F-86 SABRE TYPE A-4 VARIABLE GUN SIGHT SELECTOR

Located at the lower left on the F-86 Sabre’s armament pedestal, the Type A-4 Fixed Gun Sight Selector enabled the pilot to toggle between the operational modes of the aircraft’s targeting system i.e - bomb, gun, or rocket.

The unit consisted of a Sight Function Selection lever which when set at GUN, BOMB, or ROCKET adjusted the gyroscopic sight system to the required function.

Moving the lever to ROCKET electrically caged (locked) the gun site which could be automatically returned from either BOMB or ROCKET when the pilot pressed the Radar Reject button on the control stick grip.

The Target Speed Switch was used to control the 'lead angle' according to the speed variance between the attacking aircrfat and its target.

When a high speed attack was made on a slow moving target, the switch would be set to LOW.  The switch would be set at HI when the speed of the target was the same as the pursuing aircraft.

A Rocket Depression Angle Selection lever depressed the pilots gun sight image in increasing amounts through the full range of the outside 'mil scale'. This was determined on the ground to match each of the various rocket ordinance with the 'Index Markers 1-4' being moved around the outside scale as a visual reference only. A small tab near the 50-mil marker on the unit's face would be pulled out to unlock the Index Markers, allowing them to be repositioned around the Unit's face.

The Unit was linked to the Saber’s gyroscope computer and range finding radar, which calculated and displayed accurate firing telemetry to the Sabre’s A-4 gun-sight.

** The model depicted above is the 1/48 larger scale Australian CAC Avon F-86 Sabre but purchasers can opt for either of 2 different USAF configurations and colour schemes or 2 versions of the Australian RAAF CAC Avon Sabre - all with options of wheels up or down, airbrakes open or closed and cockpit open or closed. 

This F-86 Sabre Instrument comes complete with detailed Scale Model, Mango Wood Stand & Plaque plus Printed Fact Sheet featuring photo of instrument in aircraft cockpit.

* Note that this F-86 Sabre Instrument is pictured with a 1/48 scale model rather than the standard detailed, but smaller 1/72 scale. Click on the ‘Model Upgrade' options at the top of this page for the larger, detailed 1/48 or Super detailed 1/32 scale.

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