North American F-86F
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_F-86_Sabre
The F-86 was produced as both a fighter-interceptor and fighter-bomber. Several
variants were introduced over its production life, with improvements and
different armament implemented (see below). The XP-86 was fitted with a General
Electric J35-C-3 jet engine that produced 4,000 lbf (18 kN) of thrust. This
engine was built by GM's Chevrolet division until production was turned over to
Allison.[21] The General Electric J47-GE-7 engine was used in the F-86A-1
producing a thrust of 5,200 lbf (23 kN) while the General Electric J73-GE-3
engine of the F-86H produced 9,250 lbf (41 kN) of thrust.
The Sabre's swept wings and jet engine produced a flying experience that was
very different from the pinnacle generation of propeller-driven fighters that
were operational in the early days of jet fighter development in the 1940s and
early 1950s. The transition from props to jets was not without accidents and
incidents even for experienced fighter pilots. Early on in the jet age some US
manufacturers instituted safety and transition programs where experienced test
and production pilots would tour operational fighter squadrons to provide
instruction and demonstrations designed to lower the accident rate.
The F-86 entered service with the United States Air Force in 1949, joining the
1st Fighter Wing's 94th Fighter Squadron and became the primary air-to-air jet
fighter used by the Americans in the Korean War. While earlier straight-winged
jets such as the F-80 and F-84 initially achieved air victories, when the swept
wing Soviet MiG-15 was introduced in November 1950, it outperformed all UN-based
aircraft. In response, three squadrons of F-86s were rushed to the Far East in
December.[27] Early variants of the F-86 could not outturn, but they could
outdive the MiG-15, although the MiG-15 was superior to the early F-86 models in
ceiling, acceleration, rate of climb and zoom. With the introduction of the
F-86F in 1953, the two aircraft were more closely matched, with many
combat-experienced pilots claiming a marginal superiority for the F-86F. MiGs
flown from bases in Manchuria by Chinese, North Korean, and Soviet VVS pilots
were pitted against two squadrons of the 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing
forward-based at K-14, Kimpo, Korea.
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 37 ft 1 in (11.4 m)
Wingspan: 37 ft 0 in (11.3 m)
Height: 14 ft 1 in (4.5 m)
Empty weight: 11,125 lb (5,046 kg)
Loaded weight: 15,198 lb (6,894 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 18,152 lb (8,234 kg)
Fuel provisions Internal fuel load: 437 US gallons (1,650 L), Drop tanks: 2x200
US gallons (760 L) JP-4 fuel
Performance
Maximum speed: 687 mph (1,106 km/h) at sea level at 14,212 lb (6,447 kg) combat
weight
also reported 678 mph (1,091 km/h) and 599 at 35,000 feet (11,000 m) at 15,352
pounds (6,960 kg). (597 knots (1,106 km/h) at 6446 m, 1,091 and 964 km/h at
6,960 m.)
Stall speed: 124 mph (power off) (108 knots (200 km/h))
Range: 1,525 mi, (2,454 km)
Service ceiling: 49,600 ft at combat weight (15,100 m)
Rate of climb: 9,000 ft/min at sea level (45.72 m/s)
lift-to-drag: 15.1
Thrust/weight: 0.42
Armament
Guns: 6 X 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M3 Browning machine guns (1,800 rounds in total)
Rockets: variety of rocket launchers; e.g.: 2 Matra rocket pods with 18 SNEB 68
mm rockets per pod
Bombs: 5,300 lb (2,400 kg) of payload on four external hardpoints, bombs were
usually mounted on outer two pylons as the inner pairs were plumbed for 2 200 US
gallons (760 L) drop tanks which gave the Sabre a more useful range. A wide
variety of bombs could be carried (max standard loadout being 2 1,000 lb bombs
plus two drop tanks), napalm canisters and could have included a tactical
nuclear weapon.
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