To meet a US Army Air Force requirement for a day fighter that could be used also as an escort fighter or dive-bomber, North American submitted a design known as the NA-140.

Two XP-86 prototypes of the NA-140 design were contracted in late 1944, but when German research data on the characteristics of swept wings became available soon after the end of the war, North American sought USAAF agreement to redesign the XP-86 to incorporate swept wings and tail surfaces. This cost a year's delay, and it was not until 1 October 1947 that the first prototype was flown, then powered by a Chevrolet-built General Electric TG-180 (or J35-C-3) turbojet of 1701kg thrust; on 25 April 1948, by then re-engined with a General Electric J47 turbojet as the YP-86A, this aircraft exceeded a speed of Mach 1 in a shallow dive. The first production version was the P-86A, powered initially by a 2200kg thrust General Electric J47-GE-1 turbojet and flown first on 20 May 1948. A month later USAF redesignation resulted in the P-86A becoming the F-86A and in 1949, by which time it had gained the name Sabre, the new fighter began to enter service with the USAF's 1st, 4th and 81st Fighter Groups, the 94th Squadron of the 1st Fighter Group receiving the first in February 1949. F-86A production totalled 554, the majority having 2359kg thrust J47-GE-3, -7, -9, or -13 turbo-jets. Subsequent production, arranged chronologically, included the F-86E with an all-moving tailplane, and the F-86F (1,539) with a modified wing. Most extensively built was the ensuing F-86D (2,054), a redesigned all-weather/night fighter, followed by the F-86H fighter-bomber (477) with powerful J73 engine, and the F-86K (120) which was a simplified version of the F-86D. Under the designation TF-86 two dual-control trainers were produced as conversions of F-86Fs, and the designation F-86L was applied to rebuilds (827) from F-86Ds, which introduced an increased span wing and updated avionics. The F-86B (deeper fuselage and larger tyres) and F-86C (redesigned fuselage) did not enter production. In addition to aircraft built by North American, Canadair Ltd in Montreal built 60 F-86Es for the USAF, followed by 290 generally similar Sabre Mk 2 fighters, comprising 230 for the RCAF and 60 for the. Mutual Defense Assistance Program. Canadian production continued with one Sabre Mk 3 to flight test the indigenous Orenda engine, 438 Sabre Mk 4 for the RAF with General Electric engines, 370 Sabre Mk 5 aircraft with the 2883kg thrust Orenda 10 turbojet, and 655 Sabre Mk 6 aircraft with the 3300kg thrust Orenda 14. The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation in Australia also became involved in Sabre production, modifying the airframe for two 30mm Adens and the 3402kg thrust Rolls-Royce Avon 26 engine, and built for the RAAF 21 Sabre Mk 30 and 20 Sabre Mk 31 aircraft, plus 69 Sabre Mk32 fighters with Australian-built engines. Fiat in Italy assembled 221 F-86Ks from North American-built kits of components, and production in Japan began in the same way, with Mitsubishi leading a group of Japanese companies which first assembled, then increasingly constructed, a total of 300 similar to the F-86F and RF-86F.

3-View

A three-view drawing (502 x 839)