GeoGraph - photograph every grid square

North American F-86A fighter (1), Kemble Airshow, 2009

This aircraft is almost as much a symbol of the Korean war in 1950 and 1951 as the Spitfire and Hurricane were ten years earlier in the second world war. The suffix 'A' indicates that this plane was one of the first production models of the F-86 series dating from 1948 or 1949. It was a very successful aircraft and several thousand of all variants were manufactured. There is more here on the F-86 here Link In this view the aircraft is just taking off to commence a display. The engine exhaust is noticeably smoky, a feature that was to prove valuable to the Allied forces in Korea as it enabled the plane to be distinguished from the enemy Mig-15 which had a rather 'cleaner' exhaust.