In the late 1940s, the US government along with the USAF, began a massive effort to develop an effective defense of US airspace to counter a growing Soviet threat. In support of this, the USAF chose the Convair “1954 Interceptor” project as their primary aircraft for this role, and  the  Northrop F-89 Scorpion as an interim. After many delays in the F-89 development program, the Air Force looked at two aircraft as alternatives to the Scorpion, a modified Lockheed TF-80C which evolved into the F-94 Starfire, and highly modified all-weather interceptor version of the F-86A Sabre, the F-95A (F-86D).

 

As the YF-95, the Sabre Dog completed a successful first flight on December 22, 1949, later on July 24, 1950, the designation was changed to YF-86D. The Sabre Dog differed greatly from its cousin, while externally similar to the F-86A there was only 25% commonality  between the two aircraft. The F-86D was also the first USAF aircraft to carry an all missile armament, and was the first all weather interceptor to be operated by one pilot, operating the radar and  flight controls. 

 

F-86D production began in 1951, but problems with developing both the E-3 and E-4 onboard electronics led to production delays until spring 1953, although the first "D", serial number 50-455, was accepted in March 1951, and about thirty-five early F-86-1s were equipped with the less powerful HughesE-3 system, a forerunner of the E-4 fire control system.

 

F-86Ds were constantly upgraded as newer electronics and better jet engines were developed, both of which had been far behind in development. The F-86D-5 was the first to use the EA system, which did not arrive at North American Aviation until December 1951, and which still did not perform correctly. It was not until April 1953 that properly equipped and fully functioning F-86D Sabres began serving with Air Defense Command squadrons. Even at that time, problems with the fuel systems caused additional engine problems, resulting in all F-86Ds being grounded by December 1953 for nearly two months. Additional effort was needed to correct these mounting problems. This was accomplished under Project Pullout beginning in March 1954. This program cost $100 million and covered 1,128 F-86Ds, which needed up to three hundred, changes to correct each aircraft.

 

Following the F-86-5, the -10 had a powered rudder without trim tabs. The D-15 used a single-point refueling location, which allowed the inner fuel tanks to be refueled from one receptacle in about five minutes for rapid turnarounds.

 

F-86Ds were faster than the F-86As, despite the F-86D being heavier. On November 19, 1952, Captain Slade Nash flew an F-86-20, serial number 51-2945, from El Centro Naval Air Station to the Salton Sea, a dry lake bed in southern California. His mission was to break the world speed record set by an F-86A. Captain Nash flew the required four passes over the three-kilometer course at just over one hundred feet setting a new world record at 698.5 miles per hour, breaking the F-86A's record.

 

The F-86-25 could release its wing tanks in combat, as could other F-86 models. The -30 added an automatic approach control but returned to a manually operated rudder with trim tabs. The -35 added a VOR set.

 

On July 16, 1953, Lieutenant Colonel William F. Barns, who was assigned to North American, flew the first F-8D-35, serial number 51-145, over the Salton Sea and set a faster world speed record at 715.7 miles per hour. His "D" was unique because it used wing fences that were not built onto production F-Ds to control the air flow.

 

The F-8DA-40 added the J47-GE-17B jet engine producing 7,500 pounds of thrust with afterburner allowing the F-86D to climb nearly vertically. The D45 was the first to use a dragchute pack to slow the Sabre on its landing roll. The D45 had a wider tail point beneath its rudder (but above the engine exhaust) for housing the parachute pack. D45s from serial number 52-4136 used the J47-GE-33 engine, capable of pushing the F-86D at 693 miles per hour. The D-50, D-55 and D-60 were similar with several electronics modifications.

 

F-86Ds equipped fighter-interceptor units in the United States beginning with the 97th Squadron in March 1951. McChord's 317th FIS and the 465th FIS's received their first aircraft in late 1953. During  the 1950's F-86D's became  the most prominent Interceptor in 25th Air Division arsenal, flying from 5 bases in a total of 14 squadrons, 6 being redesignations that occurred on August 18, 1955, in a program named "Project Arrow" which to return displaced squadrons back to their WWII Wings.  F-86D served in more than 100 USAF & ANG squadrons until June 1961.

 

In later years, many F-86Ds were modernized and redesignated F-86L retaining the external appearance of the "D", but were improved in many respects. The "L" was the swan song for the F-86 Sabre as an interceptor for the United States Air Force. The F-86K, an export version, had four 20mm cannons and no rocket pod. and a modified fire control system. 

 

At its peak, Air Defense Command had twenty wings equipped with F-86Ds in the US, Europe and the Far East. Because none had in-flight refueling, they were usually shipped onboard aircraft carriers to other countries while partially disassembled and cocooned in an anti-corrosion outer covering. By April 1958, all F-86Ds were removed from Air Defense Command, and some were transferred to the Air National Guard, which flew them until June 1961. F-86Ds later equipped several foreign air forces, including Japan, Turkey, and Denmark.