Who Makes the Best 1/72 F-86 Sabre?

IIRC, the Academy and Hobbycraft kits are one in the same. If I further remember correctly, all three are essentially late F models with a later wing configuration. Apparently there were differences between the E wing as well as early and late F wings, though I'm going from a fading memory. There was a web site that showed the different wings used. If I can dig up the address, I'll post it.

hth Ron

I still like the Heller kit best. I don't know why, just do.

-- Chuck Ryan snipped-for-privacy@REMOVEearthlink.net Springfield OH

The Academy kits and Hobbycraft kits are one in the same, though Academy seems to have made small improvements to the tool. No matter what the box says they are Canadair Sabre 5s and Sabre 6s. The Sabre 5 is much like a hard wing F-86F, the Sabre 6 has no U.S. equivalent.

HTH,

Jim

The Fujimi kits are accurate, as far as I can tell, and are very easy to assemble. Various Fujimi kits have different wings... some short spanwith fences, some longer span.

The Hasegawa F-86D is by far the best in 72nd sacle.

Don H.

Actually, they're all pretty good. It sort of depends on what Sabre you want to build.

Hobbycraft offers a nice F-86F with extended wing slats for an early Korean War F-86F. They also made a 6-3 winged dogfighter with the hard wing and fences introduced later in the war.

Fujimi does the short-wing F-86F with Korean War markings and a long-winged F-86F-40 like those used by Pakistan, Japan and other late export customers. They also did an RF-86F-40 with camera bulges. I built that one, and it fit together nicely. The leading edge slats are molded into the wing

Hasegawa does a nice F-86D. And yes, the old Heller F-86F and Airfix F-86D with their (horrors) raised lines are nice kits. I've built them both.

All of them fit nicely, have good cockpits, and look fine. Check the box and your references to see what you want to build.

The only one to skip is the real old Hasegawa/AMT F-86F. I believe Hasegawa still sells that one in Japanese markings, but an old article said the wing is a long-span, narrow chord hybrid that never existed.

Frank

Don't forget the Tauro F-86K either - very nice.

Duncan

Is that in 72? I'd like to see one, but it seems to be a limited production item. A K model would be nice.

Frank

Oh, and I never got the Turkish F-86F kit - I think from Pioneer.

Frank

Yes,

The Tauro F-86K is in 1/72 - I have pix of my model on

Avoid it. A mayor case of 'blegh'.

Andre

Be aware that that one has the 6-3 wing as well as the slats as in the Canadair Sabre 6

Okay, lemme get this straight. . .

You're saying the slatted Hobbycraft kit is a 6-3 wing with slats but no stretched tip, so it can't represent a Korean War F-86F?

Does the Heller kit represent a slatted Korean War bird (with the slats molded closed)?

Frank

molded closed)? <

The Heller kit is also a Canadair Sabre. A Mk 6 I think.

CB