When I received the invitation from George (@gblair) to join this Group Build, I was very pleased. Korean War subjects always interest me, and one cannot have too many F-86 Sabres on one’s shelf. But I had no F-86 kits in my stash at the time. I had always wanted to build the 1/48 scale Hasegawa F-86F, so here was my golden opportunity. I really love Hasegawa kits.

While ordering the kit from Spruebrothers, I looked at aftermarket items, and decided to buy the Aires interior set and the Brassin wheels. As to the interior, I had no idea if it was better than the kit’s, but I guessed the seat would be better and seat belts were included. The wheels are pure whim. I usually use whatever the manufacturer supplies, but I was feeling generous.

Luckily, my decal stash was a big help. I had previously purchased the decal sheet from the IPMS Convention in 2022 dedicated to aircraft of the Korean War - often called Forgotten War. Included is the aircraft flown by Capt. Harold E. Fisher of the 39th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Wing in Suwon AB, 1953. His aircraft was named “the Paper Tiger” with a shark mouth. Capt. Fisher was the 25th USAF Jet Ace achieving 10 MiG kills. A truly fitting subject for my build. (For a really well-done history of the 51st Fighter Wing during the Korean War, see “F-86 Sabre Aces of the 51st Fighter Wing”, Osprey Aircraft of the Aces #70, by Warren Thompson.)

The 1/72nd scale F-86F in my photos is an Academy kit I built last year.

Time to stop writing and time to start building!

2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

@matthewfdyer - Do not use the Aires cockpit! As with too many of the other things they do, it doesn't fit. Do use the seat. Since Paper Tiger is a "black cockpit" F-86F-5, you won't see much of the detail anyway. The only thing the Sabre ever really needs is a resin seat.

Thank you, John (@johnb). As I live in Arizona, our building season is getting under way, so this will be a great project to start with.

Thank you, Tom (@tcinla) I was not overly optimistic about fit, as I recall a previous build of a P-47 that I tried to use an Aires interior and had terrible fit problems. But as you advise, the seat is worth having. And thanks for the cockpit color info, as my research had not pinned that one down for me. I appreciate the help.

Thanks, George (@gblair). Thank you for moving this kit from my Someday List to the Let's Get 'er Done List.

Thanks, Spiros (@fiveten)! Hasegawa 1/48 kits are among my favorites and the F-86 is an icon.

I followed some cockpit advice I received from Tom Cleaver (@tcinla), i.e. Paint It Black and forget using the Aries tub but do use the ejection seat. The instrument panel is the kit decal. I'll decide later if the canopy will be open or closed. There is a little detail on the cockpit side walls which looks nice when dry brushed. Lately, I have been using Dio Drybrush paint from Ammo, and while virtually any paint will do, I have found this product is easier to apply and is very controllable.

3 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Cockpit looks fantastic, my friend @matthewgdyer!