Hi Everyone. I jumped into this group thinking I would build two models, then I decided to build a 1/72 Sabre, and now I want to do one more. The Italeri F-86E has been sitting in my stash for a while, probably because reviews say there are problems with some of the shapes and the cockpit is very simple. I took a vote and decided to build this model because it looks like a simple build, I have decided to ignore any inaccuracies that might be here, and I can deal with the simple interior by keeping the canopy closed. I think this will be my last F-86 for a while, so let's jump in.

I started with the interior. No surprise there. The cockpit consists of a tub with the side consoles, an instrument panel, a stick, and the ejection seat. The seat looked really sad, so I replaced it with a resin seat I had in my stash. I spray painted the cockpit with a black gray, then sprayed some clear gloss to get ready for interior decals. This is where I almost jumped off the rails. There is a decal for the instrument panel, and one for each console. I "assumed" that it was the standard black decal with white dials, so I soaked the instrument panel applied it to the black instrument panel. To my surprise, the decal disappeared. It took a minute to realize that the white portions of the decal were actually clear, and the panel and side consoles would need to be repainted white for the decals to work properly. I quickly grabbed the instrument panel decal that I had just applied and stuck it back on the decal paper. I hoped the decal would still work after I painted the instrument panel and side consoles an off-white color. I painted the ejection seat and got it ready for eventual installation.

I haven't decided on a paint scheme yet, but I am leaning toward one of two natural metal Sabres that I already have decals for. Hopefully more tomorrow.

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A great entry, George @gblair.
An excellent start done on the seat already.

Very nice work on the ejection seat, George!
I also make use of Scalemates a lot to find out more about a particular kit. Very useful, especially the reviews.

Hi, Carl (@clipper). I usually never build more than one of anything (F-4s and P-51s are the exception). I also never build more than one at a time. But these Sabres have been really fun, and I really like the Sabre as a really cool looking historic jet. F-86 #4 will definitely be the last for a while.

I was getting my 1/72 F-86E(M) done today, so now I can devote more time to this one. I got the cockpit tub ready and then checked that the resin seat would fit. It didn't, so a little sanding on the lower sides of the seat got it done. I may still add a throttle to the cockpit, but I should be able to move on to the bigger parts now. Cheers.

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Great work on the cockpit, George @gblair

Worked on some of the major sub-assemblies today. I was dry-fitting the fuselage sides and I noticed that there weren't many locator pins for the fuselage. The plastic is relatively thin and flexible, and I worried that the sides would slide around while the glue dried, creating lots of putty and filler opportunities. I was particularly worried about the spine of the fuselage, which had only one locator pin along the entire length of the fuselage between the canopy and the tail fin. I used some small strips of plastic to create some tabs that would help hold everything in place. I had to do a little work to get the fuselage sides to close around the cockpit tub, but in the end some coarse sanding sticks got everything where it should be.

I also assembled the wings. The right wing has the pitot assembly integrally molded to the wing. I figure there is less than a 50% chance it will be there at the end of the build.

That's about it for today. I hope to make some real progress tomorrow. Cheers everyone.

12 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Thanks, Jay (@ssgt). I have used tabs several times and found them very helpful in cases like this. Sometimes you have to make adjustments if the plastic on one side isn't the same thickness as the other, or if the fuselage is really curved where you have placed the tabs. But once you get them adjusted, they work great.