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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 0639.PDF
14 March 1952 287 WE MEET A MAJOR -for a Chat about Migs, Sabres and Chinese Polishing Major James A. Jabara, U.S.A.F., the subject of this interview. 1AST Sunday afternoon in London was more depressing than usual; but we walked into a Piccadilly hotel, shook hands with a dark-visaged young major in U.S.A.F. blue, and were soon up-along with him in a Sabre over the Korean battlefront. At least, one could easily imagine so once he had lit his cigar and got to talking. And without appearing in any sense what we "Britishers" would term a line-shooter, the major is a good talker; which is fortunate for him, for, on the invitation of the Chief of Air Staff, he has been ad dressing R.A.F pilots and staff officers on the gentle art of Mig-mauling (see page 309). The name: Major James A. Jabara; principal decorations, Distinguished Flying Cross (three times) and Distinguished Service Cross (twice); two-war combat record, nine German aircraft and six Mig-i5s. The first conversational pawn was deftly moved into the square marked Mig versus Sabre, and the major followed us as closely as if we had been wearing North Korean markings (a red star with an inner red circle and outer blue circle, as he explained for our edification). The Mig-15 intercepter—for it was designed exactly as that—is, in his opinion, faster above 35,000ft than the F-86A and E. (Perhaps the critical level is 33,000, perhaps 36,000; too little is yet known for precision on this point.) But the difference does not appear great—five or six knots at 35,000ft or so, building up as height increases to 50,000ft. And lest there should be any doubt concerning the last figure, Major Jabara assured us that both the American and the Russian machine can attain it, though at levels of this order it is impossible to pull more than one or two g in manoeuvring. Below 35,000ft the Sabre has it all over the Mig in level speed and manoeuvrability; and it can go firmly on record that Major Jabara does not consider the Mig to be capable of supersonic speed. As for range and diving speed, the Sabre is superior regardless of height. On the subject of speed the major maintained that a much slower aircraft—even a Vampire—might bag a Mig if one were "bounced" as it might well be, while flying at cruising thrust; and for most of its time at altitude (35-40 minutes without drop tanks) the Mig is probably using about 90 per cent power. Two or three minutes are required to work up to top speed and this sluggishness to accel erate is one of the reasons why the slower Thunderjets have had more victories than defeats—a second, of course, being their use of the excellent American radar gun-sight, whereas the Migs probably have some outmoded type of gyro-sight. The secret of the radar sight is that the range of the target is automatically fed into a computor so that the Sabre pilot literally has the measure of his target at all times. The major recalled somewhat ruefully that the Communists had captured one of these radar sights as long ago as December, 1950, when the first F-84E landed in their lines. And as in estimation of firing range, so is the Sabre superior in range in terms of miles and endurance in hours. It could, in fact, fly to the Yalu hunting-ground from its base 250 miles or so away and return even without recourse to drop-tanks, though it would have only five minutes' combat-time remaining. Naturally, the general practice is to take the extra fuel along. As is well known, the Sabre has an exceptionally high performance even with the wing tanks in place (the major's Machmeter was indicating 0.95 in a wing-tanked Sabre during his last combat); but inevitably they detract from speed and manoeuvrability. Their value in Korea is that they allow an easy 25-30 min sweep-and-combat in the Yalu area. • This matter of range brought Major Jabara round to the make up of the Sabre as a fighting aircraft. Like the Mig, it is an inter cepter; but not only is it much superior in range, and is thus suitable for escort and penetration work, but it is heavier built, and, in his view, structurally sounder. As for its armament of six 0.5m guns, he openly confessed that he would trade them for tour 20 mms, which combination, he said, would be fitted on all new U.S.A F fighters. But he would never exchange his 50s tor the 1 x 37 mm plus 2 x 23 mm formula of the Mig. He had something especially interesting to say about this Russian armament—that the 37 mm shells appear to be fused to explode at a set range (1,200ft or so), so that there is little danger from this particular gun if one is ahead of or behind this point. The gun can often be seen puffing smoke as it fires at its slow rate. If the Sabre can get in a good burst in the engine/cockpit region it means exit for the Mig-man, either on ethereal wings or in his ejector seat; and notwithstanding "informed opinion" to the con trary, the Mig does have an ejector seat, which the occupant is often only too eager to resort to at an awkward moment—even if his Mig should fall into a spin, for instance, while ample room remains for recovery. Multi 50-calibre hits on a Mig wing (which carries no fuel) can give very disappointing results indeed, and then the need of cannon is particularly apparent. Since Major Jabara left Korea last May the tactics and discipline of the Communist pilots have discernibly improved. Formerly, after breaking formation, a number of them seemed to lack initia tive, V.H.F. instructions (in Russian, averred the major) not withstanding. The leaders are now very good indeed. In the early combats the Migs flew in what he described as a Luftwaffe gaggle, but now they are using the finger-four combat formation, as do the Americans themselves, and some very good teamwork has lately been observed on the part of Migs thus arrayed. The business in hand is too fast and furious for individu alists : teamwork does the trick. The U.S.A.F. medium bombers having denied the Migs the use of airfields in North Korea, the Communist fighters are operating from two fields north of the Yalu. From these they are often to be seen taking off and landing and appear to behave much as an F-86. On one of the fields—Antung—there are two excellent runways, upon one of which Migs are often to be seen ranged ready to scramble from either end of the second. There are dispersal pens, but, said the major, "they don't disperse too much." Making Tracks He had some observations on the subject of contrails, which can, of course, be a benefit or a handicap. Often during activity in the Yalu area the Communists, with their radar, are well aware of the presence of Sabre formations; but, unless the Migs are at contrail height, the Sabres may be unaware of their location. The critical height, of course, varies with temperature. Usually around 32,000ft, it may be as low as 27,000, and on occasions it has even been necessary to ascend to 40,000 or even 46,000ft to get above it. When we had thrashed out the Mig/Sabre business as well as we could without kicking over the traces of security, we turned to more general considerations of the Korean conflict. About 80 per cent of the United Nations air effort, the major reminded us, is now deployed to tactical ends for the direct or indirect support of ground forces. In this, strong opposition is met from 20 mm and 40 mm flak, some of it radar-controlled, and losses have been rela tively heavy. Nor have the B-29S been having things all their own way, and daylight operations have been very seriously curtailed. Enemy bomber action has been slight since November, when eleven Tu-2s and four cf their Mig escort were slaughtered in five minutes. There is a big reserve force of Tupolevs and other air craft in the Mukden area. Much of the enemy's slight bombing effort has been made by Po-2s (Tiger Moth equivalent) using hand grenades and mortar shells. No ground-strafing Yaks have been seen since last April. The night-flying B-29S are now meeting with opposition in the form of twin-jet night-fighters, but these do not seem to be very aggressive at present—in fact one at least has joined formation with a Superfortress. We have already noted Major Jabara's assurance that all new U.S.A.F. fighters (by which we inferred single-seaters) will have four 20-mm guns. It was perhaps too much to hope that he might have told us something of the improved Sabre—the more sharply swept F-100; but though he admitted he had seen the mock-up, he would say nothing except that it is going to be a very good fighter indeed, and quite a large one. The major concluded the session by giving us a recognition wrinkle which will interest the spotters, for it concerns the Mig-15 itself. Insignia are as we have already described. The nose is painted bright red and the finish is brilliant silver—"like a shiny dollar"—so waxed and polished that the major estimates that about 400 Chinese are kept busy polishing each Mig ... H. F. K.
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