I saw this great image today, taken at the Van Nuys Airport circa 1957, and the first thing I thought was, “Man, that F-86 Sabre is sweet.”
Whomp Whomp
For reference, in 1955, a gently modded California Air National Guard Sabre (F-86A-5-NA 49-1046) piloted by 1LT John M. (“Jack”) Conroy, dubbed the California Boomerang, pulled off a high-speed run from Van Nuys Airport to New York and back in record-setting time.
North American Aviation F-86A-5-NA Sabre 49-1046, “California Boomerang.” (California State Military Museum)