[Blueflag]

Only the Brits would scramble ONE single-pilot aircraft (only one eye witness) armed with 24 ground attack missiles (Sabres could not carry 24 air-to-air anything except gun rounds) to attack something the size of an aircraft carrier ... that might be armed itself.

Despite the official nature of this ‘report’ it has BS all over it.

[cayuga]

(Sabres could not carry 24 air-to-air anything except gun rounds

Wrong. He was flying the F-86D version. It had no guns, only a belly pack with 24 folding-fin air to air unguided rockets.

[mdmathis6]

They might have been testing new radar configuration and camouflage and didn’t need a whole squadron of sabres up there just a control jet with weapons radar on (with a pilot with attitude) at the stick!

[Hulka]

Actually, it was an American jet with an American fighter pilot.

Scramble launch with a single interceptor for a single target sounds very reasonable. And, by the way, American controllers were serving alongside the Brit controllers back then (even today we have exchange officers). If the situation appeared threatening at time of launch then I am sure more jets would have been launched at this stationary target.

[uncbob]

Despite the official nature of this ‘report’ it has BS all over it.

Agree

[airdalechief]

The F-86D had no guns.

Its armament consisted of 24 70-millimeter (2.75-inch) unguided “folding-fin air rockets (FFAR)”, stored in a belly tray that could be lowered in half a second. The rockets could be fired in salvos of 6, 12, or 24 at intruding bomber formations.

Each rocket had a range of over 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) and a warhead weighing 3.4 kilograms (7.5 pounds).

[Oztrich Boy]

Only the Brits would scramble ONE single-pilot aircraft (only one eye witness) armed with 24 ground attack missiles (Sabres could not carry 24 air-to-air anything except gun rounds) to attack something the size of an aircraft carrier ... that might be armed itself.

It was the radar equipped F-86D model (not the F-85F shown). Their sole armament was 24 FFAR (2.75" Folding Fin aircraft rockets). The idea was to close to a SovUn bomber swarm, spray and pray, and go home. Most airforces used 30mm cannon, but some reason US aircraft designers in the early 50s had some reluctance to go heavier than the 50 cal machine guns their grandfathers used

[Quix]

Oh really?

I suppose you were there?

Oh, I know, you were in charge!

Or you promulgated the regs for such incidents.

Or your logic just happens to trump reality far and wide.

sooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooo

IMPRESSIVE.

[Little Ray]

The F-86D was an all-weather interceptor armed with a retractable box launcher of 24 air to air rockets; later on it added a pair of Sidewinders. It didn't look much like the picture; it had a large radome on the nose.
The rockets were aimed using a radar sight. A similar aircraft was the Northrop F-89 Scorpion; it had even more rockets, and, later on, a pair of Genie unguided nuclear missiles.

Unfortunately, these rockets weren't very accurate; they were intended for use against bomber boxes similar to what was deployed in WWII. CV sized or not, though, most, if not all, of those rockets would have missed!

[SunkenCiv]

> (Sabres could not carry 24 air-to-air anything except gun rounds)

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=362

The interception radar (from Hughes Aircraft Co.) and associated fire-control computed the target’s position, guided the aircraft on an intercept course to within 500 yards of the target, lowered the retractable tray of 24 rockets, and fired the rockets automatically. The effect of these weapons would have been devastating to an enemy bomber because each 2.75-inch Mighty Mouse folding fin aircraft rocket (FFAR) contained the power of a 75mm artillery shell.

[saminfl]

(Sabres could not carry 24 air-to-air anything except gun rounds)

Actually 24 2.75 inch "Mighty Mouse" rockets were the only armament the F-86D carried.