The North American F-86D Sabre Dog was a single-seat interceptor aircraft which was in service with the US Air Force during the Cold War. It was also used by the German Luftwaffe, Italian, and French Air Force. Sabre Dogs used by these NATO countries had been produced in Italy by Fiat as the F-86K variant. Both the American and European versions were developed from the F-86A Sabre, which saw combat action in the Korean War. Around 2,800 Sabre Dog interceptor aircraft were produced, with 300 of them being built in Italy under license.
The F-86D was the first all-weather combat aircraft produced by North American. The prototype first flew on December 22, 1949, entering service with the US Air Force in 1951. On November 18, 1952, the Sabre Dog broke a speed record, flying at 698.505 mph (1,124.1 km/h) at 125 feet (38 m) of altitude. Both the F-86D and F-86K were larger versions of their original model, the F-86A fighter, having a longer and stronger fuselage. For the first time in the history of the US Air Force, these interceptors variants were fitted with a radar powerful and efficient enough to enable them to operate day and night and under all weather conditions. It was an AN/APG-37 search radar, which was mounted in the nose of aircraft and had a range of 48 km. By 1955, twenty Wings of the US Air Force had been equipped with this reliable interceptor.
Technical Characteristics
The North American F-86D Sabre Dog was a single-seat, single-engine monoplane. It had an all-metal fuselage and low swept wing, whose trailing edge was fitted with both ailerons and flaps. It had two retractable air brakes, each one located on the side of rear portion of fuselage. The aircraft tail assembly consisted of a swept horizontal stabilizer, which was mounted at the base of a tall vertical fin. The landing gear was retractable, with the main wheels folding up inwardly after take-off into root of wing. The aircraft was powered by one General Electric J47-GE-33 turbojet engine, which generated 7,512 pounds of thrust. The engine air intake was situated under the first portion of fuselage.
Specifications
Type: single-seat jet interceptor
Length: 12.29 m (40 feet, 4 inches)
Wing Span: 11.30 m (37 feet, 1 inch)
Wing Area: 27.76 m2 (299 square feet)
Height: 4.57 m (15 feet)
Power Plant: one 7,512-lb, General Electric J47-GE-33 turbojet engine.
Maximum Speed: 1,138 km/h (707 mph)
Range: 1,344 km (835 miles)
Service Ceiling: 16,640 m (54,593 feet)
Crew: one
Armament: twenty four 70-mm rockets; four 20-mm GE M24 A1 cannons.
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| The North American F-86D taking off from a California US Air Force base around 1959. |
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| The F-86K, the European version of the Sabre Dog in service with the German Luftwaffe. |
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| A Sabre Dog parked on the tarmac of a US Air Force base |