USAF 93 FIS North American F-86A Sabre
D. Mitchell
1/36
06/20/1967
historical significance
First Albuquerque Visit: 1951
Additional Information:
The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, F-86 is best known as the first United States Air Force (USAF) swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Soviet MiG-15 in high-speed dogfights in the skies of the Korean War from 1950 until 1953. Fighting some of the earliest jet-to-jet battles in history, the F-86 was considered one of the best and most important fighter aircraft in that war. The F-86 was also highly rated in comparison to fighters of other eras even though it wasn’t developed until the late 1940s and was obsolete by the end of the 1950s. During the F-86’s operation the aircraft proved to be a versatile and adaptable front-line fighter for numerous air forces around the world.
The success of the F-86 led to an extended production run of more than 7,800 aircraft between 1949 and 1956 with production taking place in the United States, Japan, and Italy. In addition, 738 carrier-modified versions were purchased by the US Navy as FJ-2s and -3s. The Sabre is by far the most-produced Western jet fighter, with a total production of all variants at 9,860 units.
The 93rd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS) is an inactive United States Air Force unit whose last assignment was with the Albuquerque Air Defense Sector at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Designated as the 93d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on January 20, 1950, the unit was reassigned to the Continental Air Command, Ninth Air Force, and stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base. Initially equipped with the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star jet aircraft, the 93 FIS trained as a tactical fighter squadron. The unit upgraded to the North American F-86A Sabre day interceptors in 1951 in order to perform air defense duties for Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories in New Mexico until it was inactivated on July 8, 1960.
A larger number of F-86 Sabre Jets could be found on the apron at Kirtland AFB in the 1950’s.
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