The Sabre with no air force - Congo Sabre number 2

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Spaceowl
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The Sabre with no air force - Congo Sabre number 2

Post by Spaceowl »

Just finished an Airfix F-86F for my Congo 1960 project. No, the insignia isn't missing. :)

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I didn't put any updates on workbench window because I assumed you had all seen a man making a mess of a 1/72 scale Sabre before. Not very happy with how this one turned out, tbh. However, a gentleman posts his occasional clinkers as well as the ones that worked.

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About the lack of insignia - the Philippines AF was going to send a flight of four F-86s to add to the Iranian ones and the Swedish SAABs already operating out of Stanleyville, but found that sending their relatively new jets half way around the world would be a logistical nightmare as well as cripplingly expensive to a third world country. The UN worked out a strange but effective compromise - the PhAF would send out pilots and ground crew by commercial carrier and the UN would buy four surplus Sabres - from Italy, as it turned out - and the two would meet for the first time in-theatre. Not expensive, madly elaborate or insane at all.
Needless to say, the Philippine/Italian component flew without national markings, carrying only the ONU markings. I haven't forgotten anything.

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Here's the two UN F-86s together. I'm going to need a few more display boards if I'm going to do the full flightline at Kigali.
Overhead a rainbow appears...in black and white.

Current Projects:
Aircraft of VMA-542, USMC
Peru-Ecuador War 1995
THK 1939-2023
Polish Air Force 1939
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Marek
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Re: The Sabre with no air force - Congo Sabre number 2

Post by Marek »

Interesting project, comes with a lot of history that not everybody knows :)
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iggie
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Re: The Sabre with no air force - Congo Sabre number 2

Post by iggie »

Marek wrote:Interesting project, comes with a lot of history that not everybody knows :)
Precisely that! Following your Congo themed builds, I've read up on this long forgotten conflict, and very interesting it has prooved to be!

Cracking builds as well :grin:
Best wishes

Jim
If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing
"Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
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Old_Tonto
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Re: The Sabre with no air force - Congo Sabre number 2

Post by Old_Tonto »

Very nice work Rob. What is next in line for this project?
2023 - A:0 B:0 C:0
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East German Air Force (1956-90)
South African Air Force (1958-93)
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Spaceowl
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Re: The Sabre with no air force - Congo Sabre number 2

Post by Spaceowl »

Ethiopian Air Force F-86 using the Hobby Boss kit, followed by a Sikorsky S-55 I'm renovating. I'm keeping the NMF SAAB-29 for the Scando group build next month.
Overhead a rainbow appears...in black and white.

Current Projects:
Aircraft of VMA-542, USMC
Peru-Ecuador War 1995
THK 1939-2023
Polish Air Force 1939
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