MustHave 1/48 F-86K Sabre

 While the end of the WWII  brought hopes for mondial peace, the east-west blocks already led to an other crisis.

Cold war and international tensions forced  old allied to increase their air power supremacy in all directions.

North American which produce the famous F86 Sabre develop an all weather version derivative coded F-86 D. The radar housed in a bulbous nose above the intake lead to a new design of the airframe. Armament consist in a movable rockets bay retracting behind the front gear . To help equipment of the European Nato  countries to counter Soviet threat US government propose a lighter version equipped with 4 cannons integrated in the intake instead of the rocket pack. The fuselage was also modified with a length of 8” extension. The wing geometry also change, the “short “ wing of the first F86 K  increased to become the famous “6-3” geometry.

Foreign countries which used this version were numerous, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Italy, Netherland, Norway, Venezuela.  

 The first 1/48 injected model of  the F-86K come from France, the second kit of MustHave! manufacturor. In the medium size box we find the REVELL  F-86 D kit (drag chute version ) with additional parts. First a new cream color plastic sprue bearing the 2 new half fuselages. The parts are very fine with engraved panels and neat details. It match perfectly the Revell standard level of the kit. The cannon area is very well treated with all vents and apertures. This is important for a bare metal finish, so no trouble on this matter. The 3 other little parts are a new movable rudder (?), the instrument glare shield and the gun sight. Last addition is a photo etched fret with 24 items, a common add-on in many kits. You’ll find the pilot harness, the dashboard with its instruments on acetate, T handles, canopy lock cam, mirror, canopy and fuselage side plates, brake chute doors, scissors for gear legs. Their location on the notice is clearly indicated, a figure in a black round.

The notice is simple to understand, no bad surprise.

The decal sheets are gorgeous with 5 possibilities. 2 French Air Force with 2 silver machines, from ECTT (Escadrille de Chasse Tout Temps - all weather fighting squadron)  2/13 ALPES and 1/13 ARTOIS all based at Colmar-Mayenheim AFB circa 1959. The French K bear a red/white band on the fuselage for better visibility. The squadron emblems were located on it on forward portion. Aircrafts which bear the emblems were rare, and pictures more rare. The coded 13.QV aircraft from 1/13 is well known with  the chimera (left side)and the swallow(right side) drawings painted (see box art). The other aircraft from 2/12 do not bear the emblems, the knights. Take care with the notice, the French flag on rudder is wrong; the blue portion is always on the leading edge (forward) The next aircraft (silver) belong to the Italian AF from 1 stormo; 17 gruppo, Istrana AB in1956. It bears the squadron emblem (an archery) on a blue band on the rudder. The fourth aircraft belong to Norway AF, always silver ,coded 7K-A with a shark mouth on intake and a pilot seated on a Missile in the middle of the left fuselage. Based at GARDERMOEN air station in 1957. The last machine come from the Netherland AF , silver without special markings except national tricolour roundels. It is based at TWENTHE AFB in 1959. The decals are well printed and the stencil sheet contain more than 10 instructions plus the warning plancards and delimitation lines. It is very complete.

For fans of the F-86K, this new kit is a good surprise. Easy to assemble, based on an excellent kit, what’s more to ask for?.

Modellers who would like to get a late version with « 6-3 » wing could easily home made the transformation with the help of a good drawings. Your editor would like to point out that by 1960, nearly all extant F-86Ks had the F-40 extended wing with late build Fiat planes having this added during manufacture. Reference on this is Ray Wagner's F-86 Sabre by Doubleday, 1963.

Recommended without hesitation.

AIR DOC PUBLICATION :ADJP002 N.A F-86 K « SABRE » the Sabre Dog  in Luftwaffe service.

GINTER PUBLICATION: Air force legends n°202/211  N.A SABRE JET F-86 D/K/L (part one / design/structure) and part three (ANG and foreign F-86D/K/L). Sabre sur l’ Alsace (Jerome DO Bentzinger Editor / France).

July 2012.

My thanks to MustHave! for the preview kit.