The Royal Hellenic Air Force (EBA) started receiving F-86Es in 1954. These were surplus Canadair built CL-13 Sabres, which were handed through the Military Assistance Program (MAP).
Prior to handling, they were overhauled and their wings were modified to larger, unslatted ones (known as “hard”or 6-3 “wing”).
The works took place in both Canada by Canada Ltd. and in the UK by Bristol Aeroplane Ltd. with modification kits provided from Canadair.
The resulting Sabres were renamed F-86E(M), where “M” stood for “Modified” and it is worth mentioning that the above general maintenance (together with the one for similarly provided Turkish F-86Es) was reportedly done at the expense of the UK, in exchange for US funding for development of the Hunter, Javelin and Canberra.
The official integration ceremony of the Hellenic Sabres took place on July 2, 1954, with the first examples having arrived a few days earlier at 112CW Elefsis AFB.
Training of the first Greek teams would take place there soon after by RCAF personnel accompanied by Canadair and General Electric representatives, with the Greek teams receiving favorable comments regarding their overall skills and adaptivity to the type.
The plane undertook to equip the newly formed 341,342 and 343 MAH (Day Intercepting Squadrons). Initially based at 112CW, they were then moved to 114CW (Tanagra AFB) to complete their training.
In May 1958, 343MAH moved to 111CW (Nea Anchialos AFB), followed in January 1960 by 341MAH, leaving only 342MAH in Tanagra.
In 1961, 343MAH switched to F-86D Sabre Dogs, while in May 1962 342MAH switched to F-84Fs, assigning its Sabres to 341MAH, which, in turn, started switching to F-5As from June 1965.
Thus, 341MAH was the last Greek Squadron operating the Sabre, a formidable plane that effectively offered its services to the Hellenic Air Force for more than a decade.
Academy came in 1998 with their very good new tool quarter scale unslatted F-86, two years after the Hasegawa offering (Hasegawa offers also the slatted versions).
By that time both kits were considered state of the art, easily holding their own today (2024).
The Hasegawa possibly has a slight advantage in some areas (like the intake duct innards, which are way less compromised), but the Academy offers, at a notably lower price, a full engine that can be displayed with the fuselage split in front and rear halves, with a very nice dolly holding the rear fuselage, making an interesting display.
The kit was built through our friend's Geroge Blair @gblair Sabre/Fury GB. should you wish to read the full build review, you may do so by visiting my beloved site Modelingmadness:
https://modelingmadness.com/review/korean/us/usaf/fighter/pen86m.htm
Happy Modelling!
Looks good, Spiros, with your usual excellent camo painting method! @fiveten
Thank you so much, my friend @robgenev665!
Very neat work as usual, Spiros, and an informative write-up.
Thank you kindly, my friend @chinesegeorge!
Your Sabre turned out really nice in Greek camouflage colors, Spiros @fiveten
It was a real pleasure to follow your building thread.
Thank you so much, my friend @johnb!
I love the F86 and this greek scheme with the green camouflage is beautiful, Spiros! Beautiful build!
Thank you very much, my friend @fxrob!
Hi Spiros
Lots and lots of interesting information in the article. The model is up to your usual excellent standard and really looks nice.
Christopher
Thank you kindly, my friend @christopher!
Great history lesson to go with a great model! I really like the camo scheme. Outstanding work ad always.
Thank you so much, my friend @curtisshawk!
@fiveten - Great work Spiros... both the build and the write up are really well done.
Thank you kindly, my friend @brithebuilder!
Great build Spiros @fiveten! Interesting to see a Sabre in other than an all metal finish.
Thanks a lot, my friend @tolss!
Well done, Spiros (@fiveten). Your Sabre came out nicely, especially the camo. Thanks also for the "insiders" history of the HAF Sabres. It was fun to follow along on your build.
Thank you so much, my friend @gblair! The Sabre/Fury GB rocks!
Sabre looks really sharp in this scheme. Great job @fiveten!
Thank you kindly, my friend @dbutlr!
Very nice build…nice to see a Sabre in a different livery…very sharp scheme. Well done!
Thank you so much, my friend @jimh!
Yes, your HAF Sabre looks terrific in those camo colors and light sheen, Spiros @fiveten. Really looks sleek with the air brake doors shut. Once again, you nailed it.
Thank you so much, my friend @eb801!
Pretty pajamas for a classic Sabre! Well done as usual.
Thank you very much, my friend @gkittinger!
Nicely done Spiros. Your Sabre looks fantastic and great story into the history of the modified version. Am I right in saying you used Enamel paints on this model (going by the pots in one of the photos)?
Thank you kindly, my friend @scottiya! Yes, enamels throughout.
Great looking color scheme Spiros. The Sabre version/wing/ Mk. lineage seems rather confusing.
Thanks a lot, my friend @roofrat! Indeed, a confusing lineage.
Nice Sabre, Spiros!
Thanks a lot, my friend @j-healy!
Beautiful Sabre, Spiros!
It was nice to follow the build of it in the GB.
Great background story as well.
Thank you kindly, my friend @alfred!
Nice looking F-86 , @fiveten ! Did the subsequent aircraft types that replaced the Sabre use the same basic camouflage colors? I imagine they changed over the years too.
Thanks my friend @ssgt! Subsequent types used this scheme, but, later changing to the "Vietnam" camo (dark green, light green and brown over light gray).
The Sabre turned out excellent Spiros (@fiveten). Every bit as good as it looked during the build. The camo scheme really stands out on this jet. Thanks for sharing the build in the Sabre/Fury group build.
Thank you kindly, my friend @clipper! Thanks for following along!
Really nice Sabre, Spiros @fiveten Congratulations!
Thanks so much, my friend @popeofchillitown!
Spiros @fiveten,
I've had to stay away from the bench for some time. However, your builds and history lessons on Greek aircraft serve to inspire and keep interest in the hobby. I've never met a Sabre I didn't like. A lot Air Forces liked the type and held onto them longer than needed or they wore them out. From what pilots who have commented about the plane they where a fighter pilots plane.
Two thumbs up.
Thank you kindly, my friend @stephen-w-towle! When the Sabre was phased out from Hellenic Air Force it was MUCH missed.
Liked it a lot Spiros!
All the best!
Thanks a lot, my friend @mvtb!
Very, very nice, Spiros (@fiveten). It is nice to see the Sabre in Hellenic camouflage, which shows the sleek lines of the Sabre very well. For some reason I have never built a 1/48 scale Academy model. Some 1/72 scale ones, but not 1/48. Your excellent model tells me I should be giving their 1/48 scale lineup a closer look. Thank you for being on the GB and sharing it!
Thank you kindly, my friend @matthewfdyer! Would be nice to see you tackling a 1/48 Sabre!
I might if I can locate some ROK decals, Spiros (@fiveten). I have a photo of one of them I took when the aircraft I was on "shared" the taxiway at Kimpo with a Korean F-86. I put a MiniArt P-47D-30RE "basickit" I was building aside to get going for the group build, and I am interested in an Airfix Vampire F8 that has been patiently waiting in line. As they say, so many kits...
Great! Did You fly on this plane?
Thanks a lot, my friend @lis! No, never flew it.
Beautiful Spiros. I am going to the MM build thread to see whether the shadow shaded gray is specifically a Hellenic color. The F-86 surely is one of those designs that perpetuates the axiom, if it looks right it flies right.
Thank you kindly, my friend @russjurco! Greek F-86s sported the NATO camo upsides, keeping the undersides silver.