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F-86 Sabre Design, Specifications and Deployment

The North American F-86 Sabre, or SabreJet, was the Air Force's first swept-wing jet fighter plane.  The aircraft made its initial flight on October 1, 1947.

Originally designed as a high-altitude day-fighter, the Sabre was subsequently redesigned into an all-weather interceptor (F-86D) and a fighter-bomber (F-86H).  The first production model flew on May 20, 1948, and on September 15, 1948, an F-86A set a new world speed record of 670.9 mph.

F-86 Deployment

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. Although it was developed in the late 1940s and was outdated by the end of the 1950s, the Sabre proved versatile and adaptable, and continued as a front-line fighter plane in numerous air forces for many years.

F-86 Production Numbers

North American FJ-4 Fury
North American FJ-4 Fury at HAMM in Tyler, Texas

More than 7,800 F-86 aircraft were built in the United States, Japan and Italy between 1949 and 1956. Variants were built in Canada and Australia. The Canadair CL-13 Sabre was a major variant.

The F-86 became the most-produced Western jet fighter, with total production of all variants at 9,860 air frames.

North American FJ Fury

The North American FJ Fury was a swept-wing carrier-capable fighter-bomber for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps.

The last of the Naval Furys was the FJ-4, a followup to the FJ-2 and FJ-3. It appears to be a modified F-86 Sabre, but a closer look will show many differences and only the family ancestry is apparent. A total of 374 FJ-4 aircraft were built.

Technical Specifications of the F-86 Sabre Jet Fighter

F-86 Sabre "Miss Janet", S/N 0-31302, NY National Guard at the South Dakota Air Museum
F-86 Sabre "Miss Janet", S/N 0-31302, NY National Guard, at the South Dakota Air Museum

Span: 37 feet, 1 inch
Length: 37 feet, 6 inches
Height: 14 feet, 8 inches 
Weight: 13,791 lbs. loaded
Armament: Six .50-cal. machine guns and eight 5-in. rockets or 2,000 lbs. of bombs
Maximum speed: 685 mph
Cruising speed: 540 mph
Range: 1,200 miles
Combat ceiling: 49,000 ft
Engine: One General Electric J47 turbojet of 5,200 lbs. thrust
Cost: $178,000
Crew: One 

Photographs of Surviving F-86 Sabres

North American F-86H Sabre S/N 53-1525 at the Pima Air & Space Museum
North American F-86H Sabre S/N 53-1525 on display at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, AZ
Close-up of the nose section of the North American F-86H Sabre
North American F-86H Sabre S/N 53-1525
Close-up of the tail section of the North American F-86H S/N 31525, buzz number FU-525
North American F-86H Sabre S/N 53-1525, Buzz Number FU-525

 

 

F-86 Sabre S/N 12910, Buzz Number FU-910, at the Air Force Armament Museum at Eglin AFB, Florida
F-86 Sabre S/N 12910, Buzz Number FU-910
F-86 Sabre, S/N 12910, "Beauteous Butch II" flown by Capt. Joseph C. McConnell
at Eglin AFB, Florida
F-86 Sabre, S/N 12910, "Beauteous Butch II" flown by Capt. Joseph C. McConnell
F-86F Sabre "Jolley Roger", buzz number FU-834, at the Hill Aerospace Museum, Ogden, Utah
F-86F Sabre "Jolley Roger", buzz number FU-834
North American F-86F Sabre
F-86F Sabre "Jolley Roger", buzz number FU-834
North American F-86H Sabre S/N 53-1230 at the Castle Air Museum in California
North American F-86H Sabre S/N 53-1230
RF-86F Sabre, S/N 24492, on display at the Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio
RF-86F Sabre, S/N 24492, on display at the Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio
F-86 Sabre "Miss Janet", S/N 0-31302, NY National Guard, at South Dakota Air & Space Museum, Ellsworth AFB, Rapid City
F-86 Sabre "Miss Janet", S/N 0-31302, NY National Guard
F-86A Sabre, marked as S/N 49-1236, Buzz Number FU-236, on display at the Museum of the United States Air Force
F-86A Sabre, marked as S/N 49-1236
North American F-86 Sabre S/N 52-4931 at England Air Park in Alexandria Louisiana
North American F-86 Sabre S/N 52-4931 on display at England Air Park in Alexandria Louisiana
F-86H, S/N 53-1304, of the U.S. Air Force, at the March Field Air Museum in California
F-86H, S/N 53-1304, of the U.S. Air Force, at the March Field Air Museum in California

 

 

Photographs of the F-86 Sabre by Our Friends and Supporters

Canadair CL-13B Sabre Mk. 6 (F-86E) - F-AYSB, Buzz Number FU-675 - Cazaux Air Base, France 2019 (Photo by DELEHELLE Eric)
Canadair CL-13B Sabre Mk. 6 (F-86E) - F-AYSB - Cazaux Air Base, France 2019

U.S. Air Force F-86E Sabres flying in formation
S/N 50-0613, Buzz Number FU-613 (foreground), and S/N 50-0639, Buzz Number FU-639 (background) (photo courtesy of R. Nelson)
U.S. Air Force F-86E Sabres flying in information ... S/N 50-0613, Buzz Number FU-613 (foreground, and S/N 50-0639, Buzz Number FU-639 (background)

F-86 Sabre, S/N 31404, at Cannon Air Force Base, Clovis, New Mexico
(photo by Andrew Hersey)
F-86 Sabre, S/N 31404, on display at Cannon Air Force Base, Clovis, New Mexico

F-86E Sabre, S/N 91086, Buzz Number FU-086, Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane, Washington
(photo by Michael Hoschouer)
F-86E Sabre S/N 91086 on display at Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane, Washington

F-86 Sabre at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska
(photo by Michael Hoschouer)
F-86 Sabre on display at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska

 

 

F-86F Sabre, S/N 12884, Buckley Air Force Base, Aurora, Colorado (photo by Michael Hoschouer)
F-86F Sabre, S/N 12884, on display at Buckley Air Force Base, Aurora, Colorado

F-86 Sabre of the Idaho National Guard, on display at Gowen Field Air National Guard Base, Boise, Idaho
(photo by Michael Hoschouer)
F-86 Sabre of the Idaho National Guard, on display at Gowen Field Air National Guard Base, Boise, Idaho
F-86 Sabre, S/N 2637, of the Air National Guard, on display at Great Falls, Montana
(photo by Michael Hoschouer)
F-86 Sabre, S/N 2637, of the Air National Guard, on display at Great Falls, Montana

F-86F Sabre, S/N 25241, Buzz Number FU-241, Edwards AFB California
(photo by Michael Hoschouer)
F-86F Sabre, S/N 25241, Buzz Number FU-241, Edwards AFB California

F-86A Sabre, marked as S/N 2789, FU-769, "Bernie's Bo", Warhawk Air Museum, Nampa, Idaho
(photo by Michael Hoschouer)
F-86A Sabre, S/N 2789, FU-769, "Bernie's Bo", Warhawk Air Museum, Nampa, Idaho

F-86F Sabre, S/N 55-3818, ANG, Sky Harbor AIrport, Phoenix, Arizona
(photo by Michael Hoschouer)
F-86F Sabre, S/N 55-3818, ANG, Sky Harbor AIrport, Phoenix, Arizona

F-86F Sabre, S/N 51-13278, Arizona ANG, Tucson International Airport in Arizona
(photo by Michael Hoschouer)
F-86F Sabre, S/N 51-13278, Arizona ANG, Tucson International Airport in Arizona

F-86H Sabre, S/N 53-1308, Buzz Number FU-308, Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, Denver, CO
(photo by Michael Hoschouer)
F-86H Sabre, S/N 53-1308, Buzz Number FU-308, Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, Denver, CO