The 500th Sabre. The rough writing on the gun cover panel suggests the Life photographer had not been invited to Inglewood to celebrate the milestone number. He was shooting for an article entitled 'Airplane Industry Expansion', probably in response to the outbreak of war in Korea. On the left is serial number 49-1299 (construction number 161-293), wearing its line number 514. The T-28 is also in full production. 49-1285 crashed near the Gunpowder River in Maryland in 1954. The Delaware ANG pilot was killed. Photo by: Edward Clark / Life

New F-86As at the Inglewood factory, now the cargo area at the southeast corner of LAX. The Sabres wear line numbers. 49-1290 is the 283th F-86A in the third production batch and after three XP-86s, 32 in the first batch and 187 in the second, this is indeed the 505th Sabre. The others are 49-1293 / 508, 49-1287 / 502, 49-1300 / 515, 49-1289 / 504, 49-1285 / 500 and 49-1299 / 514. Top right is an early F-86D. Photo by: Edward Clark / Life

Used for ice research. Returned to transport configuration c.1951. Lost in a hangar fire at Dorval, Quebec, on March 19, 1956. Photo from: Library and Archives Canada