Title:

F-86 Sabres of the 4th FIW (In Korea)

Author:

Warren Thompson

Publisher

Osprey

Price

$19.95

Reviewer:

Scott Van Aken

Notes: Full Color

This book continues the series of US units and aircraft in Korea. Like the previous ones before it, it is in full color and offers a wealth of information for both modelers and historians.

The 4th FIW is covered in this volume. The 4th was the first Sabre unit in country and flew F-86A models until they were replaced with F-86Es which stared arriving at the wing in the summer of 1951. Even during that period, they continued to fly the A model until enough Es were available. Later, these E models were augmented and finally supplanted by the F version. While the book doesn't make it clear, a number of Canadair-built aircraft were also flown in Korea by Sabre units and perhaps some of those were also flown by the 4th.

A snippet of information that is not widely known regards the ID bands. It is widely thought that the A models used only the Black and White bands around the wings and fuselage, while the later Es and Fs used the Yellow ID bands. Since there was a phasing in of Es with A models still being flown, a number of the F-86As also used the yellow banding. These can be spotted in photos as they still have the single black stripe on the tail, even though the upper portion of it is covered by the 4 FIW's yellow fin band.  The A model stayed in combat until at least as late as June 1952 and perhaps even later.

It is another fascinating book and if you have any interest in Korea or the F-86, then you need to add this to your library.

Review book courtesy of my library. If anyone from Osprey is reading this, I won't turn down review books! :o)

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