Search the Community

This is an itch I have wanted to scratch since WHIF 1 when I ran out of time. Finally......... Alternate Reality The failures of the Hawker Hunter F.1 are well known. Short on range, its Rolls Royce Avon engine was also prone to surging when ingesting hot exhaust gases from the four ADEN 20mm cannon. Obviously, as an interceptor of Soviet bombers invading UK airspace, it left a lot to be desired. Whilst Hawker worked on the range problem, Armstrong Siddeley were convinced that their Sapphire turbojet would not succumb to the Avons problems. Despite intense lobbying by the engine manufacturer, Rolls Royces aversion to anything British flying with a rival manufacturers engine held sway at the Air Ministry and scuppered the proposed Sapphire engined alternative before it flew. The semi completed airframe of the F.2 prototype WB195 ended its days at the Cranfield Institute of Technology as an engineering aid in their Library of Flight. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Supermarine_545_Cranfield_10.09.60_edited-3.jpg Surplus to requirements in 1967 it was sold as scrap to Unimetal and ended up at their famous scrapyard in Failsworth near Manchester. http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/3/9/0/1996093.jpg The fuselage was rescued in 1981 by the North East Aircraft Museum along with those of a Bristol Brigand, Supermarine Swift and a brace of Boulton Paul Balliols and is now exhibited in the Midlands Air Museum. It is the sole survivor of the type. All production F.1s were withdrawn from use by 1956 after attempts at solving the gun firing problem failed. All were eventually scrapped or used as targets in Foulness. http://forum.keypublishing.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=196988&stc=1&d=1309807370 Fortunately for the RAF, it had the Canadair CL-13 Sabre. Originally meant as a stop-gap until the Hunter arrived, the 430 F.2 and F.4s more than filled the gap. A combat proven design over Korea, it soldiered on in frontline roles until the EE Lightning F.1 replaced it commencing 1960. With the introduction of the F.3 in 1963, surplus Sabres were offered to the Fleet Air Arm for second line duties with FRADU. XB956 was initially allocated to 112 Squadron complete with the famous shark mouth design. It carried the individual code 'T'. http://www.gaetanmarie.com/images/f86/f86-015.jpg Later it was transferred to 111 Squadron. In 1958 and painted overall gloss black it was one of 22 examples that looped the loop in formation at that years Farnborough extraveganza. In those days, no foreign aircraft were allowed in the show. However, the point was stretched in this instance to allow Commonwealth manufactured types to be exhibited. Only Hawker complained about that. On transfer to FAA charge on 14th March 1963 it was stripped of its cannon and had a Leigh Light installed in the nose of the port drop tank. Coded 833 and with the famous Double Diamond beer logo applied to the tail, this example was finally retired from flight in 1985. Allocated FAA maintenance serial A2737 (not carried) and coded SAH 11, it was then used as a deck towing trainer with the School of Aircraft Handling at Culdrose, until disposed by the MoD in 1993. http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/BradicSrecko/10958.jpg Along with three other former FAA examples, it was sold to the Confederate Air Force and was restored to flying status registered N956XB. Painted as John Glenns Mig Mad Marine and serialled 52-4584, it was a regular flyer until a wheels up landing in 1999. http://www.unitedyam.com/golb/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/F-86F.jpg http://aerobaticteams.net/images/snowbirds/rcaf-tigers-sabre-06.jpg The wreck was sold to UK Lottery winner Max Headroom in 2003 and restored to flying status and its FAA livery in 2005. Registered G-OMAX it is based at Hawarden near Chester and is a popular performer at air shows. It is regularly flown with panache by Max. Back to reality! This is my inspiration/reference photo http://www.gaetanmarie.com/images/f86/f86-015.jpg I love the Double Diamond logo on the tail. Not spotted it before when trawling for GA.11 images, I have to incorporate it on the Sabre. Maybe not on the tail as I still want the VL there. I will see how much room I have at the appropriate time. I have red and white solid transfer sheets, so the logo should be easy (?) to cobble up lovingly craft. What's happened? in the ten minutes since I typed this, the link has broken. It was a smashing photo as well. Just as well I can remember what it looked like. On the other hand, does anyone else have a photo? Structural mods will be minimal. As per the GA.11, I will remove the guns, so the troughs will be filled in. However, I do need to install the Leigh Light. Obviously, the nose is out of the question so it needs to go somewhere else. In my narrative above, I have conjectured that it will go in the tip of one of the drop tanks. That should also be fairly simple. The only thing is that thinking logically, if you place a powerful light behind and below the pilot, but in the line of his periphery vision, this may be a distraction and blind him, so possibly not terribly practical! I may need to think more about that one. Now then what do I call this thing? If you say Sabre, I will send you to the back of the class! In FAA service, the modded Hunter F.4 became the GA.11, so my F.4 will also need a redesignation. (incidentally a BAe engineer told me once that if an airframe had over 25% worth of mods then this would result in a new mark number). I have decided that it will become the GA.7 to keep it in line with the Canadair designations. I believe that there was a proposed real Canadair Mk.7 but that it was not built. So I am claiming it for myself. There are two (possibly three) things stopping an immediate start on this. 1 I have the Spitfire (and interloping Hurricane) to finish in the BoB Group Build. 2 I have my French Mosquito to finish from the French Fancy Group Build (I know, I know, but holidays in Abroad scuppered me finishing in time and then the BoB build started) 3 erm.I forgot where I put the Academy 1/48 Sabre kit. I sort of know roughly where it is supposed to maybe be (possibly). See you soonish, maybe, perhaps (when is the closing date again?) Trevor