New North American F-86 Sabre an international sensation

Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.

This week’s Airfix project update returns to focus on a modified tooling kit in 1/48th scale which we have been following throughout the year, and one which will be only the second release from a new tooling which was only announced in 2020, our stunning North American F-86/Canadair Sabre. An aircraft which can claim to be one of the most important of the world’s early generation of jet powered fighters, the Sabre was an aerial gunfighter pure and simple, an airspace dominator powered by jet technology. This latest update is our final look at this stunning new model before it is unleashed on the modelling world and features an exclusive series of built model images to celebrate the occasion. Placing us on notice that this attractive new kit will soon be available in model shops everywhere, we will also be taking another look at the details behind the lead scheme, not least because these are the markings in which this advanced production kit has been finished. A thoroughbred fighting aeroplane, the Sabre also proved to be the consummate Airshow performer, particularly in the hands of No.332 Squadron Royal Norwegian Air Force, as we are about to discover.

American jet classic and NATO stalwart

An exclusive first look for Workbench readers at a built example of this stunning second release from our Sabre tooling, built using final production sample frames from this impressive new kit.

Although 1/72nd scale is regarded by many modellers as the traditional scale for plastic aircraft modelling and displaying, there is nothing quite like a foray into the world of larger scale modelling to allow us a better appreciation of the stature and majesty of our latest aviation subject, not to mention all that extra detail larger scales allow kit designers to incorporate. It is true that 1/72nd scale allows us to display something like a Bristol Blenheim next to an Avro Vulcan and marvel at the relative difference in size between these two aviation heavyweights, but from a build project and individual subject appreciation perspective, 1/48th scale and larger really does take modelling to another level. Whist still being small enough to allow many model builds of different aircraft types to be displayed together, this scale definitely helps give us a better appreciation of the size, power and visual impact of the aircraft in question.

Taking this a step further, there are some aircraft which positively cry out to be modelled in this larger scale, simply because it does justice to their imposing profile much more effectively. It is generally accepted that most Second World War piston engined fighter types benefit from representation in this scale, particularly aircraft which possess aggressive front profiles, such as Rolls Royce Griffon powered Spitfires and the Luftwaffe Stuka. Other classics such as the North American Mustang and Hawker Sea Fury look particularly appealing in this scale, however, 1/48th scale is certainly not solely the preserve of piston powered aircraft types, as our recent crop of classic jet fighters in this scale underlines. With such icons as the Gloster Meteor, Hawker Hunter and de Havilland Vampire to bring the scale into the jet age, our new North American F-86 Sabre will be a welcome addition to this ever expanding range. A truly beautiful looking aircraft, its representation in 1/48th scale will give this kit real visual presence on our display shelves and if our modelling criteria happens to be classic aircraft types which are particularly easy on the eye, we certainly don’t need to look much further than the North American/Canadair Sabre.

Our latest release from this relatively newly tooled kit presents the stunning F-86 Sabre in a slightly later development form, a variant which would go on to see widespread service with many international air arms during the early years of the Cold War, as many smaller nations looked towards the adoption of jet power. The North American F-86F-40 Sabre proved to be the ultimate day fighter variant of this famous aircraft and featured several improvements which kept the Sabre at the forefront of world fighter technology. With a new engine giving the aircraft more power this variant quickly re-introduced the leading edge slats to the larger, modified 6”-3” wing and provided the enhanced dogfighting capabilities designers had been hoping for. The restored slats reducing the aircraft’s landing approach speed to a much more manageable 124 mph, in addition to providing an equivalent decrease in take-off rotation speed, making this the consummate all-round performer. These modifications proved so successful that many earlier variants of the Sabre were retrospectively upgraded to this standard and would further enhance the appeal of the aircraft to overseas suitors - the Sabre would go on to operate in the colours of a great many overseas operators. 

Before going on to look at the details behind the scheme in which this advanced production sample of the kit has been finished, should you wish to reacquaint yourself with earlier blog posts featuring the development of this impressive tooling, the links below will take you to the respective blogs in which they appeared.

•    The original designer interview feature

•    RAF Canadair Sabre focus

•    Introduction to this modification to the original tooling and

•    A look at the additional part frames required for this variant of Sabre

North American F-86F-40 Sabre, ‘The Flying Jokers’ aerobatic team, No.332 Squadron, Royal Norwegian Air Force, Rygge Air Station, Norway, June 2nd 1962.

Following the end of WWII, the Royal Norwegian Air Force, proud of their wartime service record operating as part of the Royal Air Force, retained both their squadron numbers and their Spitfires, a type they had flown so valiantly during their time in Britain. They would eventually trade their Spitfires for the de Havilland Vampire jet from 1947, but as Europe entered the Cold War era, Norway, as one of the founder members of NATO, were granted access to more modern US aircraft as part of the Military Assistance Programme. It was essential that this force be strong enough to deter Soviet aggression, as the nation shared a land border with the Soviet Union, so to this end, their first Republic F-84 Thunderjets arrived in 1953.

Up to this point, the RNoAF had operated early straight wing jet aircraft types, however, as Soviet aviation technology continued to advance at pace, the MAP programme gave them access to one of the most capable of the early jet powered fighters, the North American F-86F Sabre. The first of 115 Sabre ‘F’ variant fighters arrived in the country during 1957 and were aircraft which had formerly seen service with the US Air Force. Most were initially supplied with the un-slatted 6”-3” broad chord wing, but were later retrofitted with the F-40 wing, which re-instated the leading edge slats. The Royal Norwegian Air Force would eventually equip seven squadrons with the Sabre, Nos 331, 332, 334, 336, 337, 338 and 339, as this classic jet fighter played a crucial role in patrolling NATO’s northern border with the Soviet Union. They would eventually be replaced by the Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter from the mid 1960s onwards, with these former US Sabre fighters either going back to their original owners, falling victim to the scrapman, or in just a handful of cases, being preserved for museum display.

Royal Norwegian Air Force aviation royalty, the North American F-86 Sabre was something of a jet powered aviation classic and when supplied through the Military Aid (Assistance) Programme, it presented them with an extremely capable air defence fighter. 

Proud of their new Sabre jet fighters, pilots of Royal Norwegian Air Force No.332 Squadron at Rygge decided to establish an aerobatic display team consisting of four (but on some reported occasions up to six) examples of these gleaming silver jets in early 1957, practicing regularly around their operational flying commitments. On 28th May 1957, the team, led by Lt. Kjell Zetterstrøm, flew their first aerobatic display over their home airfield, referring to themselves as the ‘Joker Aerobatic team’, but as displays became more frequent, this was soon changed to ‘The Flying Jokers’. Initially, the Sabres used were just in their standard squadron colours, but soon benefitted from distinctive red white and blue tails and outer wing sections. This changed once more when the team became an established feature of air displays both at home and across wider Europe, with the Sabres sporting a joker playing card emblem on either side of their tails.

The team would continue to operate throughout the 1960s and 70s, eventually trading their Sabres for Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighters, which made a rather famous appearance at the UK’s Silver Jubilee International Air Tattoo, held at Greenham Common in 1977.

North American F-86F Sabre 52-5069/AH-D is now one of the well maintained exhibits amongst the Norwegian Armed Forces Aircraft Collection at Gardermoen, Oslo, where she still proudly wears her ‘Flying Jokers’ tail artwork. Whilst representing the skill and professionalism of the squadron at Airshows and ceremonial events throughout Norway and across wider Europe, the day job of these aircraft and their pilots could not have been more serious and at any moment, they could be called upon to defend NATO airspace against hostile Eastern Bloc incursion.

European air defence in a supersonic age

Allowing the RNoAF access to more effective fighter aircraft closed the northern gap of NATO territory and bolstered the effectiveness of their new all-encompassing surveillance and detection network.

With the combination of Cold War border proximity and high speed aircraft bringing the potential for armed incursion only minutes away, the NATO nations attempted to establish an early warning network which was effective enough to deal with the ever increasing speed of Eastern Bloc aircraft coming into service. What they aimed to establish was an overall improvement of current radar infrastructure and to close any gaps in territorial coverage, reducing overall reaction time and installing an automation of data handling across the network.

Known as the NATO Air Defence Ground Environment, the need was to improve NATO’s effectiveness in detecting, identifying and interception of unidentified aircraft entering their airspace and if necessary, destroying any such aircraft. They established an electronic network of high-powered, high-speed computers, in addition to the introduction of capable new radar systems right across Europe, spanning from Norway in the north, to Turkey in the south east, an unbroken surveillance barrier protecting NATO airspace against Eastern Bloc incursion.

The network would eventually go on to utilise no fewer than 84 stations across Europe, ranging from simple monitoring posts to highly sophisticated operational stations, where no expense was spared in bringing the very latest technology on-line - less equipped stations would be allied to one of these ‘super stations’. Providing an unbroken surveillance network through which no hostile aircraft could pass undetected, each NATO nation was responsible for policing their own territorial airspace and the air defence of it, but in case of war, the system would have already triggered the immediate support the situation required.

A beautiful looking model, in this slightly larger scale, the classic lines of the North American Sabre are replicated so much more effectively, building into a stunning display piece. This second release includes two international Sabre options, one Norwegian and the other Japanese - this one is surely destined for future ‘Classic Airfix’ status.

This period of sometimes frightening technological advancement required the air defence of individual nations to be performed by the latest breed of capable and ever more sophisticated aircraft, in order that the integrity (and deterrent value) of this collaborative protection network remain effective. For this reason, many of the smaller, less affluent European nations took advantage of the Military Aid Program, where modern US and Canadian built aircraft types were supplied on extremely favourable terms, a program which proved hugely beneficial for all parties. Cash strapped nations received much more capable aircraft to use in protecting their section of the NATO line, whilst the US could be confident in the ongoing effectiveness of this powerful multinational war prevention framework.

From a Royal Norwegian Air Force perspective, they entered the post war era with former RAF Spitfires patrolling their airspace, finally entering the jet age with the de Havilland Vampire in 1947. Through the Military Aid Program, they would go on to operate the Lockheed T.33, Republic F-84G Thunderjet, North American F-86 Sabre, Lockheed Starfighter and Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter. Maintaining their impressive airborne deterrent effectiveness to this day, current RNoAF aviation inventory includes the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and the hugely capable Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II. As of January this year, the F-35 now provides Norway’s Quick Reaction Alert support, enhancing their effectiveness still further.

A final look at the stunning box artwork which will be gracing model store shelves the world over following the impending release of this new Sabre model. 

Marking a particularly volatile period in Royal Norwegian Air Force history, this impending Sabre release serves as a classic representation of a jet aircraft which possesses real aviation pedigree and despite wearing these display team markings, was instrumental in patrolling NATO’s northern flank during this dangerous time. With the second scheme presenting a Sabre built under licence in Japan, this release will certainly help to highlight the international appeal of this important early jet fighter - it also happens to be something of a looker!

This second release from our 1/48th scale Sabre tooling should be in our warehouse over the next few days, so it won’t be long before we can throw ourselves into a little modelling time with this classic jet subject.

Please use this link to view our Sabre unboxing video.

That’s all the news we have for you this week, but as ever, we are always keen to hear your views on all things Airfix and particularly in relation to our Workbench blog, so if you ever feel like dropping us a line, please use our workbench@airfix.com contact e-mail address. 

All our social media sites can be accessed by clicking the respective link icons at the foot of this page, or by heading to the Airfix homepage. Other useful links are:

Airfix Workbench Forum

Main Workbench blog hub

Airfix website

Please join us for more Airfix updates next week and thank you for your support.

Airfix Workbench Team