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F-86 Sabre 51-3447 is one of
the original US Supplied F-86. It is on display as a Gate Gaurdian at Sargodha Air Base.
Photo Courtesy: Abbas Ali, HistoryOfPIA.com |
The North American F-86 Sabre had captured
the imagination of the Pakistani Population, similar to the Gnat's in India's context.
Over two hundred examples have served with the PAF, having seen action in the 1965 and the
1971 wars. The Sabres served for nearly two and half decades before being phased out
towards the end of the seventies.
55-5005 is preserved at
Peshawar air base to commemorate the shooting down of the IAF Canberra in 1959. This is
the same aircraft that shot down the IAF aircraft. Pic Courtesy: Alan Warnes, Flypast |
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Of the two hundred F-86s procured about 120
were direct supply from the USA. Another 90 odd Ex-Luftwaffe Canadair built versions were
procured clandestinely via Iran. Today a great majority of the Sabre survivors are the
Orenda engined versions.
A Number of the Sabres are still on decoy
duty on airfields like Faisal or Masroor. A number of these decoys were again given a
fresh lease of life in the 90s. Atleast four Sabres finding thier way to the PAF Museum in
Karachi.
The total number of Sabre survivors is 43.
Of these four are preserved abroad. One was donated to the WCAM museum in Canada, as
it was the last CL-13 produced by Canada. The other F-86 is preserved at the PLAAF Museum
in Beijing, China. The other two CL-13s are preserved in Bangladesh by the BAF.
A comprehensive list of surviving F-86s is
available on Usman Shabbir's Warbirds of Pakistan webpages linked from the first page.
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