North American F-86D Sabre

The North American 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 Folding-Fin Aerial Rocket (FFAR). 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. Captain J. Slade Nash flew over a three km course at the Salton Sea in California at a height of only 125 ft. 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 mi/h.

Variants



 * 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 cannon and simplified fire control system, two conversions.
 * F-86K : NATO version of F-86D; MG-4 fire control system; four 20 mm M24A1 cannon with 132 rounds per gun; 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




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


 * 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.
 * 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.


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


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


 * Honduran Air Force
 * Acquired Six Venezuelan F-86Ks in 1970.
 * Acquired Six Venezuelan F-86Ks in 1970.


 * 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.
 * 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.


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


 * 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. Operated until 1964.
 * Acquired 57 U.S.-built and six Fiat-built F-86K Sabres, 1955–1956; and assigned to three squadrons, No. 700, 701 and 702. Operated until 1964.


 * Royal Norwegian Air Force
 * Acquired 60 U.S.-built F-86K Sabres, 1955–1956, and four Italian-assembled Fiat K-models.
 * Acquired 60 U.S.-built F-86K Sabres, 1955–1956, and four Italian-assembled Fiat K-models.


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


 * Republic of Korea Air Force
 * Acquired 40 F-86Ds, beginning 20 June 1955.
 * Acquired 40 F-86Ds, beginning 20 June 1955.


 * Republic of China Air Force
 * Turkish Air Force
 * Acquired 50 US-built F-86Ds, and 40 F-86Ks.
 * Turkish Air Force
 * Acquired 50 US-built F-86Ds, and 40 F-86Ks.


 * Royal Thai Air Force
 * Acquired 20 F-86Ls.
 * Acquired 20 F-86Ls.


 * United States Air Force
 * United States Air Force


 * Venezuelan Air Force
 * Acquired 32 US-built F-86Fs, October 1955–December 1960; 1965 acquired 79 Fiat-built F-86Ks from West Germany.
 * Acquired 32 US-built F-86Fs, October 1955–December 1960; 1965 acquired 79 Fiat-built F-86Ks from West Germany.


 * SFR Yugoslav Air Force
 * Acquired 130 U.S.-made F-86Ds and operated them between 1961 and 1974.
 * Acquired 130 U.S.-made F-86Ds and operated them between 1961 and 1974.

Survivors
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.
 * 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
 * F-86L Sabre Jimmy Doolittle Air and Space Museum at Travis AFB California
 * F-86L Sabre 52-4191, Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
 * F-86D-60-NA Sabre "53-1030" (F-86L) now on display at NAS Fort Worth JRB, TX