North American YF-93

The North American YF-93 was a long-range fighter that grew out of the F-86 Sabre and ended up so different that it received its own designation. North American began the NA-157 design study in 1947 for a penetration fighter that could escort bombers, with much more fuel, a larger wing, dual-wheel main gear, a Pratt & Whitney J48 turbojet with afterburner, a nose-mounted radar and six 20 mm cannon, and flush NACA air inlets in place of the Sabre nose intake. The Air Force first called it the F-86C, then ordered two prototypes as YF-93As and, six months later, 118 production F-93As. That order was cancelled in 1949 once the Boeing B-47 seemed fast enough to need no escort. The two prototypes flew from 1950, lost the penetration fighter fly-off to the XF-88 Voodoo, and then served NACA as chase aircraft until 1956 before being scrapped.