F-86 - canopy markings

[Brewster Buffalo]

Just been watching Robert Mitchum driving his F-86 against the red hordes (of F-84s?) in "The Hunters" Korean war movie.

Either side of his head there are a series of lines painted on the F-86 canopy. The rear ones are just forward of vertical and then the next is a few degrees towards horizontal and so on. About four or five in total.

Anyone know what they are for??

[MReyn24050]

Are these the ones?
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c67/sabamel/WSPortrait2.jpg
or the ones shown on this canopy?
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c67/sabamel/F86wba15c.jpg

[norwich]

Surely are they not explosive charges, designed to shatter the canopy before ejection, or have I been dreaming all these years ???? Keith.

[treadigraph]

Bob Hoover talks in his book "Forever Flying" about marking F-86 canopies with lines to help the pilots accurately judge dive angles while bombing in the Korean War. Perhaps those?

[evansb]

I think the lines in the F-86 canopy are Bolton fusible conductors, which are embedded with the canopy material (perspex) and further connected to electrical power such that a high energy pulse of current initiates crack propagation in the canopy. The plan is to have the cracks propagate before the ejection seat strikes the canopy. All this in the event that the pilot was unable to eject the canopy before seat ejection. The Military forum would probably answer this question better than I have.

As an aside, I have heard that canopies that are not designed to be ejected, have had radio antenna embedded in the plexiglass as an aerodynamic feature.

The calibration marks in the latter photograph may indeed be aiming aids.

[Brian Abraham]

The canopy lines in the upper photo is the ADF sense aerial. The ADF loop aerial is the dome behind the headrest. The F-86 canopy was jettisoned prior to ejection.

[Brewster Buffalo]

The lower photo shows what I mean on the sliding canopy. (thanks for photos Mreyn)

Treadigraph's explanation seems logical. In fact if you look at the end of the lines you can something written - degrees of angle?

[Brian Abraham]

While poking around on the net came across the following page which talks about the effect of speedbrakes on the dive angle when making attacks. When making a ground attack the use of speed brakes allowed the dive angle to be increased by 52° over the angle without brakes. Perhaps as has been suggested the markings in the lower photo are an aid to achieving the correct angle of dive.
http://www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com/Images/Sabre/F-86/F86FSpeed%20Breaks.pdf

[MReyn24050]

The aircraft in the lower photograph at Post #2 is Mike Keenum'f F86 NX188RL "MiG Mad Marine". The following is an extract from the Warbird Alley website describing the aircraft.
http://www.warbirdalley.com/articles/F86-sf.htm
Mike's marvelous machine is restored in the colors and markings of "MiG Mad Marine/Lynn Annie Dave I," which was flown by then-USMC Major John Glenn, Jr., when he flew as an exchange pilot with the 51st Fighter Intercept Wing in Korea. Glenn scored three kills in the original airplane (not this restoration). Glenn's Sabre was also unusual because the nose art refers not only to himself, but also to his family, by the addition of the label, "Lyn Annie Dave I" forward of the primary nose art. Like many combat aircraft, Glenn's nose art appeared only on the left side. At a convention some years ago, an ace from another war was asked if his nose art was painted on both sides of the airplane. "How would I know?" he replied. "I only got in from the left!" Keenum's faithful reproduction of the original artwork extends to the name on the left canopy rail: "Maj. Glenn."

[Brewster Buffalo]

Their Sabres had a decal applied to the inside of the canopy on the starboard side, which indicated 8 primary dive-bombing angles to assist pilots in making their attacks.http://wikipedia.ketsujin.com/index.php/North_American_F-86_Sabre

Although the photos do seem to show the markings on both sides...

[Lucky Six]

A little off thread but when were ejector seats first fitted to the F86. I know that they were not fitted initially. I am not sure if the seats displayed in these photos were ejector seats.

Can anyone help?

[Brewster Buffalo]

The cockpit was equipped with an ejection seat with armor plating behind the seat to protect the pilot and ejection mechanism.Wiki again...this part from detailed description of the F-86A so they must have had them from the start.

[Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!]

They needed al the help they could get on dive bombing missions as they were very hard on the human body. In fact those two photos were taken before and after a single mission!

[Brian Abraham]

The 86A was fitted with the T-4E-1 ejection seat. The only mention I find of the XP-86 and ejection seats is a document titled "XP-86 Ejection Seat Tests" carried out on 28th August 1947. From that I guess the answer would be "Affirmative". See http://arcweb.archives.gov/arc/action/ExternalIdSearch?id=66914%20342&Gsm=2008-01-04

[Sabre-86 K]

The "canopy markings" are the ADF "sense antenna" - the "loop antenna" is visible behind "the driver seat".

ex-RNoAF