Most aviation historians have concluded that, while the Sabre had better pilots and a combat advantage, those claims are probably exaggerated. Officially, the USAF claims an 8:1 (some claims go as high as 10:1) kill ratio against the MiGs. Russian pilots who secretly flew the MiG in Korea were usually experienced World War II aces, and they fared much better against the Sabres. With both planes so evenly matched, then, the real decider in combat was the skill and experience of the pilot, and it was here that the US had a big advantage: the North Korean and Chinese pilots tended to be poorly-trained, and were also hemmed in by their Soviet-style system of heavy ground control over the pilot. American pilots also had the advantage of radar-assisted gunsights and of high-G flight suits, which the MiG pilots did not have. The Sabre, on the other hand, could out-dive the lighter MiG, and had a tighter turning radius. The Russian cannons were also a heavier knockout blow than the American. The MiG had a higher acceleration and climb rate, and a service ceiling of 45,000 feet-higher than the F-86 could go. The F-86 and the MiG-15 were a pretty even match, with each plane superior in some aspects to the other. The later E models were powered by a GE J47-17B engine that could push it to over 700mph. When the Korean War broke out in June 1950, the American F-80 and F-84 jets there found themselves outclassed by the Russian-built North Korean and Chinese MiG-15, and frantic efforts were made to speed up the production of F-86As and to improve the design. Licensed copies of the F-86 were also made in Canada and Australia using native jet engines. The first combat-ready Sabres began deploying in 1949. The Air Force dubbed it the F-86 Sabre and placed an order. It had impressive speed, and in one unofficial speed run it reportedly proved to be capable of going supersonic in a shallow dive, though it was not classed as a supersonic fighter. Fitted out with the General Electric J-35 jet engine with 3,750 pounds of thrust, it was later modified to use the more powerful J-45 engine and was re-designated YP-86A. The first prototype finally flew in October 1947. It meant an almost complete re-design, and a long delay. As a result, North American revamped its entire concept of the XP-86, transforming it into a swept-wing air superiority fighter. It demonstrated clearly that jet designs with straight wings were greatly inferior to swept-wings. The Army Air Corps told them to go ahead with two prototypes.īefore the experimental XP-86 prototypes were ready, however, the Second World War ended, and American aircraft designers were able to get a look at some of the data that the Nazis had produced. So they came up with a design for a single-seat jet-powered fighter that could also do duty as a light ground-attack bomber. In 1944, the North American Aviation company, makers of the famed P-51 Mustang, realized that if they wanted to keep up with other military aircraft makers, they had to get into the jet fighter game. “Icons of Aviation History” is a diary series that explores significant and historic aircraft.į-86 Sabre on exhibit at the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center Although the F-86 Sabre is most famous for its Korean War service, its history actually dates all the way back to World War II.
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