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1/48 F-86A: it's almost here...


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I believe the old Hasegawa kit represents what the Japanese Self Defense Air Force had in the '50s, the F-86F-40 with it's 6-3 extended-chord, extended span, slatted wing – so a very late Sabre and post Korean War.

 

I'm not the expert on Sabres, but there were several varieties of F models, and several varieties of E models that flew around the time of the Korean War. The early Es had the "V" or angled windscreen of the A, but the E introduced the "all flying" stabilizers with their larger mounting areas. Later Es had the flat windscreen. Some Es were retrofit with the "6-3" "hard" (no slats) wing along with many Fs. Early Fs had the earlier narrow-chord, slatted wing and were later retrofit with the "6-3" "hard" wing. Late Fs had the hard wing out of the factory, and even later ones had the F-40 wing.

 

Your best bet is to determine which aircraft you want to model and determine which features it has and find a kit that comes closest to what you need. The new ClearProp 1/48 (and 1/72 to come) F-86A kit will most likely be accompanied by E kits using the same wings. Good luck!

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As Paul says, the 1/32 Hasegawa kit represents an F-86F-40. There are many differences between it and the F-86E series, notably that the kit has broad-chord, long-span wings and the 'E' should have narrow-chord, short-span wings.

 

Early F-86Es also had the vee-screen (50-FY examples, plus the "52-2xxx" F-86E-6(CAN)/Sabre 2s).

 

Probably the easiest change is to remove the wingtip extensions, which would give you a Sabre 6 wing; remove the chord extension and you get a late F-86E/early F-86F. I had one of these kits and built it initially as a JASDF F-86F-40 and in later years removed the wingtip extensions, glued the slats shut & filled them, added a wing fence and made a QF-86E (Sabre 5). On short-span wings the ailerons extend all the way to the end of the wing.

 

There are other detail differences however: F-86Es had small mid-fuselage vents and the prominent intake/vent panel at the forward end of the vertical fin extension needs to be sanded flush so that there is only a central vent in that location for an F-86E. Both of these features are similar and noticeable on the F-86A too. Early f-86Es also have the flush wingtip nav lights rather than the 'pimple' type installed on later blocks and F models.

 

The Hasegawa kit suffers from its age: the seat is very simplistic and the landing gear was modelled in 'weight-off-wheels' configuration and thus needs the oleos shortening. The area beneath the canopy sliding section is also simplified so that the canopy can be posed open or closed; that's another hangover from the days when kits had operating features and concessions to toy-like needs. But overall it's a great blank canvas to work on.

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On 7/2/2024 at 2:27 PM, CRAZY IVAN5 said:

[ 72nd is too small for me]

I am REALLY ( !)  looking forward to the 1/72 kit to be released near the end of the year (as I read it). As much as I want an F-86H, I anticipate that the kit progression will be from the A to the E, then the F, then ... . Hmmm, sounds like the real airplane production run. :rolleyes:

 

Like most of us, Clear Prop has a lot to digest, so would be great to also have a new FJ-3, F-86K,  Canadair Sabre, Avon Sabre (besides the Hog), and "others". Sword and Special Hobby filled a lot of 1/72 Sabre holes, but those kits (as well as conversion kits) could use some "refinement"  ... of which Clear Prop clearly appears to be capable. 

 

Thankfully ClearProp has a direct line to @Sabrejet.:thumbsup:

 

Gene K

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Please don't assume facts not in evidence. It would make sense for Clear Prop to develop the Sabre project from A to E, but we can't assume that they will. Don't assume that they could continue the line to other different Sabres or Furies in 1/72 scale. An H has absolutely NO COMMONALITY with an A model, so there wouldn't be any "common sprues" used for either subject. Ditto for any Fury. The Fury (-2 or -3) kinda LOOK like Sabres, but again, there are no common parts between the Sabre and the Fury. Plus Clear Prop has a lot of different irons in the fire, some we don't even know about. While I will welcome the F-86A into my 1/72 scale collection, I would like to see them fire up the E-1B Tracer that they announced a couple of years ago. 

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Posted (edited)
On 7/3/2024 at 4:51 PM, Paul Boyer said:

I would like to see them fire up the E-1B Tracer that they announced a couple of years ago. 

Please don't assume facts not in evidence. :rolleyes:

 

Gene K

Edited by GeneK
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  • 3 weeks later...
On 7/22/2024 at 10:45 AM, Sabrejet said:

Mine arrived today: should be in the shops soon.

 

But still nothing on the CP web site ... from which I was hoping to order.  Perplexing how silent Clear Prop is on this much anticipated kit ... but I understand the troubling situation in Ukraine.

 

Gene K

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55 minutes ago, Sabrejet said:

 

Direct from Clear Prop! It's a thankyou for the assistance I've rendered.

Well earned too.

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On 7/28/2024 at 1:34 AM, ya-gabor said:

I know this is the Hasegawa F-86 and built somewhere 30 years ago, but for the moment this is all that I can show.

 

Best regards

Gabor

Hasegawa 48 Sabre 1.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Really nice work Gabor.

Alan

 

CT4bmUiUsAAZJgL.jpg

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4 hours ago, SinisterVampire319 said:

 

 

 

 

 

Really nice work Gabor.

Alan

 

CT4bmUiUsAAZJgL.jpg

 

Thanks Alan,

 

Have to say that it was sooooooooooooooooo long ago. That Hasegawa kit at the time was very nice, easy build. . .  The big decals were not so easy but eventually. Have been asked what paint was used for the natural metal, have absolutely no idea now. Will have to look up the given article in the modelling publication if I did say something about the paints. 

With 30 years on the kit the only thing visible is that some of the decals started a very slight yellowing but apart from that its still OK.

 

Look forward to the ClearProp kit!

Actually one was already on my doorstep a week ago but the kind and extremely helpful Hungarian Post office decided that they like to keep the kit more for themselves and did not deliver it with a bla-bla reasoning.  Oh well. Based on tracking number it entered a never ending time loop inside the post office.

 

Best regards

Gabor

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13 hours ago, ya-gabor said:

 

Thanks Alan,

 

Have to say that it was sooooooooooooooooo long ago. That Hasegawa kit at the time was very nice, easy build. . .  The big decals were not so easy but eventually. Have been asked what paint was used for the natural metal, have absolutely no idea now. Will have to look up the given article in the modelling publication if I did say something about the paints. 

With 30 years on the kit the only thing visible is that some of the decals started a very slight yellowing but apart from that its still OK.

 

Look forward to the ClearProp kit!

Actually one was already on my doorstep a week ago but the kind and extremely helpful Hungarian Post office decided that they like to keep the kit more for themselves and did not deliver it with a bla-bla reasoning.  Oh well. Based on tracking number it entered a never ending time loop inside the post office.

 

Best regards

Gabor

To me your build is not that long ago.
The last F-86 I ever built was the old Monogram kit back in 1976 when this one came out. (I was 13 then.)

But I have been waiting for 1/48 -A model almost as long.
 

169927-12123-pristine.jpeg

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Hi Alan,

 

Everything is relative!  : )   : )   : )

Back in late 1970’s I was building the Hasegawa F-14 kit in 72nd.

 

Returning to the ClearProp! new kit. It is a “bit” annoying to know that the actual kit is just few kilometres from you, after travelling through half of Europe and it will never reach you, but some dumbass postman will have fun with it or sell it on the net.

 

Best regards

Gabor

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