Trumpeter F-86 Sabre 1/144 scale

[Tim Reynaga]

Trumpeter’s little rendition looks to be a quick build.  

 

The 1/144 model is covered in engraved detail – all of it a little heavy, but it should look ok under paint.

 

Trumpeter’s F-86 goes together well except for the fit of the windscreen – which is terrible! However, with some miniscule shimming, trimming, and polishing it is still useable.

I’ll have to trim it yet more to get the sliding portion to fit properly against it...

 

 

Trumpeter’s F-86 kit interior is actually surprisingly nice with a stick, seat, and instrument panel. Unfortunately, the ADF antenna that sits behind the cockpit is attached to the fuselage; on the real aircraft this is part of the canopy assembly, so it pretty much forces the modeler to do the kit with the canopy closed unless you want to do some scratchbuilding. Trumpeter also omitted the cockpit side consoles. I decided to go conservative on this one and just leave it closed up!

 

The Sabre is a simple paint job: bare metal silver overall, for which I used Tamiya Bare-Metal Silver (AS-12) rattle-can spray.

 

The only variations were the panels around the gun openings, which I masked off and sprayed with darker Model Master Stainless Steel Buffing Metalizer spray.

 

Maybe I should have been a little bolder – the bare metal looks good, but with the masks removed the contrast between the two shades is barely noticeable!

 

One of the better aspects of Trumpeter’s F-86F is the extensive markings sheet provided.

 

 

As always, Trumpeter’s decals performed flawlessly!

 

 

The one reservation I had about them was the color of the yellow bands. Though reasonable, they seem more lemon-yellow than the orange-yellow seen in most contemporary photographs. Still, I found a few pics that appear to show a yellower shade, so who knows... perhaps there was some variation?

 

 

Anyway, I thought Trumpeter’s bands matched these pretty well.

 

 

 

Speed brakes.

 

 

 

 

I appreciate how Trumpeter provided pre-cut national markings with perfect fit to the fuselage and brakes.

Edited May 30, 2019 by Tim Reynaga
added pictures

[Paul J]

That  looks nice.  I have got about 3 or 4 of the same but in the Monochrome boxes as double kits.   All planned for possible RCAF schemes but with the demise of Can Milair decals I'm going to be a bit stuck for markings.

One of the sets includes the F-40 with extended wing tips.

 

Just noticed. The box art of the Trumpeter kit shows slatted unfenced wings as opposed to the kit inside.

[Tim Reynaga]

5 hours ago, Paul J said:

...Just noticed. The box art of the Trumpeter kit shows slatted unfenced wings as opposed to the kit inside.

How interesting, I didn't catch that. Using the kit box art and instructions for reference can be risky - I followed Trumpeter's instruction sheet and placed the national markings on the wing in the wrong orientation, for example. I should have noticed - they got it right on the box art! Oh, well.

 

Ejection seat, canopy, and 200 gallon Misawa wing tanks added.

 

 

 

Edited May 30, 2019 by Tim Reynaga
added photo

[ajmm]

Looking great. I built one recently too in RAF markings. Such a good kit and reasonable too. I think someone said it’s a bit inaccurate for a Sabre - fuselage too short - but it’s far too much fun to build to care about that! Good stuff looking forward to seeing the finished item. 

[Tim Reynaga]

Fuselage too short… didn't realize that. It is still a good looking kit, though.

 

By the way, although hard to see when closed up under the canopy, Trumpeter provided a surprisingly good cockpit with a stick, instrument panel, and a very nice ejection seat (I added the tape seatbelts).

 

 

[Tim Reynaga]

With the installation of the landing gear, the little Sabre is done!

 

 

 

Edited June 1, 2019 by Tim Reynaga

[Marcin Wojciechowski]

Very nice work,  I like F-86 Sabre :).