F-86A Sabre

Peter E. Davies has published over 30 books for Osprey. He has specialised in the aircraft of the Vietnam and Cold Wars, analysing tactics, background politics and technologies in combat and relying on first-hand interviews and unpublished material. Peter has also been a contributor to Aeroplane Monthly, Aviation News and Aircraft Illustrated.The illustrators for this volume are Gareth Hector (cover and battlescene), Jim Laurier (armament views) and Tim Brown (ribbon diagrams).

• CHAPTER 1 In Battle This chapter features an account of a Sabre engagement with MiG-15s over ‘MiG Alley’ to involve the reader in the atmosphere of battle from the outset. CHAPTER 2Setting the Scene Sabre's first clashes with MiGs.CHAPTER 3Path to Combat Anecdotal experiences of pilots concerning training and tactical instruction.CHAPTER 4Weapon of War Although some early pilots found the F-86A lacked manufacturing consistency (one remarked that ‘pieces kept falling off them’), the first batch of 35 F-86A-1s for the 4th FIW soon evolved into effective F-86A-5 combat machines. CHAPTER 5Art of War USAF, Soviet and Chinese sources are used in studying the combat techniques brought to the battles over ‘MiG Alley’ by pilots from both sides. CHAPTER 6Combat USAF pilots describe their experiences in the F-86A, explaining how their combat tactics evolved and assessing their engagements. F-86As also flew ground attack missions, although the later Sabre variants were better equipped for this. CONCLUSION APPENDICESF-86A units and bases in Korea 1950-51, notable pilots involved in these early A-model actions and aces of that period.INDEX

What really makes this book is the volume of personal accounts and the rich selection of mostly colour photographs. The stunning artwork showing tactics, armament, examples of dogfights in ribbon diagrams and the full two page artwork really add value to these short volumes. The high standard of Osprey Publishing is maintained with this book. This is must for any Korean War aviation fans or any F-86 Sabre fans. If you want to know what dogfighting in the F-86 against nimble and heavily armed M-15s mostly flown by Russians as we now know then this is a book for you!