North American F-86D Sabre

The YF-95 was a development of the F-86 Sabre, the first aircraft designed around the new "Mighty Mouse" Folding-Fin Aerial Rocket (FFAR). Begun in March 1949, the unarmed prototype, 50-577, first flew on 22 December 1949, piloted by North American test pilot George Welch and was the first U.S. Air Force night fighter design with only a single crewman and a single engine, a J47-GE-17 with afterburner rated at static thrust. Gun armament was eliminated in favor of a retractable under-fuselage tray carrying 24 unguided Mk. 4 rockets, then considered a more effective weapon against enemy bombers than automatic cannon fire. A second prototype, 50-578, was also built, but the YF-95 nomenclature was short-lived as the design was subsequently redesignated YF-86D. The fuselage was wider and the airframe length increased to , with a clamshell canopy, enlarged tail surfaces and AN/APG-36 all-weather radar fitted in a radome in the nose, above the intake. Later models of the F-86D received an uprated J-47-GE-33 engine rated at (from the F-86D-45 production blocks onward). A total of 2,504 D-models were built. ==Operational history==

F-86L in the late 1950s. On 18 November 1952, F-86D 51-2945 set a speed record of . Captain J. Slade Nash flew over a three km (1.8 mi.) course at the Salton Sea in southern California at a height of only . Another F-86D broke this world record on 16 July 1953, when Lieutenant Colonel William F. Barns, flying F-86D 51-6145 in the same path of the previous flight, achieved . ==Variants==

;YF-95A: prototype all-weather interceptor; two built; designation changed to YF-86D (North American model NA-164) ;YF-86D : originally designated YF-95A. ;F-86D : Production interceptor originally designated F-95A, 2,504 built. ;F-86G : Provisional designation for F-86D variant with uprated engine and equipment changes, 406 built as F-86Ds. ;YF-86K : Basic version of F-86D intended for export with rocket tray replaced by four 20 mm cannon and simplified fire control system, two conversions. ;F-86K : NATO version of F-86D; MG-4 fire control system; four 20 mm M24A1 cannon with 132 rounds per gun; APG-37 radar. 120 were built by North American, 221 were assembled by Fiat. ;F-86L : Upgrade conversion of F-86D with new electronics, extended wingtips and wing leading edges, revised cockpit layout, and uprated engine; 981 converted. ;B.Kh.17A: () Royal Thai Air Force designation for the F-86L. ==Operators==

: Source: Dorr F-86K in 1965. ; • Royal Danish Air Force : Received 59 ex-USAF F-86Ds 1958-1960; assigned to 723, 726 and 728 Squadrons. ; • French Air Force : Fiat built 62 F-86Ks for France (1956-1957), assigned to EC 1/13 "Artois", EC 2/13 "Alpes", and EC 3/13 "Auvergne" Squadrons. Serials were 55-4814/4844, 55-4846/4865, 55-4872/4874, 55-4876/4879. ; • German Air Force : Acquired 88 U.S. F-86Ks 22 July 1957–23 June 1958. The Ks were assigned to Jagdgeschwader 75/renamed 74. ; • Greek Air Force : Acquired 35 F-86Ds from the US. Were received in 1961 and retired in 1967 but kept as back up until 1969. F-86D was the first all weather fighter in Greek Air Force. F-86Ds were assigned to 337 and 343 Squadrons. Until 1964 they were in natural metal. Until after retirement they were in NATO camo. ; • Honduran Air Force : Acquired Six Venezuelan F-86Ks in 1970. ; • Italian Air Force : Fiat produced 121 F-86Ks for Italy, 1955-1958. Also, 120 U.S. F-86Ks were acquired. F-86s were assigned to the AMI air groups: 6 Gruppo COT/1 Stormo, 17 Gruppo/1 Stormo, 23 Gruppo/1 Stormo, 21 Gruppo/51 Aerobrigata, 22 Gruppo/51 Aerobrigata and 12 Gruppo/4 Aerobrigata. ; • Japanese Air Self-Defense Force : Acquired 122 US F-86Ds, 1958–1961; assigned to four all-weather interceptor Hikōtai, and Air Proving Ground at Gifu. ; • Royal Netherlands Air Force (Koninklijke Luchtmacht) (KLu) : Acquired 57 U.S.-built and six Fiat-built F-86K Sabres, 1955–1956; and assigned to three squadrons, No. 700, 701 and 702. Operated until 1964. ; • Royal Norwegian Air Force : Acquired 60 U.S.-built F-86K Sabres, 1955–1956, and four Italian-assembled Fiat K-models. ; • Philippine Air Force : Acquired 20 F-86Ds, assigned to 8th Fighter Interceptor Squadron "Vampires" beginning 1960; part of the U.S. military assistance package. ; • Republic of Korea Air Force : Acquired 40 F-86Ds, beginning 20 June 1955. ; • Republic of China Air Force ; • Royal Thai Air Force : Acquired 20 F-86Ls. ; • United States Air Force ; • Venezuelan Air Force : Acquired 79 Fiat-built F-86Ks from West Germany in 1965, they lasted few years in service due to many maintenance issues. ; • SFR Yugoslav Air Force : Acquired 130 U.S.-made F-86Ds and operated them between 1961 and 1974. 32 of these were modified into a reconnaissance variant utilizing 3 Kodak K-24 cameras mounted in place of the FFAR rockets, the IF-86D. ==Surviving aircraft==

==Specifications (F-86D-40-NA)==