F-86 Sabre

The F-86 Sabre was a subsonic combat aircraft developed for the US Air Force. It was developed in 1940s following the end of WWII and was one of the most prolific jet fighters produced. The first proposals for the North American Aviation F-86 Sabre were made in 1944, but construction was not begun until after World War II. The XP-86 prototype, which would become the F-86 Sabre, first flew on October 1, 1947. Some people contest that the XP-86 broke the sound barrier on this flight, 14 days before Chuck Yeager went supersonic in the Bell X-1 making test pilot George Welch the first pilot to achieve this milestone.

Action in the Indo-Pakistani War (1971)

The collapse of the Pakistan Air Force during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 is partly attributed to the poor performance of the F-86s and F-104 Starfighters. In general, these were dominated by the much more modern Soviet MiG-21s acquired by the Indian Air Force. Even the venerable Gnats of the IAF once again demonstrated their hold over the Sabres downing several craft and earning the reputation of "Sabre killer". http://www.stratmag.com/issueJan-1/page07.htm All PAF squadrons were demolished in East Pakistan and dozens of Sabres were lost to enemy aircraft and ground fire. After this war, Pakistan replaced its F-86 Sabres with Chinese F-6 (Russian MiG-19 Farmer) fighters. They also expanded their fleet of Mirage IIIs.

Related Topics:
Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 - F-104 Starfighter - MiG-21 - East Pakistan - Chinese

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F-86 Sabres nevertheless remain a legend in Pakistan and are seen as a symbol of pride. They are now displayed in Pakistan AirForce Museum and in the cities to which their famous fliers belonged to.

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