Did Yeager ever fly a MiG-17?
However did MiG-15s ever bounce F-86s in Korea if they were unflyable at altitude?
Anyways, oldman said B-36 in his post, not RB-36.
All I know is what I have read and heard about F-86 sorties over "Mig" alley! Most of the time the 86's were anywhere from 38,000 to 42,000 feet and most times, the MIgs were below the 86's, which might account in part for the 13 to 1 kill record. I don't really know, except what the test pilots had to say about the Mig-15, could out climb the 86's, but beyond that one thing, was inferior to all other aspects of ACM's and was vastly over rated. I know they shot down several B-29's and some cargo a/c, which were being escorted with P-51K's and F-80, both of which were no match at lower altitudes where the kills were made. The jet stream in Korea, from the 35th parrell up, was from about 25K and up, so for bombing accuracies, the 29's usually bombed at 22 to 24K, again, depending on where the Jet stream was.
Just guessing, but I would bet the 86's tried to stay on the western edge of Mig alley, because if they had to try to intercept the Migs West and Northwest of them, they would have a big disadvantage in closing rate. If they chased the Migs East bound, they then would be taking advantage of the closure rate provided by the tail wind of the Jet stream, but since the Migs were probably running East bound, I guess it was a wash, but if one or the other had to try to close West bound, into a 90 knot Jet stream, the closure rate would be a big disadvantage to the attacking a/c.
I was never there, so don't really know, would love to hear some first hand accounts of the sorties over Mig alley by the Sabre pilots, but can't find any, so most of what I know was things I heard, which is second hand!
