F-86F Sabre - Mikes Bird

Here’s my second Christmas F-86F Sabre, Capt. Charles McSwain’s “Mikes Bird”, which coincidentally flew in the same squadron as my first F-86, “The Huff”: 39th FIS / 51st FIW, Suwon (K-13), South Korea.

Although I can not find anything about the history of “Mike’s Bird”, I did learn an interesting fact relating to why it and its fellow squadron aircraft wore yellow bands and had checks on their tails. 

When the Americans arrived in Korea with their F-86 Sabre it became apparent that it looked dangerously similar in flight to that the Soviet MiG-15. Therefore, the 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing (FIW) started to paint forward-slanting black-and-white stripes on their fuselages - similar to 'D-Day invasion stripes - to prevent F-86 Sabre pilots from mistaking each other for the MiGs. When in  November 1951, the 51st FIW Group transitioned to the F-86 Sabre, their commander, Lt Col George Jones, didn't want to just copy the 4th FIW stripes, so he asked Capt Ed Matczak, his group material officer and budding artist, to design something different. He came up with the rearward-slanting yellow band on the fuselage, and yellow bands on the wing and tail. Later, the wing also went on to add the black checkered markings copying the WW2 design used by 325 Fighter Group the 'Checkertails’.

In my build of “Mike’s Bird” I used Academy’s amazing 1998 moulding of their 2011 “The Huff” kit and while I used the kits “The Huff” decals on the 1:48 scale Airfix kit I shared earlier, these “Mike’s Bird” decals were gifted to me by a good friend from the original 2011 Academy kit that he had in his stash. However, while the moulding has stood the test of time the decals less so, but if you’ve been following you’ll know that I pressed on regardless!

If you were looking to build an F-86F Sabre and were undecided over whether to go 1998 Academy or 2022 Airfix, unless you wanted to show the earlier model’s extended leading edges, I’d have to recommend Academy every time. From quality of design to crisp moulding, detailing through out from interior to engine, guns to airbrakes and most surprising of all, two excellently crafted pilots!

Happy Christmas all! 

F-86F Sabre - The Huff

Finished for Christmas. The 1:48 scale Airfix F-86F Sabre. 

Lieutenant Jim Thompson's F-86F "the Huff", famous for being photographed with the most astounding nose art of any USAF fighter in Korea. 

Thompson, was a wingman in the 39th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (FIS) of the 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing (FIW), at Suwon (K-13), South Korea, in 1953. 

When he shot down a North Korean MiG-15 in May 1953 that had a dragon painted on its nose he convinced his Crew Chief to put a dragon on his Sabre. He must have eventually shot down another MiG as the decals come with the option of one or two kill star markings. I went with two, just three more required to make him an ace! 

 

 

I am not sure why, but on the starboard side of "The Huff" there is artwork for ‘Miss Jenny" & "Bill’s Baby" with the names of JW Manney and LD Cromwell. I've yet to find any reference to why or when these were added ... so most interesting! 

The kit I’ve used here is the 2022 release of Airfix’s F-86F Sabre with "The Huff" decals from the 1998 (2011 release) Academy F-86F kit. The Airfix kit does allow for the modeller to have gun covers and air brakes open and even forward wing slats extended but I wanted to show the aircraft ready for flight and use the second more detailed Academy kit as an aircraft under going maintenance. I’ve also installed Academy’s pilot which in addition to be better detailed is also more historically accurate. 

Paints used were all Vallejo and the silver was their unique alcohol based Liquid Metal. 

De Havilland Mosquito B Mk.XVI

My second Mossie, the Airfix Mosquito Mk.XVI, is the bomber variant of this amazing aircraft which could carry a payload as great as the American's B-17 Flying Fortress!

I’ve finished this Mossie in the markings of ML963, 8K-K ‘King” of 571 Squadron. It was based at RAF Oakington, near Cambridge from April 1944 as part of the No. 8 (Pathfinder) Group. Its main role was to carry out independent precision raids on German industrial targets using a 4,000 lb "Cookie" bomb (that's massive). Having completed 84 operations with the Squadron, 31 of them to Berlin, its  final mission was on 10/11 April 1945, following which it had to be abandoned with an engine fire; not good when the majority of the aircraft was constructed of wood!

 

An example of the type of missions it was tasked with, was that flown by the Squadron Commander, Wing Commander R J Gosnell DSO, on New Years Day 1945.  This was a low-level sortie to skip a 4,000 lb bomb into the Bitburg Railway Tunnel, in Germany; that's precision bombing. Although the tunnel was destroyed by another of the squadron's Mosquitos, Gosnell himself reported "Special Duties against Railway Tunnel - Run up target to plan. No bomb burst seen, opposition nil, light flak from Trier, excellent visibility".  So, not his best mission, but he at least returned to fight another day. Interestingly, he's the only one listed in this aircraft in the squadron mission report, which is unusual as the Mossie usually has a crew of 2

De Havilland Mosquito Mk.VI

This is Tamiya De Havilland Mosquito Mk VI which I was inspired to build after this year’s visit to France where I saw evidence of 613 Squadron’s Mosquito attack on the Chateau de Trevarez, 30 July 1944. 

Unfortunately the decals I had for this build didn’t work out so I went with the boxed set, which isn’t all bad ...

as they are for 487 Sqn. (RNZAF) MM417, EG-T which in February 1944  took part in the amazing Operation Jericho!

Messerschmitt Mittfire

Do you remember the Spitfire Mk.V v Messerschmitt Bf109 Airfix dogfight double? The mashup one.

Well here’s the Bf109 with the Spitfire’s Merlin engine.

The "Messerspit" I completed in Luftwaffe colours inspired by the actual Messerspit they built, so for the - "Mittfire" - I thought I’d complete it in British prototype colours for a real “what if” build. 

Handley Page Hampden

This Airfix Vintage Classic release of the Handley Page Hampden Mk.I has been great fun but as a finished model it’s not going to be winning any prizes. 

I do feel these Vintage Classics are an acquired taste. There are some amazing modellers out there who could probably make a real silk purse out of this kit, but I’m definitely an “out of the box” modeller. What’s in the box, is normally what you’ll get. 

I really did like the impressive detailing Airfix put into the undercarriage and engines and way they could both be added at the end, thus avoiding breakages and allowing the spinners to spin!

Spitfire Mk.V Messerspit

 Airfix A50194 Spitfire Mk.V v Bf109 Dogfight Double Mash-up "Messerspit"

I've always been interested to see those what-if builds some build but have never had a go myself, until now. I guess this is not a true what-if, as the Messerspit was actually built, but for me it's close enough! Czech model maker Brengun created a Spitfire Mk Vb Messerspit kit back in 2013, but reviews I’ve seen of it have not been favourable, so I thought the recently released Spitfire Mk.V v Messerschmitt Bf109 Dogfight double would be the perfect donor kit!

This kit is basically the new Spitfire and Messerschmitt starter kits, very simple but nicely detailed with those great silhouette stands. 

The Messerspit was created from captured Spitfire Mark V fitted with a Daimler Benz DB605a engine. So, for this build, I'm going to need both kits but not all the parts.

The first task was to remove the noses from the two aircraft. I worked out that the seams provided the perfect lines to cut down, ensuring I turned the blade when reaching the wings. The cutting seemed to go OK.

Offering up the Messerschmitt Daimler Benz nose to the hole left by removal of the Spitfire's Merlin showed that the fit would be close enough, although (unseen in these photos) quite a bit of filler was required to the underside to fill the gaps between the engine and fuselage after removing the air intakes. One day I'm going to have to invest in some plastic card! I also had to cut off the Spitfire's guns as these were removed from the original. I also don't think the Messerspit had the nose guns from the Bf109 but I'm leaving them in place.

As there will be a lot of yellow in the final colour scheme, I went for an initial covering of white primer, followed by another round filling the underside from where I removed the air intakes. I do hate filling!

While I leave it alone for that second application of filler to dry, I've painted the Luftwaffe pilot and built the propeller. I love the way this Messerschmitt and the Spitfire spinners can be built and then fitted at the end of the build.

I've completed 'Messerspit' half of the dogfight double mash-up.

This is actually more of a 'What-if" than I had intended as I'm probably correctly informed that the 'Messerspit' was the combination of a Spitfire Mk.V and a Messerschmitt Bf 110 (engine and cowling). So my Mk.V and Bf 109 ‘Messerspit’ is thus unique! 

This is, as it happens, quite fortunate, as not having the correct letters for the original I’ve been able to use an intriguing set from my stash and add the ‘ace of spades’ emblem, seen on many an Airfix Bf 109, to the nose for added interest.

What fun this has been!

Spitfire Mk XIV

This is the Airfix Spitfire Mk XIV which I built in parallel with an another clipped wing Spitfire, the Mk XII.

The Mk XIV is the fighter version similar to the Mark VIII but fitted with the Griffon 61-series engine with two-stage supercharger. This variant entered service in February 1944. A fighter-reconnaissance version of the Mark XIV also appeared. The variant was built in large numbers and final production aircraft featured a cut-back rear fuselage and teardrop canopy.

Here are a few of design points on this kit that I love … firstly the pilot actually fits nicely in the cockpit. Then there’s the perfect looking gun sight, I often leave these out thinking how silly they look but this one is really nicely moulded. Finally, just look at that photo reconnaissance camera! 

It’s all masked up now ready for for some colour 

Camo added to Spitfire Mk.XIV  … guess what’s next, yup not the decals but the yellow leading edges

Finally all decals applied for this aircraft flown by Squadron Leader James Bernard Prendergast, No.414 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force, Lüneburg, Germany, May-June 1945.

With regards to the upper type C1 roundels:

On 22nd January 1945, owing to the number of instances where Allied aircraft were being shot down by either Allied aircraft or anti-aircraft guns due to mistaken identity the Air Ministry requested that the Red, White, Blue, and Yellow national marking should be accepted as standard for all roundel positions on day-flying 2nd Tactical Air Force (TAF) aircraft.

Here is my 1:48 scale Airfix Supermarine Spitfire FR (Fighter Reconnaissance) Mk.XIV in the markings of that flown by Squadron Leader James Bernard Prendergast, No.414 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force, from B156 Lüneburg, Germany, May-June 1945.

This was a lovely kit to build, with the only really challenging piece being the removal of the perfectly good wingtips. If I was to be super critical I’d say that I much prefer it when wingtips options are provided as per on the original aircraft rather than having to saw bits off. The biggest improvement on other Airfix Spitfires has to be the undercarriage which is sturdy and well designed and the propeller which can be fitted last and still rotate! 

My favourite bit would be the camera windows which being an FR aircraft are nicely glazed and within one is an excellently moulded camera lens; a nice touch. My least favourite is the canopy which I think just looks out of place in natural metal and I wish I’d left it green. 

I decided to end it with a museum finish, feeling that despite the box art it probably wouldn’t have actually seen much action but I may return to it later to weather it up a bit.