Which plane is which?

Published 11:58 am Wednesday, July 8, 2015

In the skies over Korea, the American F-86 Sabre and the Soviet-built MiG-15 looked quite similar. It was very difficult to tell one smoky silver speck from another. A few seconds of indecision could prove deadly. Even up close, the two planes still look quite similar — intake up front, swept wings, and little bubble canopy. One of the most distinctive features of the planes was their tails. An F-86 has horizontal stabilizers that are attached to the rear of the fuselage. The MiG’s stabilizers are located high on the plane’s vertical tail. You can see both — and test your identification skills — at this year’s FHC SkyFair on July 25 here at Paine Field. The Planes of Fame Museum is scheduled to bring examples to the FHC’s annual air/ground spectacular!