 ft/min. The aircraft differed so markedly it was redesignated the YF-93A. Despite its promising performance it did not get the go-ahead and only two aircraft were built. The reason for this was the development of the F-86D, which had been taking place at the same time.

This most important version was the backbone of the continental USAF during the 1950s. Known widely as the “Sabre Dog”, it was distinguished in appearance by its large, 30-inch radome above a reshaped air intake. The J47-GE-17 engine gave 7780 pounds of thrust with afterburner, this increased to 8550 pounds thrust on later engines. To improve its attack capability as an all-weather interceptor, the conventional gun installation gave way to a retractable tray that carried 24 Mighty Mouse 2. 75-inch rockets. Span was unchanged at 37’1″, length was 41’4″ and height 15’0″. Maximum speed 692 mph at sea level, initial rate of climb 17,750 ft/min, service ceiling 54,600 feet, empty weight 12,470 lb and maximum weight 17,150 lb.

Originally known as the F-95A during initial testing, it was later redesignated F-86D. First flight was on December 22, 1949, at Muroc, with George Welch at the controls.

Structurally it was markedly different from previous Sabres. Apart from the wings and undercarriage, almost all other components were new. It was in many ways the first fighter to place high reliance on “black boxes”. The fire control developed by Hughes was very sophisticated and had teething problems. At one stage, over 300 F-86Ds were waiting outside the factory for installation of electronics. Other new inclusions were “all flying” horizontal tail surfaces and a clamshell canopy.

The armament, consisting of the retractable launcher containing the 24 FFARs (Fin Folding Aircraft Rockets), was quite formidable. Each rocket contained a 7. 55-pound warhead, had a range of 2. 55 miles and attained a speed of 2500 feet per second at peak velocity. The entire 24 rockets could be fired together or in groups. The time required for the launcher to lower itself beneath the fuselage for firing was only half a second. One can only imagine the devastating effects of being on the receiving end of the entire load.

The F-86D established two world speed records. On the first occasion, on November 19, 1952, Captain J. Slade Nash of Edwards Air Force Base flew over a 3 km course at Salton Sea, California, at 698. 505 mph. On July 16, 1953, Lt-Col William F. Barnes lifted the record to 715. 697 over the same course. Delivery of the F-86D began in March 1952 and by the time production had been terminated a total of 2504 had been produced.

The next version, the F-86E, was an upgraded F-86A modified to incorporate aerodynamic and system changes. The first flight was on September 23, 1950, piloted by George Welch and deliveries began on February 9, 1951. Powered by a General Electric J-47-13 engine of 5200 pounds thrust, a maximum speed of 697 mph was reached at sea level, maximum rate of climb was 7400 ft/min and service ceiling 47,600 feet. The major aerodynamic change over the F-86A was the installation of an all-moving slab tail with no elevator. This horizontal surface pivoted around the rear spar and was capable of 8 degrees of movement either up or down. Armament was 6 x 0. 5 guns and either 16 five-inch rockets or 2 x 1000 lb bombs. A total of 336 were produced by North American and a further 60 were purchased by the USAF from Canadair. These latter Canadian-made aircraft had the USAF equipment installed at Fresno in California in 1952.

Development of the series continued, leading to the F-86F.

This was a refined version of the F-86E designed to use the J47-GE-27 engine of 5970 pounds thrust. Construction took place at a new factory set up by North America at Columbus, Ohio. The factory was actually leased from the US Navy. During World War II Curtiss SB2C Helldivers came from the plant, over 4000 being produced.

On the F-86F the fuselage had been modified to accommodate the J47-GE-27. As these engines were initially in short supply, first deliveries were made with the 5450-pound thrust J47-GE-13. Aircraft fitted with this less powerful engine were known as the F-86E-10. The first F-86F with the larger powerplant eventually first flew on March 19, 1952. Combat radius was extended further when modifications introduced from the 79th aircraft off the line permitted the carrying of 200-gallon drop tanks instead of the smaller 120-gallon ones previously used. Maximum speed was 695 mph at sea level, initial rate of climb 9850 ft/min, service ceiling 49,100 feet. The fighter bomber version of the F-86F had additional attachment points to enable it to carry either four drop tanks or a combination of 2 x 1000 lb bombs and 2 x 120-gallon tanks.

It was in the redesign of the wing that the major improvement of the F-86F was made. Combat experience in Korea had identified the need for greater manoeuvrability at altitude. Engineers engaged in wind tunnel testing of the Sabre wing had observed that, at high angles of attack, unexplained vortices on the leading edge repeatedly peeled off and swept back over the outboard sections of the wing. Further investigations indicated that the sharper the radius of the leading edge the more noticeable this effect became. Although the tufted wing surfaces suggested the wing was stalled, wind tunnel force measurements showed that in fact, lift was continuing to increase.

All this resulted in a sharp-nosed leading edge with a six-inch increase in chord at the root and three inches at the tip. Gone were the slats of the other models. This became widely known as the 6-3 extension. The extension to the leading edge was forward of the front spar and was designed as an integral fuel tank. Wing area increase was 14. 4 square feet. A five-inch-high wing fence aided airflow over the wing.

The practical benefit of the redesign was a doubling of combat manoeuvrability by adding at least 1 ½ g to the previous performance at 35,000 feet. This improvement enabled the F-86F to cancel out the MiG’s advantage in this department. One distracting feature was that, because of the elimination of the leading edge slats, the slow speed characteristics were not as favourable. For example, stalling speed was up by 16 mph, to 144 mph. However, this was considered worthwhile because of the enhanced combat capability. Kits to modify previously constructed F-86F wings to the “6-3” configuration were sent to Korea. This was necessary because the 6-3 wing was not incorporated into the F-86F at the outset but after production had been underway for some time. Many of the earlier aircraft were in service in Korea, hence the need for the modification kits. Fifty such kits were sent to Korea in September 1952 and more followed later. By the time production ceased in 1956, a total of 2540 F-86Fs had been built at the Los Angeles and Columbus factories. Two aircraft were converted to two-seat trainers by adding a 63-inch fuselage extension. The first aircraft so modified made its initial flight on December 14, 1953.

The F-86H was the final production model of the Sabre for the USAF. Powered by a J73-GE-3 of 9247 pounds thrust, this was a bigger aircraft than its predecessors. Wing span was increased by two feet and length by 1 ‘2″. Coming from the Columbus plant, the first flight of the YF-86H prototype was on April 30, 1953, flown by Joe Lynch. The initial 116 aircraft produced had the usual 6 x 0. 5-inch guns. The remaining F-86Hs were fitted with four 20 mm cannons which could fire their ammunition load of 600 rounds in six seconds. Maximum speed at sea level was 692 mph, initial rate of climb 12,160 ft/min and service ceiling 51,500 feet.

To provide a greater air intake area for the larger engine the fuselage was split longitudinally and a splice was added to increase fuselage depth by six inches. This extra fuselage volume allowed the designers to provide a larger cockpit with better layout. Although originally flown with a slatted wing, the 6-3 extension developed for the F-86F was incorporated into the F-86H from the 15th aircraft onwards. A self-sufficient starter system was installed and a clamshell-type canopy was fitted, coupled to an improved ejection seat system.

A noteworthy capability of the F-86H was its ability to deliver a nuclear weapon. This feature was actually in the final F-86F production version, the F-86F-35, of which 264 were built. In essence, the weapon was a 1200-pound bomb carried under the port wing, whilst the usual drop tanks were attached under the starboard wing to balance the load. The bomb could be armed and disarmed in flight. Such were the developments in atomic weapons that this much lighter bomb had a destructive power five times greater than the five-ton “Little Boy” used at the conclusion of World War II.

In common with previous Sabres, the F-86H established new speed records. A new world record of 563. 854 knots (649. 302 mph) was flown over a 500-kilometre closed course in the General Electric Trophy Event at the 1954 National Air Show at Dayton, Ohio, flown by Major John L. Armstrong. Again at Dayton, in September 1954, with Captain Eugene P. Sonnenberg as the pilot, another F-86H established a Thompson Trophy Event record of 601. 644 knots (692. 818 mph) over a 100-kilometre closed course at the National Air Races. By the time production ceased, in August 1955, a total of 475 F-86Hs had been built.

New ground was covered by the F-86K, which was conceived as an aircraft to be used by the NATO forces in Europe. The F-86K was a simplified version of the F-86D, having four 20 mm cannons instead of the rocket launcher system. On May 16, 1953, an agreement was signed with Fiat whereby the F-86K would be produced in Italy. Two F-86D aircraft were modified to the F-86K layout and the first flight of a YF-86K took place at Los Angeles on July 15, 1954, flown by North American test pilot Ray Morris. The J47-GE-33 installed delivered 5600 pounds thrust which increased to 7500 pounds with afterburner. Top speed was 692 mph at sea level. The F-86K was almost identical to the F-86D, differing only in the gun installation and a slightly larger nose which increased fuselage length by eight inches.

To accelerate delivery, the first 120 aircraft were assembled by North America and were delivered to Norway and Holland. Delivery of the first production F-86K was during May 1955 and the batch of 120 was completed before the end of that year. Fiat assembled 221 F-86Ks and these went to France, Italy and West Germany. The last 45 aircraft delivered were fitted with extended leading edges and wing tips, which increased span by two feet.

The final version of the Sabre to come from North America was the F-86L, which was a reconditioned F-86D. The first F-86L took to the air in October 1956. Changes included new electronics, extended 6-3 wing leading edges and new wing tips which increased span by two feet. Electronic modifications improved the aircraft’s target detection, reduced pilot effort and simplified ground control requirements. Other external differences were two cooling ducts added to the fuselage just aft of the wing and an electronics antenna under the forward fuselage. Engine and armament were unchanged from the F-86D. By the time the reconditioning program was completed a total of 981 F-86Ds had been converted to F-86L standard.

Sabre production in the United States continued until December 1956, by which time the last aircraft, an F-86F, was delivered. US deliveries totalled 621O Sabres, of which 5035 were built in California and 1175 in Columbus, Ohio.

In addition to the US and Italian production, Sabres were also manufactured in several other countries. Predominant amongst these was the large-scale production of various marks of Sabres by Canadair at their Cartierville plant. Six different versions emerged but only some of these were made in quantity.

First aircraft to be assembled was a CL-13 Sabre Mk1 which, in fact, was an F-86A. Only one example was produced and it made its first flight on August 9, 1950. Quantity production was launched with Sabre Mk2, of which 350 were delivered. This was followed by 438 Sabre Mk4s. Both the Mk2 and Mk4 were based on the F-86E and were powered by the General Electric J47-GE-13 of 5200 pounds thrust. Of these two different production versions a total of 430 were destined to go to the RAF to give them their first swept-wing fighter. They served until 1956, when they were replaced by Hawker Hunters.

Only one Sabre Mk3 was produced. This was the 100th aircraft off the Canadair line and was noteworthy in that it was the first one to be powered by the 6000-pound thrust Avro Orenda 3 engine. Flown by Jaqueline Cochrane, it was used to increase the women’s speed record at Edwards Air Force Base. On the first attempt, on May 18, 1953, over a 100-kilometre course, a speed of 652-552 mph was notched up. On June 3, 1953, over a 15-kilometre course, an even faster 675. 471 mph was achieved.

The CL-13A Mk5 used the 6355 pounds thrust Orenda 10. Based on the F-86F, it had a 6-3 wing. A total of 370 were delivered. The final Canadair type was the CL-13B Mk6. With a 7275 pounds thrust Orenda 14, it was a sparkling performer able to reach 40,000 feet in six minutes. Top speed was 71o mph at sea level. Although initial aircraft of this mark had a wing similar to the Mk5, later ones reverted to slats to improve slow-speed performance. Production of this version was 655 aircraft.

When Canadair ceased manufacture of the Sabre on October 9, 1958, a total of 1815 had been produced. Apart from being widely used by the RCAF and RAF, they also were exported to several other countries. Armament on all marks was six 0. 5 guns.

In Japan, at Nagoya, Mitsubishi assembled 300 F-86F-40 aircraft from parts supplied by North American. This was a new aircraft, with extended wing tips and leading edge slats to educe stalling speed, intended for use by Asian countries. The initial flight of a Mitsubishi-assembled machine was on August 9, 1956, and the order was completed during February 1961. Deliveries had been delayed when the factory was seriously damaged by a typhoon in September· 1959.

The Australian version, widely known as the Avon Sabre because of its powerplant, was perhaps one of the most visually attractive Sabres. RAAF experience in Korea, using Mustangs and Meteors, had identified the need for a top-class fighter to meet the needs of the 1950/1960 era. Because of the manner in which the Sabre had acquitted itself in Korea, the RAAF felt that this was the aircraft that was required.

Very early in their assessment of the basic F-86F design, the RAAF decided on some major modifications. The most important change was the substitution of a Rolls Royce RA. 7 Avon of 7500 pounds thrust for the less powerful General Electric J47. The armament was modified to allow the installation of two 30 mm Aden cannons. The Avon was 400 pounds lighter than the US engine and was also shorter, wider and required a 25 per cent increase in the air intake flow to supply its needs. A major redesign of the fuselage was made to accommodate the Avon. The larger air intake requirement was solved by introducing a 3. 5-inch splice at the front of the intake in a manner similar to the fuselage deepening of the F-86H done by North American in Los Angeles.

To maintain the centre of gravity the engine was mounted further aft. Numerous other changes such as an enlarged tail pipe, relocation of the fuselage fuel tanks, additional engine cooling and repositioning of accessories were implemented. By the time the redesign was finished, only 40 per cent of the original fuselage was unchanged. Apart from the modifications dictated by the new engine, the RAAF also requested a different cockpit layout, larger fuel capacity and an engine starter using propyl nitrate.

Redesign and construction was undertaken by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation in Melbourne. The prototype CA-26 Sabre Mk30 made its maiden flight at Avalon on August 3, 1953, with Flt-Lt Bill Scott at the controls. Production aircraft known as the CA-27 were delivered from August 1954 onwards. The first 22 aircraft had leading-edge slats fitted and were powered by imported Rolls Royce RA 7s. However, these were later modified to take the 6-3 wing and the slats were deleted. The modified aircraft were known as the Mk31, as were the next 20 aircraft produced. This batch also differed by being powered by CAC-built Avon 20 engines. Aircraft number 38 off the production line was fitted with fuel tanks in the leading edge to provide an extra 70 gallons capacity. All prior aircraft in the batch were later modified to enable them to have a “wet”, as it was termed, leading edge.

The next version, the Mk32, entered production with a CAC-built Avon 26. On these aircraft two additional attachment points were fitted to permit them to carry four drop tanks. Following this alteration, the capacity of the wing leading edge fuel tanks were reduced to 60 gallons. Twenty-eight aircraft of this type were built, thereby completing the initial order for 70 aircraft. Two repeat orders for additional Mk32 Sabres were made, bringing total CAC production of Sabres to 111 aircraft. Final delivery of a CAC-built Sabre was made in December 1961. Maximum speed was 700 mph at sea level, rate of climb 12,000 ft/min, service ceiling 55,000 feet, ferry range 1150 miles, combat radius 300 miles, empty weight 12,000 lb, gross weight 15,990 lb, maximum gross 17,300 lb. A change was made to augment the Aden cannon armament when, in 1959, it was decided to fit Sidewinder air-to-air missiles to all Sabres. Initial supplies of the missiles were flown by Hercules from the US to equip the Sabres of No 78 Fighter Wing, based at Butterworth in Malaya. The CAC Sabres remained in RAAF service until they were replaced by Mirages.

As befitted a thoroughbred design, the Sabre was not only destined for land-based operations. The US Navy, having gained operational experience with the earlier North American FJ-1 Fury, was anxious to obtain a swept-wing fighter. With the MiG-15 making its presence felt in Korea, the Navy wanted a fighter of greater performance than its existing equipment.

North American submitted design NA-181, which was an F-86E modified for carrier operations. Known as the FJ-2 Fury, it was changed from the F-86E by being fitted with a V-frame arrester hook, catapult points and a lengthened nosewheel to provide higher angles of attack for take-off and landing. The six 0. 5 machine guns were replaced with four 20 mm cannons carrying 150 rounds each. Apart from these changes and a blue Navy colour scheme, they were very much an F-86E. One of the prototype XFJ-2s had a standard nosewheel leg but the other two had extended legs, which became the norm for the rest of the series.

Flown by Bob Hoover, the XFJ-2B, which was actually the third prototype but the first to fly, took to the air for the first time on December 27, 1951. This was the short nosewheel version. Not long after, the XFJ-2, which had no armament but all the other modifications, flew on February 14, 1952. The J47-GE-13 of 5200 pounds thrust was installed in these aircraft.

A production order was signed for 300 FJ-2s to be produced by North America at Columbus. In addition to the other alterations, the production aircraft was powered by the 6000-pound thrust J47-GE-27. The wheel track was widened by eight inches and, to aid storage on aircraft carriers, the outer seven feet of each wing folded up at 90 degrees, reducing the Fury’s width to 22’7″. Height increased from 13’7″ to 15’8″ with wings folded. Many Fury aircraft were delivered to Marine squadrons and these differed by having an unpainted finish. As the Navy did not believe the FJ-2 was suitable for carrier operations, they were based at shore stations. The initial order for 300 aircraft was reduced to 200 when North America, who was heavily committed to F-86F production, fell behind in deliveries.

The next variant was the FJ-3 powered by a licence-built Armstrong-Siddeley Sapphire of 7800 pounds thrust. Made by Wright, it was known under the USN designation of J65-W-2. The fifth production FJ-2 was used as the FJ-3 prototype and first flew with the more powerful engine on July 3, 1953. Production aircraft varied by having larger air intakes. Testing of extended leading edges on some FJ-2s led to them being standard on most FJ-3s. Deletion of the slats in this change enabled an extra 124 gallons of fuel to be carried in the leading edge. Maximum speed was 681 mph at sea level, maximum rate of climb 8450 ft/min, combat ceiling 49,000 feet and max weight 21,876 lb. Some FJ-3s were fitted with attachments to carry Sidewinder missiles and were known as the FJ-3M. Later aircraft also had a refuelling probe in the port wing to extend the range if necessary. FJ-3s were based on aircraft carriers including the Bon Homme Richard, Bennington and Forrestal. Production of the FJ-3 was 538 aircraft.

The final Fury version was the FJ-4, which was significantly different to its predecessors. A major redesign of the fuselage was done to increase internal fuel capacity by 50 per cent without appreciably compromising performance. Powered by the 7700-pound thrust J65-W-16A, the prototype FJ-4 made its debut on October 28, 1954. Top speed was 680 mph at sea level, rate of climb 7660 ft/min and combat ceiling 46,800 feet. Maximum weight grew to 23,700 lb. Combat range with 740 gallons of internal fuel was 1485 miles, which increased to 2020 miles if two 200-gallon drop tanks were used. One hundred and fifty-two FJ-4s were built.

An updated model was the FJ-4B attack version fitted with the LAB system similar to that employed by the F-86H. Maximum weight grew further to 28,000 lb. Two additional speed brakes were fitted to the underside of the rear fuselage to improve low-speed performance. Two hundred and twenty-two were built by the time production ceased during May 1958. Both the FJ-4 and FJ-48 served on aircraft carriers. To further increase striking power, some FJ-4Bs were armed with the Martin Bullpup missile. The Bullpup was an air-to-surface missile 11 feet long, weighing 540 pounds, with a three-mile range. The FJ-4B could carry up to five Bullpups if necessary. Guidance was by a transmitter housed in a pod under the starboard wing.

There is no doubt that the Sabre would not have attained the level of respect it commanded had it not been for its important involvement in the Korean War. Many fine aircraft have evolved since World War II but few have been tested so thoroughly as the Sabre.

When the Korean conflict erupted on May 25, 1950, the USAF possessed several jet aircraft, namely the F-86A, Republic F-84 and Lockheed F-80. It was, however, somewhat of an anticlimax that the first North Korean aircraft was lost to a propeller-driven F-82G Twin Mustang on June 27, 1950. F-51 Mustangs were also used extensively in the early stages because of their ability to operate from rough forward airstrips. When the first MiG-15 appeared, it was obvious that the USAF needed to commit a superior aircraft to the theatre of operations.

Thus entered the Sabre into Korea.

The first Sabre-MiG clash occurred on December 17 when a Sabre formation met up with four MiGs near the Yalu River, resulting in the loss of one of the MiGs. As the tempo of the air war increased, so did the Sabre involvement. Although the MiG-15 was an agile performer, the superior ruggedness of the Sabre, with its inherent ability to withstand battle damage, was an important factor. Of equal importance was the vastly superior quality of the USAF pilots.

When the hostilities ceased the battle statistics best summed up the situation. Eight hundred and two MiG-15s were shot down by Sabres and 58 Sabres were lost to the MiG-15, a final ratio of 14:1. As a matter of comparison, during World War II 5514 Axis aircraft were shot down by Mustangs and, in turn, 968 Mustangs were lost to enemy aircraft; that ratio being 6:1. North American justifiably felt that the Sabre was a worthy combat successor to the venerable Mustang.

By 1980 the Sabre had largely disappeared from front-line use. However, there is still a smattering of them in service with a few air forces around the world. Namely, Argentina 14 F-86F, Bolivia four F-86F, Ethiopia unknown number of F-86Fs, South Korea 20 F-86D and 48 F-86F, Pakistan 35 F-86F, Philippines six F-86F, Portugal 14 F-86F, Tunisia 10 F-86F, Venezuela 18 F-86K and Yugoslavia 45 F-86D/K. It must be gratifying for North Americans to see the Sabre still making a useful contribution over 30 years after its first flight