F-86 vs Mig-15...

[SirLoin]

Rgr that..I was comparing the F86a to the captured Mig.

[storch]

Originally posted by Widewing
This looks like you are comparing the F-86A to the MiG-15bis. Try comparing the F-86F to the MiG and you may change your opinion.

By the way, all Sabres could exceed Mach 1 in a dive, the Mig could not. From 35k, the Sabre would be above Mach 1 by 30k. If the MiG followed, he did so at great risk.

MiGs were very durable aircraft. Hundreds came home riddled by .50 cal. Had the USAF followed the Navy's lead and armed their fighters with four 20mm cannon, MiG losses would have been much higher, and they were very high as it was. No Sabre had 20mm cannon until the F-86H, which arrived in service about 10 months after the Korean cease fire. Navy encounters between F9Fs and MiGs demonstrated the killing power of the 20mm. If the Panther pilot got a gun solution on a MiG, it was doomed (their radar ranging gunsights were very effective). Likewise, the MiG needed only one 37mm hit on any fighter to ruin its pilot's day. The problem was that the 37mm wasn't of much use against fighter, and the two 23mm guns weren't much better. Neither the Sabre or the MiG had a gun package ideally suited for fighter to fighter combat. However, the Sabre's was better, but still far behind the Navy's F9F, F2H, and F3D-2.

By the way, here's an interesting stat. When escorted by Navy F3D night fighters, not a single B-29 was shot down by enemy aircraft. Quite a few Lavochkins, Yaks and even some MiGs were splashed by the Sky Knights. F3Ds absolutely owned the night sky over North Korea.

My regards,

Widewing

Didn't the F-86E come armed with 4x20mms?

[Elfie]

Originally posted by storch
Didn't the F-86E come armed with 4x20mms?

I think Widewing is correct, the 20MM armed Sabre was the H model. Although one source I saw said they were combat tested but they had problems with the gun gas stalling the engine. A modified blast shield was made and solved the problem with to much gun gas entering the engine and stalling it.

[Gunslinger]

I still think too many of you take an "aces high" approach when comparing to aircraft.

yes the thread is titled F-86 vs Mig-15 but rarely is the case when you had two aircraft go one on one with comprable pilots in each.

it's all about the tactics

[OntosMk1]

You know after reading till my eyeballs bled I've come to that same conclusion Gunslinger. I think the 86 drivers had better tactics than their opponents. An element fought as an element as to where the Russian pilots often solo'd and didnt rely on their wingman as much.