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F-86 Sabre in 1/72 scale: kit modelling reports
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Another Airfix F-86F/E (M) kit was was made, of the release (no. A03082A) that came in 2014 after the previous kit releases.
It has decals for
-1- USAF F-86F "Mig Mad Marine" flown in Korea 1953.
-2- F-86E(M) of the Akro Grupa aerobatic team of the Yugoslav Air Force, based at Batajnica, 1960
As discussed earlier on page 1, some remarks:
- it has the non-slatted "6-3" wing with wing fence and kinked pitot tube.
- looking at the ailerons, the aileron chords are far too wide. Filling the panel line and rescribing the aileron leading edge panel line 2 mm more towards the trailing edge solves this.
- the number of parts is about 60 with a nice touch the option to set open the gun ammunition load doors with pilot step.
- nice recessed panellines although there are not that many of these.
- the cockpit could be detailed a bit more, inserting a better seat or an after market seat would be a simple but good improvement.
- there is not a very deep intake tunnel, but it is sufficient when painted the rear inside end black. Do not forget to add nose weight.
For the rest, it is a very simple kit. The indicated build sequence can be followed, so starting with cockpit, next the fuselage, wings and so on. Only minor filler was needed in some places.
The kit will be made as per kit for the F-86E(M) Akro Grupa team of the Yugoslavian Air Force, 1960. (It appears also the Canadair CL-13 jets were delivered that many years later were sold to Honduras).
No stores will be fitted to the model, so no need to drill open any holes in the lower wing for the pylons.
The ailerons were repositioned and enscribed and the old edges filled with filler/ putty.
The kit instructions show the colour scheme. For the blue colour I airbrushed Gunze Sangyo mr.Hobby 35 acrylic though it not enterily matches the blue decals. The yellow paint used was Gunze Sangyo mr.Hobby 413.
First, yellow was airbrushed.
Than after masking the blue followed, also the lower yellow area was masked in stead of using the decals.
Do not forget the bits like gear doors and tail planes.
Decalling was done with the Airfix kit decals for the team. The surfaces were already glossy.
The kit decals went on OK.
After that, some detailling was needed in the cockpit area. Some bits and pieces of plastic were used here. The undercarriage bays were painted dark green and the gear legs and wheel hubs aluminium. The kit main wheels are a bit rough but I did not have spare wheels, the tyres are painted tyre black.
The cockpit interior is medium gull grey with red seat head rest and on the seat some straps were added from slices of masking tape. The seat base and frame is grey.
The edges of flying controls got just some wash by using a soft pencil. When done, the model got another coat to protect the decals and the have an even sheen. That was it.
YUGOSLAVIA
[ former republic before 1992 ]
Tito's Yugoslavia acquired some 120 CL-13 and F-86E Sabres and they flew between 1956 and 1971.
Look for more info about the Yugoslav Air Force at my F-84 page here...
Another Airfix F-86 kit was made but with other decals. My modelling friend Henk gave me decals for Taiwanese F-86 Sabres from Bestfong. Set #72041 has decals for several Taiwan Sabres in metal scheme. The picked scheme is for the Thunder Tigers demo team.
LET OP: je hebt de verkeerde kit gebruikt voor TAIWAN! zij hadden de F-86F, de Airfix kit is voor een F-86E.
LAAT DEZE DUS WEG
The gun load hatch on the left side was set drooped open for this model.
The model got again several Vallejo metal coats to suggest bare metal. But these were applied over a gloss black undercoat of Revell Aqua 07 schwarz (black).
The paints were airbrushed.
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XXX, 2023