QF-86F Sabre Aerial Target: Airfix 1/48 F-86F-40 Sabre
Hi Everyone:
This is my second F-86 that I have built for the F-86 Sabre and FJ Fury Group. I plan to do one more Sabre before I call it quits on Sabres for a while. This is also my second all-NMF Sabre. Prior to these two NMF Sabres I had only done one other all-NMF model. The next Sabre will be in camo.
I have always liked the paint schemes on the various planes used for aerial targets, and my first inclination was to build a Sabre drone with lots of high vis paint. I have been using a book in the Naval Fighters Series called "North American QF-86E/F/H/Sabre: Full Scale Aerial Targets" by Duncan Curtis. The markings on these planes started out very simple, and then evolved into very complex and colorful by the end of their life. I thought it might be fun to build the very first QF-86F drone in very simple markings. The large number on the tail indicates the order in which the plane was converted, in this case, the large 01 on the tail indicates it was the first F-86F converted. It was also the QF-86F shot down. The markings were fairly simple, although I robbed decals from 5 or 6 sheets in my spares. The conversion of the model itself was fairly simple as there are few external differences between the F-86F and the QF-86F. The conversion of the kit consisted of adding a small TV camera on the nose, adding a small antenna on the nose, removing the gunsight, and adding a drone control box just above the instrument panel.
The Airfix kit is really nice and went together well. Everything seemed to fit well. The only issues I had were some engineering decisions that put some really large ejector pin marks in some very visible locations, and some very large sprue attachments in others. Overall, it was enjoyable to build.
Now, on to the 1/72 Airfix F-86E(M) in Honduran colors. Cheers.
Very nice other George
Interest scheme!
Hi George (@blackadder57) (my brother from another mother) and Dan (@dbdlee): Thanks for the kind words. I usually go for a paint scheme that really stands out, but on this one I went the other way toward more subdued.
Nice build George, @gblair, that Airfix kit looks pretty good. A little bit different role than what the F-86 was designed for, but at least it didn't go to waste in the desert like so many other aircraft.
Thanks, Walt (@luftwaffe-birdman). Aside from the few irritating design decisions they made on this kit, Airfix has made a really nice kit. The F-86 was such a beautiful plane that it was a shame that they were used as targets.
This is another beautiful Sabre, George @gblair
Besides great results on the NMF, also the interior looks perfect.
Thanks for sharing the building progress, it was a pleasure to follow and very educational.
Thanks, John (@johnb). Looking forward to yours coming to Headlines. Won't be long.
It’s a beauty, George!
Very nice photographs too!
Looking forward to the next Sabre.
Thanks, Alfred (@alfred). Appreciate you following along. Yours will be here soon.
My pleasure.
The weathering on the nmf finish is really, really nice, George @gblair!
Thanks, Felix (@fxrob). I like to weather my models, but NMF is a different sort of weathering that I had not really tried before. When you look at photos of the actual QF-86s, they weren't dirty but they did look like the metal had aged. That was the look I was going for.
Nice result, George.
Thanks for stopping by, John (@j-healy).
Fantastic result out of the seemingly good Airfix kit, George! The chosen scheme is really distinctive and you replicated it perfectly!
Congratulations!
Thanks, Spiros (@fiveten). Looking forward to your camo version.
Well done, George @gblair. That Airfix Sabre seems like a good kit. Wonder if it’s a step ahead of Hasegawa? I see you used a Ginter book for reference. Aren’t they great for obscure subjects?
Hi, Eric (@eb801): The Airfix kit was fun to build, but suffers a little from poor design decisions, such as poorly chosen sprue attachment points and ejector pin marks that are very visible. Everything fit like a glove. I am building the 1/72 Airfix F-86E(M) now, and it is another nice kit. The Hasegawa is also a nice kit and I think it is a little simpler build. I am a s****r for cool paint schemes, and drones have a bunch of them. At some point in the future, I plan to build a QF-16, a QT-38, a QF-4, and a QT-33. The QF-86 book was really invaluable. I have had it for a while, but I read all of it while I was building this model. Cool info.
Congratulations on another fine build George (@gblair). It turned out as nice as I expected from your build photos. It was a pleasure to follow along with this build and I am continually reminded of the utility you are making of your 3D printer set up.
Weathering that metal finish must have been a challenge. Trying to get the colors right without making it look muddy and you did great in that regard.
Thanks for following along, Carl (@clipper). I will be following along on your FJ for sure. I mottled some gunmetal and some Tamiya Metallic Gray to create the aged metal. If I was to build this again, I think I would use semi-gloss clear as the final layer.
A good-looking Sabre! I'm really interested to see your Honduran version...
Thanks for stopping by, Greg (@gkittinger). The Honduran Sabre is in Headlines and in the F-86/Fury group. I am now working on my 4th and final Sabre, an F-86E.