The Sabre was also notable for its numerous variations, which is a testament to its adaptable design.

With nearly 10,000 built, the F-86 remains among the most prolific Western jet fighters of all time.

Fortunately, Germany was on its last legs.

In this photo, a flight of three F-86F Sabres seek out Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 fighter aircraft over North Korea. Many of the MiG-15s were flown by “volunteers” from the Soviet Union. The truth, of course, was that these were front line fighter aircraft pilot on orders from the USSR. These dogfights were tougher for the Americans than those against the Chinese and North Korean communists.

Col. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. leads three F-86F Sabre fighters during the Korean War. Col. Davis, a Tuskegee Airman, was one of the first African-American wing commanders. Image: U.S. Air Force

For American aircraft designers, it was akin to being provided with an afterburner.

Germany and, soon after, Japan were defeated.

The significance of that fact cant be overstated!

In this photo we can see plumes of black smoke flowing from the exhaust of these North American Aviation F-86A Sabre interceptors. The jet engines were powerful for this time period which gave the American pilots a significant advantage in both speed and operational ceiling.  Also, the wing configuration allowed for tight turns and nimble maneuvering at all speeds.

In April 1953, U.S. Air Force F-86 Sabre jets of the 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing run up their engines just before take-off during the Korean War. Image: NARA

The initial production P-86A model was powered by a 21.57kN (4,850 pound) J47-GE-1.

It first took to the skies in May 1948.

Brown, flying an F-80C, shot down a much faster MiG-15 over North Korea.

In this image from the Korean War, we see an F-86 flying a patrol over North Korea. The F-86 enjoyed a reputation in this conflict as the North American P-51 Mustang did in World War II. More pilots made fighter ace in the F-86 than any other American jet in Korea.

Framed against a rugged, snow-covered mountain peak in North Korea, a 5th Air Force F-86 Sabre heads back to the barn in January 1951. Image: NARA

He wouldnt be the last.

It should be noted that U.S. propaganda does probably over-credit the jet just a bit.

That number has been cited in countless books and articles about the air war in Korea.

In this image, we see an F-86 that is undergoing repairs. The tail and much of the fuselage was removed to reveal the jet engine. The intake for the engine is in the nose of the plane with the engine running the entire length of the first swept-wing jet fighter. Sabre pilots used this superior thrust to break the speed of sound and set a world speed record with a production model used to achieve this top speed. Although deployed to South Korea, this jet was from Inglewood, California.

The tail fuselage of this F-86 has been removed revealing the engine that runs the entire length of the plane. Image: NARA

A total of 477 F-86H Sabers were produced.

The former built 112 aircraft while the latter produced another 1,815.

There were also models built under license with American-made components by Fiat in Italy and by Mitsubishi in Japan.

Here we see a pair of North American F-86a Sabre transonic jet fighter aircraft take off to do battle with the communist invaders. The armament of these jets included six (6) M3 Browning machine guns chambered for the .50 BMG cartridge. These .50 caliber guns were in the nose of the aircraft. Other versions of the plane were fitted with 20mm cannons, unguided rockets and napalm. This made them effective as mobile artillery that could bring in a lot of firepower to front line troops in contact with the enemy.

In July, 1953, two U.S. Air Force F-86 Sabre jets of the 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing take off for MiG-Alley in search of Russian-built MIG-15s. Image: NARA

The aircraft was one that was flown by those who had the right stuff!

In this photo from the National Archives, Captain Kenneth D. Critchfield, a U.S. Air Force pilot, climbs into his F-86 fighter. The F-86A set a kill ratio to be envied — roughly 12:1. The F-86 line of aircraft were superior to the Russian-built MiG-15 and a pilot could press his advantage over the skies of North Korea. It was the best and most important fighter in the skies of the Korean War. It was under development at the end of World War II which made it ready to go a few short years later.

U.S. Air Force F-86 Sabre jet pilot Capt. Kenneth D. Critchfield mounts to the cockpit of his fighter to make another sweep of “MiG Alley” in October 1951. Image: NARA

In this photo, three of the six Browning .50-caliber machine guns can be seen along with their electronically boosted feeding mechanisms. These guns has a 1,300 rounds per minute rate of fire and were regulated at a distance of 1,000 feet. Most Sabre variants had sixz of these guns, but some had only four.

In this right-side view of a North American F-86 Sabre, you can see the panel to the ammunition bay has been removed for loading and maintenance of the machine guns. Image: NARA

In this photo, Maj William Shaeffer, a Korean War pilot, smiles at the camera while sitting in the cockpit of his F-86 plane.

Maj. William Shaeffer was credited with an unusual MiG kill in the Korean War. When attacked, he made high-speed maneuvers in his F-86, causing a MiG-15 pilot to lose control and crash. Image: NARA

In this image, we see the ground crew fueling an F-86 airplane somewhere in South Korea. These jets ran on JP-4, a jet fuel standard for the U.S. Air Force starting in 1951 and running through 1995. JP-4 had a lower flashpoint than JP-1 — meaning it was more dangerous to work with, but it was much easier to produce which made it more available. It was essentially a blend of gasoline and kerosene.

Front view of a North American F-86 Sabre jet being fueled prior to a combat mission in the Korean War. Image: NARA

In this photo we see five F-86 jets taxi on a runway in Japan. These jets are part of Blue Impulse — the flight demo team for the Japanese Air Self Defense Force. This demo team is similar to the Blue Angles and Thunderbirds in the United States. Japan was one of several countries that purchased F-86 fighters from the USA.

The Japan Air Self Defense Force’s flight demonstration team, Blue Impulse, taxis their F-86 Sabre aircraft during the annual Japanese-American Friendship Festival in 1981. Image: NARA

In this image, we see a line of North American F-86F fighters that were being sold to Venezuela. While the Sabre is best known in the service of the United States, it flew in the air forces of many US allies.

North American F-86 Sabres are ready for inspection before being delivered to the Venezuelan Air Force in 1957. Image: NARA

In this image, three F-86 fighters fly formation with an F-22 Raptor. The F-86 populates many an air museum while the F-22 is a front line fighter in current service. The Sabre proved versatile and adaptable, just as the F-22 is showing it is today.

Three F-86 Sabres and an F-22 Raptor fly in formation during the 2016 Heritage Flight Training and Certification Course at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. Image: U.S. Air Force

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