Sabre Mk2 416 Squadron, Grostenquin, France 1954.

[Viking]

Sabre Mk2 416 Squadron, Grostenquin, France 1954. 

1/48 Conversion of Airfix F-86-40

 

(Photo source Wikipedia)

 

I've been dithering about attempting this for some weeks now, and pretty much dropped the idea as being too much like hard work. However I was talking on the phone to my father on Sunday, and mentioned it to him, and he seemed very enthusiastic to have a model of it. So I've decided to take the plunge and see how it goes! He will reach his 90th birthday later this year, after this GB finishes so I'll aim to have this finished by then.

 

The back story is that this particular Sabre, 19250, was one he flew many times when on 416 Squadron RCAF based in Grostenquin, France in the early 1950''s before I was even born. It's last appearance in his logbook is on May 7th 1954 when some of the squadron flew up to Manchester Ringway and delivered their Mk.2's to Airwork for refurbishment for the Turkish airforce. (416 were receiving new Mk. 5 Sabres). It nearly all went wrong due to having to hold before landing at Ringway, and he actually ran out of fuel taxying off the runway.  

 

This was his first visit to Ringway, unbeknown to him at the time he would make many thousands more trips there over the next forty years flying in and out on Viscounts, Vanguards, 1-11's, and 737's up until 1992. 

 

The problem with making a Mk.2 Sabre is that there isn't a kit that can be built out of the box. It has the early wing with leading edge slats, whereas most kits have the unslatted 'hard' wing. Having seen the recent Airfix F-86-40 with the later slatted wing, I thought there might be a possibility of reverse engineering what Canadair did, and convert it back to the early slatted wing.  It'll need a 'V' shaped windscreen too, and elimination of a vent ahead of the tail fin and probably a few other things too, but I'll cross those bridges as I come to them!

This guide here on Britmodeller very nicely shows the wing differences and will be very useful.

 

As for markings I discovered This decal sheet from Canada of the very aircraft I intend to model, which I still have to get around to ordering. So, full of renewed enthusiasm I popped into my local model shop yesterday and came out with this.

 

Time to put a new blade in my scalpel and get hacking some plastic! Oh, and contact 'Above & Below' decals to order that sheet.

 

Cheers,

 

John

 

 

 

 

[81-er]

That sounds like an interesting project, John, I'll be watching this with interest

 

James

[zebra]

This will be worth following!

[franky boy]

Another Sabre, and a mk2!

 

Will watch with interest. 

 

James

[Viking]

Thank you guys, I have ordered the decals from 'Above and Below' what a nice helpful guy Andrew is! and also fellow BritModeller Tony Edmundson who has been helping with some useful pointers.

I've made a start on the wings, because if I don't get those right there is not much point in carrying on with the build! 

 

So this is the sprue for the F86-40 with the larger slatted wing that needs tackling.

 

And the one piece lower wing that won't need any mods.

 

The chord that needs removing is helpfully marked by a panel line along the front of the upper wing box. And the slat extensions that fit on the lower wing need the same are removing from behind the raised slat 'base'.

 

The span extensions are also helpfully marked by panel lines so will need be cut as shown.

 

So out with the knife, and start cutting!

 

I was a bit nervous about cutting up a £40 kit, but it went ok. I have now glued the slat 'Base' strips to the lower wing, but due to fading light I'll leave the photography to tomorrow. 

 

[Viking]

Some progress to report!

 

The trimmed lower leading edge slat bays ready to attach to the lower wing.

 

They actually fit very well after all that trimming.

 

Next up was fitting the wing uppers after the leading edge forward of the wing box had been cut off, and the root and tip sections reattached either side of the slat bays.

 

The final mod was to remove the span extensions from the aileron/tip mouldings.  Left one not yet done, right one done.

 

And attach the aileron & wing tips

 

Photo showing all the bits removed from the kit wing. All joins made good with Milliput ,sanded and polished.

 

And there we have it, an early slatted Sabre wing! Slats just pressed in for effect, not yet glued

 

Next thing that is bugging me is that 'Vee' windscreen. I've had a go at making a test piece from clear plastic sheet, and I may be on to a solution here. In real life it was a standard Sabre windscreen with bolted on 'Vee' piece of glazing. First attempt and doing it in miniature. I'll make a neater one than this, and once the main part is attached to the fuselage, fair in the base with a bit of Milliput. I think this will work.

 

View of how the wing fits to the fuselage. Because I have reduced the wing chord, the leading edge no longer protrudes on to the gun bay panel. It is that gap in front of the leading edge. Airfix supply these as separate panels...

 

... So the bit of wing root on the panels need to come off. Left one done, right one not yet done. 

 

I'm enjoying this so far, and still hoping to avoid the traditional cock-up that visits so many of my builds!

 

Thanks for looking

 

John

 

 

 

[zebra]

Very neat work John! 

[Tony Edmundson]

John, the Vee windscreen of the Sabre2/ F-86A had a different shaped side panels as well, not just ‘a standard Sabre windscreen with a vee bolted on’

[81-er]

Great work on the wing mods, John, very neat indeed

 

James

[Viking]

18 hours ago, Tony Edmundson said:

John, the Vee windscreen of the Sabre2/ F-86A had a different shaped side panels as well, not just ‘a standard Sabre windscreen with a vee bolted on’

 

I see what you mean Tony, I found a discussion here on Britmodeller with your more detailed info! Not sure where I picked up the idea that it was a  bolt on to the standard but that is clearly wrong. Doesn't look like there is an aftermarket solution, so I'll look at reworking the kit screen, starting by sanding the frames off. I'll wait until I feel strong though! Thanks again for the valuable nudge in the right direction,

 

John

[Viking]

These arrived today, Super fast service from Above & Below Graphics - Ordered Sunday (from Victoria BC, Canada), arrived Saturday morning (Chester, UK), I'm really impressed, Superb instructions with colour photographs, a 4 view drawing, and beautifully printed decals. They are digital silk on continuous carrier film, which just means you need to cut around each subject. Very reasonably priced too!

 

 

 

 

 

[Viking]

I've been tinkering with ideas to make that elusive Vee windscreen. First off was to carve a wooden master to crash mould it, I've got as far as a rough cut mould and started to build the upper fairing with Milliput. However I have cooled on the idea as it is hard to get the sharp edges for the 'V'.

 

Then I discovered a nice vac form canopy in the spares box from, I think, a 1/48 Martin B-47, the front section of which looked ideal. So I cut out the bit I needed, put 3 scored in it, and bent a 'Vee' in it. It fits nicely so this is what I will go forward with. I'm not going to get a perfect solution but this one seems fair. The forward 'plinth' moulded on the fuselage halves looks a bit squarer that that on the Mk.2 so I'll see if I can sand that to a better shape once it is all fixed in place.

 

It is hard to photograph, but there is a 'Vee' in there.

[Viking]

I'm still faffing around with that 'Vee' windscreen and have rejected plans A, B, and C. On to plan D. 

I took the kit part, and sanded the centre of it flat, removing the frame details as well, and polished it back up with micromesh cloths.  I then drew out what I needed on a strip of tape using the dimensions in this most excellent post

Using some Evergreen 0.5 x 0.5 strips I put the new frames on.

 

A little photo montage illustrates it best. The frames were trimmed off when dried, and a Vee screen made from clear plastic sheet, plus the top fairing from plasticard. 

I then protected all the clear areas with tape, and sanded them down thinner. The 'Vee' piece now slides up on rails into position. I'll have to leave the bottom fairing until it is all fitted in place, but I'm definitely going with this solution now.

 

Test fitted:

 

I think this is the best I can do, and I'm happy with it (for now!)

 

Thanks for looking

 

John

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

5 hours ago, Viking said:

I'm still faffing around with that 'Vee' windscreen and have rejected plans A, B, and C. On to plan D. 

I took the kit part, and sanded the centre of it flat, removing the frame details as well, and polished it back up with micromesh cloths.  I then drew out what I needed on a strip of tape using the dimensions in this most excellent post

Using some Evergreen 0.5 x 0.5 strips I put the new frames on.

 

A little photo montage illustrates it best. The frames were trimmed off when dried, and a Vee screen made from clear plastic sheet, plus the top fairing from plasticard. 

I then protected all the clear areas with tape, and sanded them down thinner. The 'Vee' piece now slides up on rails into position. I'll have to leave the bottom fairing until it is all fitted in place, but I'm definitely going with this solution now.

 

Test fitted:

 

I think this is the best I can do, and I'm happy with it (for now!)

 

Thanks for looking

 

John

Now if we can get someone to mass produce a conversion for an “A” in 72nd or 48th. There are a couple of schemes Id love to do. 

[81-er]

Great work on the windscreen, John!

 

James

[franky boy]

Great work on that v windscreen John. 
 

James 

[zebra]

I'll echo the others and say great work on the windscreen. Your method looks most effective. Hopefully this will prompt Airfix to announce an early Sabre any day now!

[Mox]

Interesting project and nice work on the windscreen. Out of interest, I'll be visiting Grostenquin next week.

[Viking]

This weeks update, I've got the fuselage together and the wings on.

But first I had to decide what to do about the seat as it is very basic. Ideally I would have got a Quickbost resin one, but the Big H are out of stock. Therefore, why not apply a few modelling techniques to it and save some money? Especially  as I intend to finish the model  all closed up (as in the picture of the real thing at the start of this thread), as 

it shows the Sabre's clean shape. I'll be making a Mk.5 later with drop tanks on, cockpit open etc. and have the Eduard brass set for that.

 

So, 3 slots opened in the seat, 2 on the sides and one on the back, which got covered by the shoulder straps! A couple of arm rests added, and the trigger mechanisms added to the front edges. Some masking tape belts added to complete the basic enhancements. Etched buckles from an old Reheat set  will be added later

 

Finished seat with improvements. But should it be black rather than grey? I can't find anything but images of grey ones. I can still overpaint the grey if necessary.

 

The cockpit is also very basic, just decals for the side consoles and instrument panel. But again, as I'm doing this one all closed up I'll live with it. Not too much will be visible through the bubble canopy. But I thought the decals were too bright, so toned them down with a thin wash of black oil paint. Left - Before, Right - After.

 

Some steel bar sections used to provide nose weigh, I hope it is enough!

 

Fuselage joined, and wing glued on. Of course, the wing mods reducing the chord have created a minor problem where it meets the fuselage. 

 

Milliput filler applied and the area scraped and sanded to shape.

 

A few shots of the cockpit. It'll do for a closed up model, but If I was to do one with the canopy slid back, I'd definitely add in and etched set or resin replacement.

 

 

 

Until next time....

[81-er]

Your mods to the seat are really effective, I might have to go back and add some armrests to mine now. I'd imagine you should be ok with the weights, I put the ones for mine in pretty much the same places, with a small bit sitting on top of the intake & below the back of the cockpit. That one was probably overkill though.

 

Did you pin the wing tips & ailerons? I've not added them to mine yet, but the butt joint doesn't seem the sturdiest

 

James

[Viking]

On 25/07/2022 at 08:58, 81-er said:

Did you pin the wing tips & ailerons? I've not added them to mine yet, but the butt joint doesn't seem the sturdiest

 

James

 

Hi James,,

No I didn't, as the ailerons fitted ok to the wing as a butt join. I had cut the tip extensions off, and similarly the remaining tips made a strong enough join.  The tips in particular have endured a bit of filling and sanding, and stood up to it ok.

I'd agree though that the kit as it comes with the aileron/tip part as a big 'L' shape does look like it might be a bit difficult to fit properly.

 

Cheers

 

john

[81-er]

Thanks John. I might tackle it your way and separate the tips and ailerons, which should make it a great deal easier to algin if nothing else.

 

James

[Courageous]

Great work so far John, love your front window and the seat looks the biz.

 

Stuart

[Enzo the Magnificent]

On 24/07/2022 at 16:03, Viking said:

Some steel bar sections used to provide nose weigh, I hope it is enough!

 

 

I'm glad to see that others are as paranoid about ballast as I am!    That's about the same amount I put in mine.

[Viking]

A bit more progress to report.

I fixed the windshield to the fuselage and made the lower fairing from plasticard. The frames are painted black to show as such on the inside. Although I took this photo of the new fairing and Vee clear piece, I actually made new ones of both when fitting them!

 

 

I also reshaped the fixed piece moulded on the fuselage under my new fairing, as it looks much more teardrop shape on the Mk.2 than the later Sabres. I'm not sure if I am correct on this, but I think it looks more like what I can see in photos.

 

 

Time for masking up the glazing! I've also added all parts that I can, such as undercarriage lags & doors, and the wing slats' The reason for this is that silver paint is notoriously easy to blemish when gluing parts on later. Yes, painting some detail parts is made harder, but I prefer the unblemished silver finish.

 

Cockpit frames sprayed black so they show like this on the inside.

 

Hlafords grey primer from a rattle can sprayed on.

 

Black? A black Sabre? Well I think nothing is better than a smooth shiny coat of black to give a decent undercoat for a silver top coat. Tamiya X1 Black airbrushed on.

 

 

Vallejo Metal Color 'Aluminium' airbrushed on. I like this paint because it gives a lovey finish, and is extremely durable. You can mask over it without ever lifting any of the paint or blemishing it.  Now begins the task of applying miles of masking tape to paint various panels in different shades, to give that realistic multi tone look.

 

 

Oh, and the nose weights seem sufficient to keep it on its undercarriage and not tail sit. Phew!

 

Thanks for looking

 

John