The F-86 Sabre was one of the first American jets, being a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean 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is also rated highly in comparison with fighters of other eras.[3] Although it was developed in the late 1940s and was outdated by the end of the 1950s, the Sabre proved versatile and adaptable, and continued as a front-line fighter in numerous air forces well into the early nineties!
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. Starting with a non-slatted wing, followed by the slatted "6-3" wing, the later F-86F got the "F-40" wing with extended chord and extended wingtip. Also, variants were built in Canada and Australia. The Canadair Sabre added another 1,815 airframes, and the significantly redesigned CAC Sabre (sometimes known as the Avon Sabre 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. The type was developed in various versions afterwards, including the Sabre-Dog F-86D and the slightly longer F-86K used by many NATO air forces.
Early Sabres
F-86F Sabre (civil registered)
This aircraft is civil registered Sabre NX186AM / 25012/FU-012 (cn 191-708), it was photographed at Nellis AFB, Nevada USA. This walk around depicts an early version.
Photographed November 2008 by Cees Hendriks (C) Copyright IPMS Nederland
F-86F Sabre "Skyblazer" scheme (civil registered)
This aircraft is of the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum, Titusville Florida , and is in flyable condition. It is painted in USAF Skyblazers team colours. The history of the Skyblazers begins in 1949 when pilots from 22nd fighter squadron, 36th fighter wing based in USAFE (United States Air Forces in Europe) airbase Furstenfeldbruk, Germany, started aerobatic flights with their Lockheed F-80B Shooting Star aircrafts. In 1956 the Skyblazers move again under the command of 36th figter wing in Bitburg airbase, Germany. The Skyblazers flew F-86F Sabre and Super Sabre F-100 during this time. In the 1960 season the Skyblazers used three different kinds of smoke - white, blue and red. In January, 1962, the Skyblazers were oficially disbanded.
Photographed November 2011 by Cees Hendriks (C) Copyright IPMS Nederland
F-86F Sabre "Korea"
This plane is flyable with civil code NX186AM / FU-012/25012 (cn 191-708). It has Korea scheme with the well known yellow band markings.
Photographed November 2011 by Cees Hendriks (C) Copyright IPMS Nederland
NOTE: this Korean scheme with aircraft code FU 210 is seen on many current airframes around the world. ( One of these is at a pole at Teuge airfield, The Netherlands, being a Canadair CL-13B Sabre USAF-c/s ex Luftwaffe JC-240 with the same FU 210 scheme ).
F-86H Sabre
The F-86H was a dayfighter and "bomber". This aircraft no.53-1304 was delivered to the USAF April 1955 and was later used by the ANG until 1970. It is now at the March Air museum.
Photographed November 2013 by Cees Hendriks (C) Copyright IPMS Nederland
Canadair F-86E mk.6 Sabre
This a Canadair F-86E Mk.6 Sabre. Canadair license manufactured the Sabre in the 1950s with from the mk.3 using the Orenda jet engine. This aircraft has no. RCAF23671. Now it is painted in a USAF scheme c/n 51-2756 as the "Hell-Er Bust" as flown by pilot Ed Heller. It was seen at the Planes of Fame museum at Chino, Ca.
Photographed November 2015 by Cees Hendriks (C) Copyright IPMS Nederland
F-86F-30 Sabre
This North American F-86F-30, "Sabre" has S/N 32-24629/ C/N: 191-325. It is coded FU-629 and shows the nose art "Ken's Kitten". The aircraft was seen displayed at the Palm Springs Air Museum, Palm Springs, California.
Photographed November 2016 by Cees Hendriks (C) Copyright IPMS Nederland
F-86H
This F-86H serial 52-2090 (coded H-226) is finished in a California Air National Guard livery. It’s particular markings are of ‘Operation California Boomerang’, when a Sabrejet was used to make a flight on May 21, 1955 from Van Nuys Airport to New York and back in record setting time. Seen on display at the Museum of Flying at Santa Monica Airport, Ca.
Photographed November 2017 by Cees Hendriks (C) Copyright IPMS Nederland
F-86H
This F-86H has serial 53-1230 and seen outside at the Castle Air Museum at Atwater, Ca. , USA.
Photographed November 2017 by Cees Hendriks (C) Copyright IPMS Nederland
F-86D Sabre COCKPIT and Training Simulator
The F-86D called the "Sabre Dog" was a quite different aircraft than the previous F-86 Sabres. It got a much larger fuselage, better radar and other systems. Here shown is the cockpit is of a F-86D "Sabredog" simulator. It was on display at the Planes of Fame museum in California. The details are nice for modellers as it gives an impression of the cockpit.
Photographed 2014 by Cees Hendriks (C) Copyright IPMS Nederland
F-86K Sabre ("Kaasjager")
The version F-86K was made for NATO based on the F-86D Sabredog but there were differences like a longer fuselage. Look here for the F-86K Walkaround.....
Many plastic scale model kits have been issued in the last 50 years of the Sabre. In 1/72 the Heller, Matchbox kits were well known with Fujimi having the best kit. In 1/48 Revell/Monogram issued various kits including a F-86D Sabredog. In 1/32 scale Hasegawa and Kinetic issued F-86E kits.
Kinetic released a large 1/32 scale F-86D in Summer 2015 and also a different version F-86K in 1/32 scale.
This walk around page was first created January 2012 by M. de Vreeze