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Sabrejet probably has dozens of better photos on the RF Sabres, but I don't, and I was pretty stoked when I found these while looking for Navy China Lake QF-86's. Not many photos on the RF-86F, at least in my small collection, so I thought some of you would like seeing these. I do have one Kodachrome of a JASDF RF-86F taken in '53-54 by my late father when he was with the 8th FBG at Itazuke AB- will have to dig it out with what I think was an SB-17G photo- also in Japanese markings.

Mike

 

http://yocumusa.com/sweetrose/duncan/rf86f.htm

Edited by 72modeler
corrected run-together text
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My old website!

 

These are showing a JASDF 'Haymaker' RF-86F; not converted to this spec until 61/62, so @72modeler your 53/54 photo would be a 67th TRW RF-86A (early 53) or Ashtray/Honeybucket RF-86F from 67th TRW. Any chance of a look???? :)

 

At last count there were:

1 Honeybucket RF-86A - crashed

6 Ashtray RF-86A - all crashed/scrapped

4 Ashtray RF-86F - all crashed/scrapped

 24 USAF Haymaker RF-86F (possibly a couple more) - some to ROCAF and ROKAF

18 JASDF Haymaker RF-86F - survivors to US Navy for spares use.

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12 minutes ago, Sabrejet said:

My old website!

 

These are showing a JASDF 'Haymaker' RF-86F; not converted to this spec until 61/62, so @72modeler your 53/54 photo would be a 67th TRW RF-86A (early 53) or Ashtray/Honeybucket RF-86F from 67th TRW. Any chance of a look???? :)

 

At last count there were:

1 Honeybucket RF-86A - crashed

6 Ashtray RF-86A - all crashed/scrapped

4 Ashtray RF-86F - all crashed/scrapped

 24 USAF Haymaker RF-86F (possibly a couple more) - some to ROCAF and ROKAF

18 JASDF Haymaker RF-86F - survivors to US Navy for spares use.

I will try to find the photo, SJ. IIRC, it might have had a checkerboard band on the fin and the standard hinomarus; I think there was a 3-digit number on it as well. I am still sorting through the hundreds of slides my late father took with his Canon SV4 35mm since 1954 until 2004.

 

Might I also assume you have the photos from the site below or have seen them? I seem to recall my Dad's Sabre photos, which also included USAF Sabres being overhauled or having major maintenance done (Fuselage sections detached- J-47's removed) might have been taken at a depot or maintenance base...Johnson?)

Mike

 

http://nabe3saviation.web.fc2.com/pjieitaie.html

 

Edited by 72modeler
added link to website
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3 hours ago, 72modeler said:

Might I also assume you have the photos from the site below or have seen them? (...) http://nabe3saviation.web.fc2.com/pjieitaie.html

 

Nice site! I was aware of JASDF RF-4E's in both the Light Gull Gray over White scheme with the blue / yellow tail markings, and the tan / green ones with the woodpecker, but this is the first time I've ever seen the LGG / woodpecker combo. 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

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  • 1 year later...

Hi All,

 

I thought I'd bump this to the top as an RF-86F will be my next Sabre build. I will be using the Fujimi 1/72 kit and will essentially building OOB unless their is something really wrong. At some stage, other Recon Sabres will be done but I was just wondering what the differences were between the various -F variants as I have recently read that the JASDF had the longer wing and different 'blisters' to that of the US?

 

Stuart

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9 hours ago, Courageous said:

Hi All,

 

I thought I'd bump this to the top as an RF-86F will be my next Sabre build. I will be using the Fujimi 1/72 kit and will essentially building OOB unless their is something really wrong. At some stage, other Recon Sabres will be done but I was just wondering what the differences were between the various -F variants as I have recently read that the JASDF had the longer wing and different 'blisters' to that of the US?

 

Stuart

In short:

 

Ashtray; all USAF - short-span slatted wing. Camera fit K-22 nose oblique camera with 36-inch cone and a K-22 vertical camera with 24-inch cone, but installed horizontally, aft of the nose-wheel bay. The ‘vertical’ camera would shoot through a 45-degree mirror, mounted on the camera itself to reduce the movement and blurred images seen on the early F-86A Ashtray configuration. Ashtray RF-86Fs would have the vertical camera window on the right-hand side lower fuselage and the lens of the nose-oblique would be covered by a pair of hydraulically-actuated clamshell doors when not in use. No side bulges were fitted but lower-fuselage fairings similar to JASDF RF-86F; the LH fairing covering the magazine-end of the camera and the RH end (as stated) housing the mirror/lens etc.

 

Ashtray RF-86Fs carried a 4-machine gun armament (upper pair each side), but blast panel configuration varied; some had all six muzzles while others had the lower pair blanked off. 

 

Ashtray 52-4357 below with nose oblique doors open (intake lip) and lower fuselage bulges. Note six-aperture gun blast panel.

 

11

 

Ashtray RF-86A (Ashtray RF-86F similar) schematic:

 

RF-86

 

The Haymaker USAF (later to RoKAF and RoCAF) and JASDF aircraft were slightly different between types. More of which later.

Edited by Sabrejet
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43 minutes ago, 71chally said:

Why the strange nick names?

Interesting to see the JASDF RFs with the pianted on gun ports!

Different reasons: the first RF conversion of an F-86A was named 'Honeybucket No.1', and later just 'Honeybucket'. This was the individual aircraft name and later used on FEAMCOM paperwork to identify it. Honeybucket wasn't a project name.

 

However the two AMC-sanctioned RF Sabre conversions were given Project names - Ashtray to indicate the F-86As and F-86Fs equipped as shown above; and Haymaker to indicate the later aircraft with cheek bulges and similar to the JASDF RF-86Fs. Contrary to what I've seen written elsewhere, all RF-86 conversions (A and F) were carried out in the Far East - initially by USAF FEAMCOM (Tsuiki REMCO etc) and later, for the JASDF machines, in Japan.

 

The painted-on muzzles first appeared on the USAF Haymakers.

 

111

 

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Courageous said:

Thanks Duncan, nicely explained.

Is @canberra kid post of 'HONEYBUCKET' an RF-86A as I can see camera window in the nose but no fairings in lower fuselage?

 

Stuart

 

Yes - OP was looking for RF-86F suff so that one has confused things a bit. I may do a dedicated RF post to get things in one place.

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