The North American F-86D/K/L Sabre (initially known as the YF-95 and widely known informally as the " Sabre Dog ") is an American transonic jet interceptor . Developed for the United States Air Force in the late 1940s, it was an interceptor derivative of the North American F-86 Sabre . While the original F-86 Sabre was conceived as a day fighter , the F-86D was specifically developed as an all-weather interceptor . Originally designated as the YF-95 during development and testing, it was re-designated the F-86D before production began, despite only sharing 25% commonality of parts with the original F-86. Production models of the F-86D/K/L differed from other Sabres in that they had a larger fuselage, a larger afterburning engine, and a distinctive nose radome . The most-produced Sabre Dog variants (the "D" and "G" models) also mounted no guns, unlike the Sabre with its six M3 Browning .50 caliber machine guns, instead mounting unguided Folding-Fin Aerial Rocket (FFAR) “Mighty Mouse” rockets. The "K" and "L" Sabre Dog variants mounted four 20mm M24A1 cannon.
4-579: The YF-95 was a development of the F-86 Sabre, the first aircraft designed around the new 2.75-inch (70 mm) "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,
8-492: A J47-GE-17 with afterburner rated at 5,425 lbf (24.1 kN) 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
12-899: A speed record of 698.505 mph (1,124.1 km/h). 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 125 ft (38 m). 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 715.697 mph (1,151.8 km/h). Data from Combat Aircraft since 1945, The American Fighter General characteristics Performance Armament Avionics Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Folding-Fin Aerial Rocket Too Many Requests If you report this error to
16-550: Was wider and the airframe length increased to 40 ft 4 in (12.3 m), 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 5,550 lbf (24.7 kN) (from the F-86D-45 production blocks onward). A total of 2,504 D-models were built. On 18 November 1952, F-86D 51-2945 set
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