Greetings and thanks for reading my aviation blog! I hope you have been enjoying my thoughts, details about some of the images I've shared, a little bit of military history, and the broad spectrum of aircraft I've blogged about over these last 2-3 years. My hope is that it has been as enjoyable for you as it has been for me.
Today's blog is about one of my all time favorite jets, the North American F-86 "Sabre". This specific aircraft is an F-86F. The "F' model has an upgraded engine with 700lb of more thrust, hitting 5, 910lbs. The jet also received the well known "6-3 wing". The leading edge extended 6 inches at the root and 3 inches at the tip which eliminated the leading-edge slats. This new wing configuration increased the Sabre's high speed maneuverability and maximum lift. However, the removal of the slats adversely affected the landing and takeoff speeds because the automatic slats were gone.
Personally, there has always been something about this fighter that I have been enamored with. Certainly a big part of it is the design. It has an inherent sleek yet robust look to it - like a boxer, tough and unrelenting. I also recall watching movies in the late '60s and early 1970s. One such movie was "The Hunters", released in 1958. Another was "Jet Pilot". These movies imprinted upon me in my adolescent years and have stayed with me since. The other element I appreciate is that the Sabre was a front line fighter during the Korean War against a very worthy opponent, the MiG-15. The Korean War was the first time for true jet combat and the Sabre was in the thick of it, and prevailed.
This jet is named "Jolley Roger", after its pilot Clifford Jolley who has also fought in WWII. The jet is in the markings of the 335th Fighter Squadron based out of Kimpo Air Base. During the war, Jolley scored seven aerial victories and 13 more probable kills.
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