As designers will tell you, if it looks right, it is right. Well, the North American F-86 Sabre just really looks right. Really right. With its sleek swept wings the Sabre was an elegant warplane. North American had started the XP-86 project in 1945 and when German data(and engineers) became available post-war, the design adopted swept wings, settling on 35 degrees. The first production P-86A flew on May 18, 1948, several months after the MiG-15, its classic rival and adversary in countless dogfights in “MiG Alley” during the Korean War. In addition to its pleasing aesthetics, the Sabre is one of the most-produced warplanes, with 9,502 built by North American as well as licensed versions built in Japan, Canada, Italy and Australia.
My idea for this thread is to have a repository of F-86 scale model pictures. We can post our Sabre builds in one place allowing others to see different finishes, both natural metal and camouflaged. It will also allow other modelers to see how the various model copanies have represented this great classic warbird over the years. Please post pictures of your F-86 model, in any scale. Hopefully,we’ll have a nice collection of planes to enjoy all together in one “place”. Thanks for your participation everyone!
Gary
I’ll get things started with my one and only Sabre so far. It’s the Monogram 1/48 version that was boxed in combination with a MiG-15 in 1987. My plane bears the markings of Capt. Charles McSwain. His plane was “Mike’s Bird”, an F-86F-30 of the 39th FIS/ 51st FIW, Korea, summer of 1953. I finished this model in SnJ aluminum with some panels polished with the SnJ aluminum powder to various degrees. The decals are Microscale Decal no. 48-198.
Okay folks, now let’s see those Sabres that I know are out there!! Enjoy!
Hey, Gary. I’ll get mine posted soon. Hopefully tonight, but no promises there. I’m getting ready for a long trip to Florida tomorrow, but I’ll do my best to get mine up there.
Okey-Dokey. Here’s my Revell 1/48th North American F-86D Sabre Dog that I built way back in October 2005. Unfortunately, I only have one picture of it right now. I’ll take some more when I get time. Anyways, the kit is real gem (if I remember correctly), and the decals were a breeze. The only problems I had were masking off the nose cone for the paint (you’ll see what I’m talking about in the picture) and very thin white-stripe decal, and masking off the anti-glare shield. The anti-glare shield was a bear because I was using Testors Metalizer Silver for the over-all finish, and I couldn’t find anything that would stick very well to it (I think I finally used Post-It Notes, but I just don’t remember for sure). I scratch-built the seat cushions (they’re red) and the seat belts, which I thought came out pretty good for my first, and, so far, only time ever attempting scratch-building. The rest of the kit is outadabox, including decals. It’s is easily one of the easiest but well-detailed kits that I have ever built (and it’s not a Tamiya or Hasegawa kit!!). The kit represents the actual aircraft that is on display at the US Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. Of course, I didn’t know this until about a year after I had completed the kit. I coulda went over there and got lots of reference pictures before I built it!! Oh well…
Thanks for the kind words! My Sabre looks okay from a distance. [:)]
Dang Gary, that’s a fine lookin’ Dog! It’s such a nice, clean build. How did you make the seat cushions? I have this kit in the stash and I’ve always thought it would look great posed with my other Sabre. One of these days I’m gonna get myself organized (apologies to Travis Bickle, lol) and put that one together. I’m glad you added yours to this thread. Now, we need some more too…Thanks a million, Gary.
A couple of good looking Sabre’s from Monogram and Revell Gary and Dawg !
This next one is the Hasegawa !/48th kit . It depicts Lt. Jim Thompsons Sabre “The Huff” . After Lt. Thompson shot down a Mig 15 that had a large dragon painted on its side his crew chief had a dragon “The Huff” painted on the F-86 .The aircraft was credited with two Mig kills durring missions flown in May and June 1953 .
You know, I just don’t remember for sure how I made the seat cushions. I think I just used some thick sheet styrene, cut them to fit the back and bottom of the seat, drilled out the area just below the headrest, and added seat belts. I’m amazed at what I can forget in just 6 short years. I do remember that I have a reference book called “F-86 Sabre”, and it has great cockpit shots, which is what I used for the scratchbuilding reference. When I get home (I’m on vacation in Daytona Beach right now. Woo Hoo!!! [proplr] [t$t] ), I’ll get the specifics posted for that book.
Glad that you liked my build. Say what you will about the Tamiya vs Hasegawa vs Revell/Monogram argument: The detail might not be as plentiful as the higher-priced kits, but you just can’t beat the Revell/Monogram bang-for-the-buck!
Dawg i think your talking about Hans . I found that unique also that his uncle flew “The Huff”.
I agree with your statement that the Revell and Monoram kits give us a good bang for the buck . I have the Momogram kit of the "The Huff’ in my stash and its a nice kit . Same kit as Gary built but with different decals . Actually the Monogam kit decals are more accurate as far as the artwork on “The Huff”.All of the art work on the starboard side is missing from the Hasegawa kit .
Back in the early '80s while TDY to Hill AFB, Utah to repair one of our planes, I saw a NASA F-86 there on the transient parking ramp. Wish I had a camera with me then. It was white with a blue stripe typical of the NASA planes then.
Very cool Theuns! That’s a great shot of your plane. I love seeing these aircraft in different markings. Yours is the first South African Sabre I’ve seen! [:D[
Boeing used to have a Sabre chase plane . It was a Canadaire Sabre delivered to RCAF and registered 23096 . In 1962 it was delivered to Boeing and registered N8686F .See below pic .
In 1972 it was repainted as in the below pic .
It remained in service until the early 1990’s . N8686F was delivered to the Seattle Museum of Flight in Dec. of 1991 and restored to RCAF markings .
Awesome job on that Sabre, Theuns! How did you like the Academy kit? I’ve got a few in the stash (Academy kits; not necessarily Academy F-86 kits, though…), but the only Academy kit I’ve ever built was the 1/32nd F-18C a few years back, and had a lot of trouble with the landing gear not being able to handle the weight of the kit. Been kinda reluctant to start another Academy kit because of that.
Hey, hey, hey, Shellback!! If you’re gonna show a real plane, then you’d better have a picture of a model of that plane to post as well!! Now, get on it there, sailor, and get that F-86 built!
[proplr] [:P]
Serioulsy, though, thanks a bunch for the info. That would be a great-looking paint job for a build. I’ve been to that Seattle museum about two years ago, and now I’m gonna have to dig through my pictures to see if I’ve got a few of that aircraft. For some reason, I don’t remember that one, but my memory ain’t as good as it used to be, either, or so my wife tells me. At least, I think I’m married. There’s a girl in the room with me giving me a bunch of crap about something. Ok, yep, I’m definitely married…
