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Fitt, Micahel Harold Peter (Flying Officer)

Killed in Flying Accident 1958-December-02

Birth Date: 1937-January-11 (age 21)

Born: Calcutta, India

Son of Harold and Ethel A. Fitt.

Home: Calcutta, India

Enlistment Date: 1956-02-10

Service
RCAF
Unit
2 (F) Wing- Wing
Rank
Flying Officer
Marshal
Air Chief MarshalA/C/M
Air MarshalA/M
Air Vice MarshalA/V/M
Air CommodoreA/C
Group CaptainG/C
Wing CommanderW/C
Squadron LeaderS/L
Flight LieutenantF/L
Flying OfficerF/O
Pilot OfficerP/O
Warrant Officer 1st ClassWO1
Warrant Officer 2nd ClassWO2
Flight SergeantFS
SergeantSGT
CorporalCPL
Senior AircraftmanSAC
Leading AircraftmanLAC
Aircraftman 1st ClassAC1
Aircraftman 2nd ClassAC2
Position
Pilot
Service Numbers
243691

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Home
Google MapCalcutta, India
Burial
Google MapCholoy War Cemetery
Plot 3 Row B Grave 3

Sabre 23638

North American Sabre F-86 CAC FJ-2 FJ-3 CA-27 CL-13

Source: Harold A Skaarup Web Page (RCAF Photo)
Canadair CL-13 Sabre Mk. 5 (Serial No. 23066), Golden Hawks

The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Soviet MiG-15 in high-speed dogfights in the skies of the Korean War (1950"“1953), fighting some of the earliest jet-to-jet battles in history. Considered one of the best and most important fighter aircraft in that war, the F-86 is also rated highly in comparison with fighters of other eras. Although it was developed in the late 1940s and was outdated by the end of the 1950s, the Sabre proved versatile and adaptable and continued as a front-line fighter in numerous air forces.

Its success led to an extended production run of more than 7,800 aircraft between 1949 and 1956, in the United States, Japan, and Italy. In addition, 738 carrier-modified versions were purchased by the US Navy as FJ-2s and -3s. Variants were built in Canada and Australia. The Canadair Sabre added another 1,815 aircraft and the significantly redesigned CAC Sabre (sometimes known as the Avon Sabre or CAC CA-27), had a production run of 112. The Sabre is by far the most-produced Western jet fighter, with a total production of all variants at 9,860 units.

The fighter-bomber version (F-86H) could carry up to 2,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs, including an external fuel-type tank that could carry napalm. Unguided 2.75-inch (70-millimeter) rockets were used on some fighters on training missions, but 5-inch (127 mm) rockets were later carried on combat operations. The F-86 could also be fitted with a pair of external jettisonable jet fuel tanks (four on the F-86F beginning in 1953) that extended the range of the aircraft. Both the interceptor and fighter-bomber versions carried six 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M3 Browning machine guns with electrically-boosted feed in the nose (later versions of the F-86H carried four 20 mm (0.79 in) cannon instead of machine guns). Firing at a rate of 1,200 rounds per minute, the 0.50-inch guns were harmonized to converge at 1,000 ft (300 m) in front of the aircraft, using armor-piercing (AP) and armor-piercing incendiary (API) rounds, with one armor-piercing incendiary tracer (APIT) for every five AP or API rounds. The API rounds used during the Korean War contained magnesium, which were designed to ignite upon impact, but burned poorly above 35,000 ft (11,000 m) as oxygen levels were insufficient to sustain combustion at that height. Initial planes were fitted with the Mark 18 manual-ranging computing gun sight. The last 24 F-86A-5-Nas and F-86Es were equipped with the A-1CM gunsight-AN/APG-30 radar, which used radar to automatically compute a target's range, which later proved to be advantageous against MiG opponents over Korea. Wikipedia

Wkikpedia Wikipedia North American F-86 Sabre

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

YouTube YouTube F-86 Sabre Aerobatics - No Music! - Airshow London 2018

RCAF Roundel F-86 (Canadair Sabre) Part Manual Volume I

RCAF Roundel F-86 (Canadair Sabre) Part Manual Volume II

RCAF Roundel F-86 (Canadair Sabre) Maintenance and Diagrams (Partial Document)

last update: 2023-09-02 14:46:28

Sabre 6 23638

First flight 19 Jan 1956. Delivered to No. 1 Air Division 416 (F) Squadron RCAF Station Grostenquin. Seen in full camouflage, coded "AX*638". Cat A crash 2 Dec 1958. Engine flame-out on takeoff, pilot ejected too Low. Strike off. 1 fatal. Flying Officer Michael H.P. Fitt.

General Aviation Safety.net



1956-01-09 Taken on Strength 2022-02-07
1958-12-17 Struck off Strength 2022-02-07

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