Korean War: F-86 Sabre

The F-86 Sabre was the iconic US aircraft of the Korean War. Introduced in 1949, the F-86 saw extensive service over the Korean Peninsula between 1950 and 1953. Able to achieve supersonic speeds in a dive, the F-86 is best remembered for dueling MiG-15s over the mouth of the Yalu River in an area known as MiG Alley. Equipped with six .50 caliber machine guns, the F-86 was lethal in combat. Of the 40 American pilots to achieve the status of "ace" during the war, 39 flew the F-86. Retired in the late 1950s by the US Air Force, the F-86 was exported heavily and continued to fly in the world's air forces until 1980.

Photograph Courtesy of the US Air Force