THE 18TH FIGHTER-BOMBER GORUP'S
F-86F CONVERSION IN KOREABy Howare R. "Ebe" Ebersole
In August 1952, I was assigned to the 18th Fighter-Bomber Group, and I went to the 12th Fighter-Bomber Squadron as a replacement pilot flying the F-51 Mustang. As a Captain, my total flight time was about 1800 hours of which approximately 135 were in jets in F-84s and "C"s. I also flew over 500 hours in B-24s, incIudint 16 missions over Europe with the 8th Air Force during WW II. But by 1952, I was a bonafide, practicing, fully converted fighter pilot with over 1,000 hours of single engine time who wanted no part ever again of bomber flying!
The 18th was composed of three fighter-bomber squadrons which all flew F-5l Ds. They were the South African Air Force's (SAAF) No. 2 Squadron, the "Springboks" (antelopes); the 12th, the "Fightin' Foxey Few"; and the 67th, the "Fightin' Cocks". No.2 Squadron had a springbok silhouette painted on the sides of its Mustangs, the 12th had yellow propeller spinners with shark's teeth on their noses, a la Fying Tigers, and the 67th had red spinners with a rooster logo. Earlier in 1952, the 3~h Squadron had transferred from the 18th to the 51st Interceptor Wing to fly F~6s. In late September, 1 was sent to the 51st Wing's 39th Squadron at Suwon on temporary duty to checkout in the F-86. I was to fly "about 10" missions and then return to the 12th as an instructor pilot to help with the transition to the F-8. By this time I had flown five combat missions in the F-51.My flight commander with the 39th was Captain Paul Jones. Later I was flown to Tsuiki, Japan to attend an F-86 FTD or MTD (Field or Mobile Training Detachment). There! learned about the F-866's systems: hydraulic, electrical, armament, oxygen, flight controls, the J47 engine - the whole airplane. The Air Training Command's mobile units did a superior job preparing our pilots for a new aircraft.
While at Tsuiki, I spent a few evenings in a place called the "Sabre Dance".There I learned about a drink call the "Spin, Crash, and Burn" which was aptly narned!
Tsuiki was a rear echelon repair and maintenance base for F-866s in Korea. As such, we often went from the classroom to the hangar to lookat the "guts" of a Sabre, and as an inquisitive ejgineer type, I not only enjoyed the the experience but also felt I learned much more this way about the aircraft I was about to fly.
When the 4th or 51st Wings' pilots returned an F-86 for repair or maintenance, they often sent a T-33 to take the pilot back, but somtimes the ferry pilot stayed over for a little "unofficial R&R;". One day a T-33 arrived from Suwon and almost returned with an empty back seat. Thus I returned to the 51st on September 28, 1952. My Form 5 flight records show three flights on three consecutive days for transition, and my first combat mission in an F-86 was on my fourth flight in the bird on October 3,1952.
Reflecting on the event, It seemed that manning the cockpit with as much experience as possible was an objective. Harold Fischer (who later became a double ace) and I trained together, but he had already flown a fighter-bomber tour in F-80s with more than one hundred missions. He then spent enough time in Japan to argue for his return to Korea, and he was eager to get into the more glamorous (and fun) side of flying fighters. Fighter-bomber flying was, and is, dirty; dangerous work by comparison. I felt he had earned the privilege to fly our very best fighter. Later events proved this to be true.
My October 3rd mission was a "Line Easy" flight that qualified for a comhat mission, but we did little more than practice a spread formation some distance north of the bomb line, but not far enough to get into trouble. Our flight leader was Joe Butler and I was his wing man. "Swede" Johnson led the element and Hal Fischer flew his wing. The 51st was an aggressive group, and Joe Butler was no exception. On his 98th mission, he shot a MiG-15 down and damaged another. One possible reason why we did not go too far north on that mission was that I had an oxygen an prsurization problem I reported during climhout, and Joe did not want me to chance the "bends".
I did not fly again until the 11th of October, and then I quickly racked up 11 more missions by the 19th, flying twice daily on three occasions. Then someone got wise and sent me back to the 18th! Iwould have loved to stay with the 51st for a number of reasons. Upon arrival, I was reacquainted with four old buddies from the Michigan Air National Guard. We had flown '51s and '84s together as far back as 1948, and we were recalled to active duty in January 1951 and sent to Luke Field, Arizona where we were instructors in fighter-bombers. By mid-1952, we were all sent to Korea; not necessarily together, but there we were. Howard Irish, Cal Davey, Les Erickson, Asa Whitehead and I made up the Michigan Air Guard Contingent at Suwon in October 1952.
The F-86 was a great ship compared with the F-84Bs and "C"s I had flown. I loved it and still do. My instructions from the 18th were to get ten missions in the '86, but I modified that when I talked with the 51st and said, "at least 10", and thus I managed to snivel afew extra rides before the honeymoon was over. So back I went to the Spam Cans ( 5ls) where I resumed dangerous living.
By the end of December. I had 25 more missions in the F-51. At this time the 18th tranferred its Mustangs. Some went to the South Korean Air Force, and the rest were ferried to Itazuke, Japan.
A day or two after Christmas, I moved to K-55 near Osan-Ni. By New Year's Eve, I was in a new mahogany panelled barracks with Major Jim Hagerstrom and a Catholic chaplain. The three of us, alone in a big, empty barracks, saw 1953 in. Jim came from the 4th Fighter Wing to lead our F-86 training program, and I was his assistant. Jim was a teeto talling, clean living and dedicated MiG-15 killer.
Early in January, we received several T-33s for transition training. We next set up the 18th Fighter-Bomber's "CLOBBER COLLEGE". Colonel Frank Perego was our wing commander, Colonel Maurice "Matty" Martin was our group commander, and our training honcho was Jim Hagerstrom. We had four or five instructor pilots on a temporary hasis from the 4th and 51st: Bill Champion and Clyde Curtin (who became the 38th jet ace) from the 4th, and Bill Palmer and Pat Bule from the 51st. After a few weeks, Champion and Curtin returned to the 4th and were replaced by Tom Horan and Ira Porter. Palmer returned to the 51st, but Pat Buie was transferred to the 67th Squadron.
My flight instruction was mostly with the SAAF and 12th Squadron pilots. Our instructors were in a separate barracks. Jim Hagerstrom had a wristwatch alarm clock. He would wake me at 0530 and then go back to sleep! I would awaken the instructors on the a.m. schedule, check the aircraft schedule, eat breakfast and go fly. >p> It was mighty dark and incredibly cold on the flight line at that hour during January and February 1953. The airmen who supported our operation deserved more recognition and medals than many of us who flew the machines. Line Sergeants Nye and Flynn, and many other NCOs' and airmen's names now forgotten but certainly appreciated, were heroes in my estmation. Sgt. Willie Green - what a guy!
Our training syllabus was this: Eight transition flights (TU-33 and F~6 combined),
Eight formation flights (close formation with some combat "spread"),
Five camera gunnery flights (we flew against each other),
Eight combat formation flights (mostly tactics and maneuvers),
Two instrument flights (one in the T-33 and one in an '86 with a safety-chase),
One navigation flight, and
Two Yalu sweeps (an opportunity to go after MiGs).
We trained inT33s during January and part of February. During that period, my Form 5 shows just over 30 hours of instructor time. On February 15th, we were ordered to take flu shots. I flew three flights on February 16th but was then medically grounded for five days with the flu. I then flew one training flight as an instructor, broke a sinus, and I was grounded again until March 3rd.The 18th flew its first F-86 combat mission on February 22. The flight was comprised of the group commander and his three squadron commanders. Our leaders went first. This showed the caliber of men we had with Colonel Martin, Majors Evans and Hagerstrom, and SAAF Commandant Gerneke. They flew a Yalu sweep but had no contact with the MiGs.
On February 25, Major Hagerstrom had another Yalu sweep and shot down a MiG-15. Our training was quite realistic when considering that a Yalu sweep was the final lesson in the program!
As I mentioned earlier, most of my flight instruction was with the SAAF pilots. The SAAF government bought a few hours of dual T-33 time so that each F-51 pilot had some jet experience before flying the F-86.
BLACK MONDAYOn Monday, March 2, 1953, many of our F51 pilots who were anticipating combat in F-86s were told they were to be transferred. If they had 75 or more missions, they could rotate to the States. Others were to fly T-6s as Forward Mr Controllers (FACs). Some went to the South Korean Air Force as F-51 "advisors". In the 12th Squadron, we kept our four flight commanders and two ex-'51 pilots in each flight. That Monday night there was considerable rowdiness; and several rounds of .45 caliber ammo were fired through the barracks roofs (to my knowledge, no one was hurt). By Tuesday morning, all were gone. They were unhappy troops indeed.
On Wednesday, March 4, the 12th Squadron received 16 Nellis Air Force Base trained, fresh from the USA, F-86 pilots. All were Second Lieutenants. They filled our squadron's table of organization for the allotted number of pilots. Now we could get on with the war.
Major Harry Evans was the 12th Squadron's commander, and I became the operations offecer. Our flight commanders were:
A Flight: First Lieutenant Robert A "Bat" Masterson
B Flight: First Lieutenant Russell C. "Van" Van Hellen
C Flight: Captain Howard P. "Paul" Mann
D flight: Captain Michael "Mike" EnciniasIn the 67th Squadron, Major Jim Hagerstrom was the commander, and Captain Ralph "Costy" Costenbader was the operations officer.
In No.2 Squadron, RoIf Gerneke was the Commandant, and Major Stanley Wells was the operations officer.More F-86s arrived, and on March 12,1 resumed combat flying with mission #43. Colonel "Marty" Martin led our flight with SAAF Captain Ed Pienaar on his wing, and I led the element with SAAF Commandant Roif Gerneke as my wingman. We flew two Yalu sweeps, and then the SAAF pilots were on their own. "Marty" Martin got a "probable kill" on the 13th. Roif and I tangled with several MiGs, but we only had two "adrenaline pump overspeeds" to show for it. Jim Hagerstrom got 11/2 MiGs, and his wingman, Captain Dunlap, got half of a MiG. He finished off one that Jim had "winged".
Incidentally, as the SAAF Commandant, their number one man, RoIf Gerneke could have flown the element's lead position. He far outranked me. He deferred because of my "jet experience", I guess. He was not only agood leader, but also agreat wingman. Otherwise, I might not be here.
On March 14, we flew our first "all 12th Squadron" mission, or #46 for me. Major Harry "The Hoss" Evans led the flight, "Van" Van Hellen was on his wing, I led the element, and Mike Encinias was my wingman. Our squadron commander, the operations officer and two flight leaders went on that "first all 12th" mission. Again, leadership by example as we went off on a Yalu sweep.
When it came time to punch off our drop tanks, Van's would not release, and when Mike's came off, one rotated up and knocked his pitot boom off. No airspeed indication! That happened often, but some pilots just did not pay any attention to it and flew on anyway, and I know Mike wanted to stay. But we needed to hunt and fight in pairs, so Harry sent Van and Mike home, and then he and I went MiG hunting. Harry was an aggressive pilot, a gung-ho tiger, but we could not flush a thing up.
The 67th boys had better luck, however, or did they? Some time after Harry and I had landed at Osan, Jim Hagerstrom and Pat Buie were trapped by 16 MiGs. They finally got loose, but poor Pat's ship was somewhat the worse for wear. When it ended, they left his Sabre for junk at Kimpo, the first friendly landing spot they found. I do not recall if Jim got a MiG that day, but they had an incredible fight.
On April 6, the 12th began practice dive bombing at a local air-to-ground range. I flew two practice dive bombing missions that day plus another Yalu sweep for my mission #52.I flew the sweep on the wing of Major Bill Shelton, a temporary duty pilot from Air Training Command's headquarters at Scott Field, Illinois. I believe he was evaluating the effectiveness of our training in acombat theatre. Bill outranked me and thus I flew his wlng, although by that time it did not matter to me where I flew in the formation. Later, however, things like that did matter. The flight leader and the element leader were the "shooters", and if one wanted to become an "ace", a definite advantage existed.
Bill Shelton was a top notch F-86 jock. Many, if not all, of the temporary troops and headquarters types who flew with us were very capable. I think of guys like Lieutenant Colonel Glenn "Pappy" Stell and Colonel John "Curley" Edwards from our group and wing staff who flew with us. "Curley" had an outstanding record as a fighter pilot in WW II. The Colonels in our wing; Frank Perego, "Curley" Edwards and "Marty" Martin; all earned and deserved the eagles they wore. They were combat tried and proven leaders.
On April 18, I flew my first F~6 combat dive bombing mission, or #58 for me, although I believe the group flew a combat dive bombing mission a few days earlier. For the record, the 18th was not the first F-86 unit to dive bomb in Korea. I believe Colonel Walker Mahurin was shot down and became a POW as a result of a dive bombing mission while flying an F-86. I blieve he was in the 4th wing at the time. Also, about the time the 18th was converting to '86s, so was the 8th Wing on the east side of Suwon, across from the 51st.
Thus ends my recollection of the 18th Wing's transition from the F-51 Mustang to the Sabre. Warstories after our transition program, however, abound. Hagerstrom became a jet ace; other pilots shot down MiGs (even I got one); some of our pilots were shot down; some crashed and survived; some experienced sudden death; eroics of all kinds occurred and comradeship developed that will never die. Pilots who flew together in mortal cornbat have a special bond. That was an exciting period in my life.
The 67th Squadron lost an entire flight on May31, 1953. "Beer Flight" (all their flights were named after drinks, such as Scotch, Gin, Vodka, Beer and so forth) had two fatalities and lost all four aircraft that day. Leader "Tex" Beneke was killed on takeoff, "Smo" Smotherman was killed in flight, and Lieutenants Varbie and Carmichael crashed on landing, but both survived. Never again was there the call sign, "Beer Flight".
The 12th Squadron lost eight pilots between June l0 and the 18th. Three were killed in action, two others became POWs, and three were lost in a C-124 crash in Japan.
After completing my 100th mission, Colonel Martin grounded me and my element leader, Hans Degner (it was his 101st mission) for allegedly "beating up the field" on June 29. In time (maybe several weeks, but it seemed like forever), the suspension was lifted. I flew a few maintenance testhops and finished writing cer effectiveness reports and combat doctrine papers, and in mid-July 1953, I left for Japan. After admistrative delay while my spot promotion was removed, I became a Captai again. On July 29, I left Haneda, Japan for home, almost a year to the day after I arrived in Japan 1n 1952. I later retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the Michigan Air National Guard. Hans Degner? He is now a retired American Airlines Captain.
THE MITSUBISHI SABRES
The Sabre Jet was assembled in five countries. In addition to being build at North American's plants in Los Angeles and Columbus, Sabres were also assembled under license by the Canadair Division of General Dynamics in Montreal, Canada, as well as by Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation In Australia, Flat in Italy, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries In Japan. In this Issue, we will discuss the Japanese Sabres.
Beginning in December 1955, the Japanese Air Self Defense Force received 28 American-built F-86Fs reassigned to them under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program. These Sabres were sent to Japan for training purposes before the JASDF received a further 180 completed F-86F-40 Sabres through 1957 purchased by Japan directly from North American Aviation. These American Sabres received new Japanese serial numbers, 52-7401 through 72-7580. The final 45 Sabres, however, were sent back to the United States by February 1959. During this period, the Japanese built another 300 F-86Fs (under a production agreement) from parts Imported from North American. These Japanese built Sabres used serial numbers 62-7701 to 12-7000 and were also operated by the JASDF. These last Sabres were assembled by Mitsubishi.Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan established its Nagoya Works in 1917. During World War Two, the Nagoya Works was the largest Japanese manufacturing plant using the most modern equipment. It produced both aircraft and aircraft engines. Mitsubishi is perhaps best remembered for its outstanding Zero fighter which fought in the Pacific throughout the Second World War. From 1956 to 1961, Mitsubishi built 282 F-86F-40s and 18 photo-reconnaissance RF-86F-40s under license at the Nagoya Works. The "RF" models were actually converted during 1961 and 1962 from earlier F-86Fs. These RF-86Fs were flown until October 1979. The Japanese F-86Fs were flown by ten fighter units as well as by Japan's world famous Blue Impulse aerial demonstration team.
The Japanese flew their F-86Fs regularly until 1980. All Japanese "F"s were retired by March 1982. Many were later transferred to the United States. They were modified into QF-86F target drones for the U.S. Navy who used them for missile testing at the Naval Weapons Center in California and other locations beginning in the early 1980s.
F-86F GUNNERY DURING
JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 1957by Alan R. Ostby
I arrived at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona (also known as Willie Air Patch) from Webb Air Force Base, Texas where I had received my wings after 75 hours in the T-33. My graduation orders said that I was a "plt", but after all I had been through, I felt the word "pilot" should have been spelled out - preferably in capital letters! I was soon assigned to the 3525th Combat Crew Training Wing.
I received my gunnery training in the F86F. Because I was an Air National Guard pilot, I, and all other Guard pilots, were assigned to an MDAP (Mutual Defense Assistance Program) squadron. The other MIDAP pilots were from foreign countries. This was a good program as we had to retrain and requalify on instruments and take gunnery in the T-bird before going to the F-86F. The regular USAF pilots went straight into the '86. I also learned that pilots assigned to the F-l00s at Nellis Air Force Base were sent to Willie to get some bent wing time before transitioning into the Super Sabre. They were having an unacceptably high accident rate when going straight into the '100.The MDAP program was better (for me anyway) because we learned gunnery techniques in a familiar airplane, and we did not have to become proficient in a new bird while learning gunnery at the same time. After we completed our T-bird gunnery and transitioned into the '86, we were ready for the range. And when we completed '86 gunnery, I felt we were ready for anything.
We took ground school and spent three or four sessions in an F-86 simulator before our first solo flight. It was a thrill to fly the Sabre for the first time. I particularly enjoyed the '86 because, with only one seat, there was no instructor in back. Also, the speed brakes did not cause pitch-up when they were opened as on the T-33.
When sitting in the cockpit of the F-86 for the first time, we could see why it was a daylight fighter. It had only the basic full instrument panel (no zero reader or flight director) and a $50 ADF navigation radio! No wonder Radio Direction inder/Automatic Direction Finder instruction was stressed in instrument school! The gunsight in the '86 was essentially the same as in the P-51, except it had radar-ranging which gave a tremendous increase in our accuracy in air-to-air gunnery.
The '86s we had at Willie were a mix of hard and soft wing (with slats) aircraft. I got more air-to-air hits with the soft wing birds. The hard wing '86s were supposedly faster, but they were more difficult to hold on a target in the classic 4g pursuit curve and therefore less accurate. We were taught to open fire at 1,100 feet and cease firing at 900 feet. But when we saw gun camera film from Korea, the screen was filled with the big black circle of a MIG's tailpipe. It seemed every pass was from directly aft and at point blank range. So much for the "pursuit curve"!
The '86 was a super flyer and flew great formation, and I truly learned how to fly in formation with the '86. The artificial feel system did not bother me. Afew (very few) said they missed the controls not getting loose and sloppy at low speeds as was customary with conventional controls.
When we went to the gunnery range, only two .50 caliber guns were loaded along with carrying 2.7SAnch FFAR rockets. For skip and high-angle bombing, 'Coke' machine bomblet dispensers were used in place of the rocket launchers. Each bomblet contained a shotgun charge for scoring purposes. There was a trail of these between Willie and the range, due to various malfunctions of the dispensers, much to the concern of the population below!
I enjoyed high-angle strafing the most, and had my best accuracy, because I could see the rounds hit the target in front of me. I was impressed with the accuracy of the F-86's guns for strafing. Air-to-air gunnery was also fairly accurate if I had a soft wing bird and my radar-ranging worked. The hard wing birds were always on the verge of pitching up at medium g's due to the finless droptanks we used. Air-to-ground rocketry was my third favorite although I could not see the rockets impact. Skip bombing was also a lot of fun because we came in on the target at the same height as the range tower (approximately twenty feet).
For scoring air-to-air, the tips of our bullets were dipped in a waxey paint which transferred to the target when they passed through. After the armorers loaded our guns, they logged each color in the Form 1. One day one of the guys in my flight pulled some mischief by switching the colors in the Form 1 with his instructor to see if he could improve his score! We will never know who won as the target was lost on the way back to the base! When coming off the target earlier with the T-bird, it was difficult to spot the plane in front of us. This was not the case with the '86 as it put out a substantial trail of smoke from its tailpipe.
The F-86, however, was a little short on power at altitude. One day I was on a transition flight when I spotted a B-47 bomber from Davis-Monthan Mr Force Base (just down the road). Being the junior tiger that I was, I attempted to bounce him from 35,000 feet. He spotted me and immediately turned into me. My bird had a hard wing, and when I tried to stay with the '47 in my turn, I stalled out. It took me 10,000 feet of altitude to get the Sabre flying again! Because the '86 had supersonic capability, every jock wanted to go through the sound barrier, much to the distress of both the citizenry and our equipment, especially when we tried to go through with the drop tanks on. To alleviate our impulse, our squadron had a few birds fixed up so we could go through with minimal complaints. They designated four of five birds with hard wings and took the tanks off. We flew to the Boom Area for our big assault on the sound barrier. Our mission profile was to climb to 40,000 feet, level off and push the nose over. I was astounded at my fuel state as I climbed out. It seemed I was running low on fuel from the time the gear came up! I was used to having those big drop tanks full of JP-4. Leveling out at 40,000 with 100%, the Machmeter read .99. I thought I was to push over into a screaming dive to get the '86 through, but as soon as it nosed over slightly, the '86 slipped through easily with about 45 degrees of wing roll.
Our final flight was to bring out the tiger in us. All six guns were armed, and we were to fly to the tactical range where a convoy of old vehicles was set up for us to work over. In the '86, the six 50 caliber guns are mounted along the cockpit. The noise from two guns during training was substantial, but I was not ready for the noise that resulted when all six .50s were firing! The sound was like sixjack hammers! The thrust from all six guns pushed me against the shoulderhamess every time I opened up on the target.
The F-86's graceful looks belied its tremendous ruggedness. As I mentioned earlier, the '86 would pitch up if five to six g's were exceeded due to the large finless droptanks we carried. The pitch-up usually resulted in 9 g's. Our maximum g load with tanks was 7. The g meters were fixed so that the errant pilot could not punch off and delete the g's after a mission. The pilot was also to write up the overstress in the Form 1 and be subjected to possible disciplinary action. The overstress also caused the Sabre to go into the hangar for inspection for popped rivets and so forth. When I brought a bird back once with 9 on the g meter (due to a pitch-up), I did not enter it in the Form 1 to see what would happen. As it turned out, the maintenance squadrons were in a competition for "in commission" status to win "Squadron of the Week". When I came back for the next mission, the g's had been punched off and no entry was made in the Form 1! Who knows how many times this happened to the other '86s? Another story was told of one '86 driver who shot a target cable off during air-to-air. The iron pipe that the target was attached to sliced through his wing all the way back to main spar! When he landed, the target was still draped from the wing.
To give us a proper send-off after completion of gunnery, Bob Hoover from North American Aviation visited to give us a demonstration in the F-86. I thought he would probably bring a nice company Sabre, but to my amazement, he was to use one of our birds that we had been bending up for who knows how long! He walked down a line of our F-86s, and when he came to the one he liked, he said, "I'll take this one. Put on new tires and brakes". Until Hoover had finished his demo, I had no idea of the capability of this outstanding aircraft. My respect for the Sabre increased by an order of magnitude after that demonstration, and my feeling of good fortune to have flown the F-86F has increased more and more as the years have passed.
THE SABRE JET IN KOREA
A Crew Chief's Recollectonby Norm Kalow
I entered the United States Air Force immediately after high school, completed the aircraft and engine mechanic's training course at Sheppard Field, Texas, and joined the Fourth Fighter Group at Langley Field, Virginia. My tour with the Fourth was from July 1950 until January 1952. During that time, we were equipped with the North American F-86A-5 Sabre. Later we received a few "E" models, but the "-3" leading edge modification did not occur during my tour. I was with the original contingent that shipped over from the States in November 1950. We were initially located at Johnson Air Base near Tokyo, Japan, and we were also the last from the initial group to return to the States. Approximately half of our personnel came over by transport aircraft via Alaska across the Great Circle Route. The remainder came by aircraft carrier with the Sabres, courtesy of the United States Navy. It was tough duty during the time I was with the Fourth, both stateside and overseas, with little time off and significant responsibilities. Rear echelon maintenance on our Sabres was performed at Johnson Air Base by the Fourth's maintenance squadron. Two combat squadrons were in Korea at K-13 (Suwon) and K-14 Kimpo, near (Seoul) while one was stationed at Johnson. Periodically the squadrons in Korea rotated back to Japan.
A CREW CHIEF'S APPRAISAL OF THE SABREGenerally, the Sabre was a great aircraft. Most repairs were easy as compared to reciprocating engine aircraft (except for a few items, such as canopy seals), and we experienced minimal servicing problems at the primitive air fields and facilities in Korea. As an example, two of us could change an engine, including the engine's run-up, at a normal working pace in under an hour with few tools. All a good crew chief needed was a screwdriver and a pair of waterpump pliers, and we could fix 90% of the problems! This indicates an outstanding design and engineering effort on the F-86 by North American Aviation.
The Sabre was a "crew chief's dream" from a maintenance standpoint, with our only criteria being to "keep 'em flying". Inactivity was bad for the Sabre. The less it flew, the more minor problems the F86 had.
Initially at Johnson Air Base, shortly after we brought the Sabres up to flight status after the rigors of the ocean crossing from California, many small problems surfaced. Foremost was the fuel level transmitters in the wing cells. To change them required draining the fuel and dropping the leading edge slats. This was a time consuming procedure, but not particularly difficult. After the Sabres got to Korea and their flying increased, many other problems eliminated themselves.
One major problem I recall was the rupturing of a rubber membrane in the engine fuel flow control valve. True to Murphy's Law, this was usually discovered after the last flight of the day when we were checking the engine oil reservoir. Upon removing the cap, a mixture of JP-1 fuel and oil would gush out, accompanied by an oath from a crew chief! Repairs consisted of pulling the engine, replacing the fuel flow control valve, and then putting everything back together. But we found that the attention to the maintenance and repair function was extremely well thought out in the Sabre by its designers and engineers, such as in the use of electrical "cannon" plugs, quick disconnect hydraulic lines, and simple mechanical methods for securing components. As a further example, the mounting of the J47 jet engine was secured by two ball and sockets and a forward cross pin. Elegant!
The worst repair I recall in Korea was replacing the Sabre's canopy seal as it was glued into a channel. It had to be ripped out and scraped, a new seal glued in its place, and then flight tested by a pilot at altitude. The seal was hollow inside and inflated by engine compressor bleed air to ensure a tight seal. It required a "few trial and error" gluing sessions to get it right.
For such a comparatively complex aircraft (for its time), the Sabre was amazingly trouble free. This also included its systems, such as the hydraulics, the electricals and so forth.
The Sabre had a small "footprint", and due to its weight, if it went off the concrete or pierced steel planking, it got stuck and required a small tractor to be pulled back to solid footing. But thanks to the hydraulic power steering in the nose gear, the pilot usually had good control when "driving" the Sabre on the ground.
My impression of the Sabre forty years later is of a solid, well-designed, no nonsense airplane, with a characteristic beauty and form all its own. On the ground or in flight, with droptanks or "clean", the F-86 looked "classy". I can still remember watching a returning flight of four Sabres in a trailing formation making a low pass over the field and peeling off, one by one, into the final landing circle. Beautiful! And in its landing attitude a semi-stall, nose-high configuration; it looked like no other jet fighter we had at our base. The Sabre was the "cock of the walk", and it landed like it darn well knew it!
All in all, the Sabre was docile, but if we were careless, it would "bite". A case in point was of a young crew chief; cocky, slightly careless, and sometimes unheeding of advice. In early 1951, an advance contingent of Sabres was at K-14 (Kimpo), Korea. A Sabre's engine was run up on the flight line when the young man walked in front of the air intake duct. He was instantly sucked in and rammed through twelve feet of Intake duct to the engine where the engine screens stopped him. He was dead by the time the engine was shut down and he was pulled out.
We were always warned about the inherent dangers of the nose intake, and we treated it with great respect. But there was no problem with the Sabre's exhaust. People would be knocked down if they got too close, but not burned or seriously hurt. The local Koreans hired to sweep our taxi ways sometimes would not stay clear of the jet exhausts, and we periodically saw Koreans tumbling rear over tea kettle with their white clothes flying if they did not respect the Sabre's powerful exhaust.
A more serious problem was making sure that saboteurs did not throw sand or gravel into our Sabres' intake ducts. We heard they were paid a small sum by the "other side" to do this. This would cause serious engine problems if they were successful.
Speaking of engines, the Sabre's J47 jet engine required more care in "firing up" than say the F-80 Shooting Star, or else a "hot start" resulted, with a large tongue of flame shooting out the tailpipe. This could ruin the engine. We crew chiefs had to be on the ball whenever we ran the engines up, but fortunately the learning curve was not excessively long. As I recall, during engine startup, as the r.p.m. came up, careful manipulation of the throttle and a watchful eye on the fuel pressure gauge until the tailpipe temperature gauge "came alive" resulted in a safe, smooth startup. The key point was a controlled low fuel pressure reading via the throttle, or else we could sizzle someone's shorts a hundred feet away with the flame blast!
The Sabre was rugged, and a gear up landing was usually repairable. I recall one new pilot, just over from the States, who landed a new Sabre with its gear up. He was just forgetful. He said he could not hear the tower warning him on the radio because of a loud noise in the cockpit. It was his gear up warnmg horn! The crew chief of that Sabre, a corporal, had the pilot, a first lieutenant, as his helper until that plane was repaired!
ACCIDENTS
SABRES IN THE POTOMAC
Place: Andrews Mr Force Base, Washington, D.C.
Time: Summer 1950
Probably the most bizarre accident the Fourth ever had occurred shortly after I joined. Three Sabres went up on a clear, sunny day for a training mission and never returned! The next day we learned the facts, and they were not very pleasant!
It seems the three were returning to the base (Andrews AFB) in a three ship "V" formation. The leader (a first lieutenant) pulled his two wingmen (both second lieutenants) in close so that the formation could let down through a thin (he thought) cloud deck. While the weather was clear at Andrews, they were letting down near Quantico, about 20 miles away. He must have misread his altimeter, because the "cloud deck" was actually a tin fog layer over the Potomac River area, and they entered the soup at probably not more than 500 feet altitude. (Likely, the leader thought they were at 5,000 feet). They were in a left turn, and the right wingman shortly observed two "explosions" - the first two F-86s hitting the water. The next thing he knew, he was flying along in a badly damaged Sabre. He had "skipped" off the water! His compass was inoperative, and he was unable to find his way home, eventually bellying-in on a northern Virginia farm. He was badly injured, but recovered, and later flew in the Korean War. The other two pilots were killed on impact.
PLAYING LEAPFROG WITH A SABRE
Place: K-13 (Suwon), Korea
Time: Summer 1951
A Sabre with battle damage returned from MiG Alley but could not lower its landing gear. This was not a major problem as a gear up landing was fairly routine. As the F-86 landed, a group of scared Koreans ran across the runway, just ahead of the Sabre. The pilot shoved the throttle forward, the engine increased its thrust, and the Sabre leapfrogged over the Koreans and touched down again for a safe landing! it was the slickest bit of piloting we saw in a long time!
POWER LOSS
Place: K-13 (Suwon), Korea
Time: Summer 1951
Power loss was a deadly condition as I witnessed it, but fortunately it was an infrequent occurrence. Our Sabres took off "side by side". On this particular day, a pair was just airborne and about a hundred feet up when one Sabre "staggered" due to an unexplained power loss. The pilot reacted quickly by dropping his external fuel tanks and lowering the nose to maintain his airspeed. His luck and his altitude ran out simultaneously as he crashed into an elevated rice paddy embankment perpendicular to his flight path. The centrally mounted jet engine broke loose upon impact, came forward and crushed the pilot. The Sabre did not burn (this rarely happened, thanks to the low volatility of our JP-l jet fuel), but the F-866 was a total loss as was its pilot.
Norm Kalow left the Air Force after his enlistment. He worked briefly in the aviation industry and then utilized the GI Bill to enter the engineering profession. He retired after a long career in that field. Norm is now involved with writing ahout his expenences in Korea, providing assistance to authors, and contacting friends from the Korean War era.
THE RAMP WENT SILENT...
by Neil Fossum
Early in 1954 while I was going through F-86 gunnery school at Nellis Mr Force Base, a group of us stood down one afternoon to watch George Welch and Joe Lynch, both respected test pilots from North American Aviation, put on a couple of flight demonstrations for all us young jocks. Most of us had flown a mission that morning, and we were still in our flight suits as we stood on the ramp to watch these two famous flyers.
George Welch flew first. He showed us what we could get out of a T-28B trainer with its Pratt & Whitney engine and a three-bladed prop. His flight was very impressive, but most of us felt that props were a thing of the past. We were instead looki ng forward to Joe Lynch's flight in the dual-seat TF-86F Sabre.Prior to Joe's arrival at his TF-86F, I was leaning against its wing and watching George do his stuff. When Joe arrived, if he had asked me if I wanted to go with him, I would have climbed nght in. As he approached the bird, however, his mechanic said, "Joe, they topped off your tanks before I could stop them". Joe replied, "That's okay, but I don't want you to go with me today. Would you just secure the backseat straps and stuff?" in the meantime, George was ending his show with a perfect double lmmelmann off the deck.
Joe taxied his TF-86F out while George parked his bird. George and the Airdrome Officer next headed off toward Base Ops in the AO's Jeep. Joe was out of our sight as he started his takeoff roll. There was a slight tail wind, but using this particular runway would put his first aileron roll after takeoff right in front of the crowd which consisted of maybe 150 young pilots like myself. We spotted Joe on his takeoff roll when he cleared several buildings that had been obstructing our view of the first few hundred feet of the runway.
After rotating, Joe pulled the nose up. He quickly began a roll to the left. While in an inverted position, the roll stopped momentarily. Joe then started to roll back in the opposite direction, as if in a half roll and reverse. The TF-86F, however, remained in a steep left wing-down bank, and the nose started to the left. My first thought was, "Is he going to try to come back over the ramp?" I had only eleven hours in the F-86F at that moment, and I was not sure if the Sabre could do that. A moment later the nose started down, and the flight ended with the nose and left wing tip hitting the ground at about the same time. We next heard the whoomp sound of the impact. The TF-86F's fuel ignited and black smoke billowed up.
The ramp went completely silent. We could have heard a pin drop as our GI pilots stood there in stunned disbelief. There was nothing to say and nothing we could do. We slowly turned and quietly walked away, knowing we had just witnessed the last flight of a great pilot. As I walked, I wondered what business did I have in the super hot F-86F. For the next few days, we noticed the roped off crash site out of the corners of our eyes as we took off, and most of the guys loosened their traffic patterns a little.
During a recent conversation I had with Dan Darnell, a North American test pilot who knew Joe Lynch well, Dan told me that the TF-86F had a rudder travel restriction installed and that a 300 pound rudder pressure was required to break this restriction. The accident investigation revealed that the restriction in the TF-866's rudder travel had been broken indicating that Joe Lynch desperately wanted more rudder for that last maneuver. Dan also confirmed that Joe had a full fuel load.
Over the years I have often wondered why Joe was so explicit in securing the TF-86Fs back seat rather taking someone along...
MY FAVORITE SABRE STORY
by John Henderson
As the pilots of the C-54 transport I was flying in prepared to land at Kimpo Air Base, northwest of Seoul, South Korea, I vacated the jump seat behind them to allow their flight engineer to take his accustomed place during landing. It was snowing heavily on a dark night with limited visibility. With nothing to do but enjoy the ride, I reflected on the events of a day that brought me to a place in the Far East that I had not known about thirty days earlier.
The date was December 15, 1950. I was based in Japan for only five days when I received my orders to go on temporary duty to Korea to provide technical suport to the 4th Fighter Group detachment's maintenance personnel. The first seven F-86A-5 Sabres had deployed to Kimpo on the 13th to initiate jet-to-jet combat operations against the Russian-built MiG-15s that flew from bases across the Yalu River in Manchuria.I was not the first North American Aviation field service representative in Korea that year. Several of our tech reps were there earlier supporting F-51s and F-82s when the North Korean Peoples Army trespassed across the 38th Parallel and invaded on June 25, 1950. I later learned that one of our F-51 reps barely escaped capture when an alert C47 crew snatched him into their cargo bay while on their takeoff roll.
It was by the flip of a coin that I became the first F-86A tech rep to go to Korea with the 4th Fighter Group. We had departed San Diego, California a day or two after Thanksgiving 1950. The 49 F-86A-5 Sabres that Emar (Chris) Christopherson and I accompanied on the "jeep" carrier Cape Esperance were 17 days at sea before docking in Tokyo Bay. The aircraft were off-loaded and barged to Kisarazu Air Base on the other side of the bay where they were cleaned, inspected and cleared for flight to Johnson Air Base, which became our rear echelon maintenance base.
The F-86As loaded earlier on the flight deck of the Cape Esperance had been coated with an anti-corrosive grease on their exposed surfaces, and tape was used to close all the openings between metal surfaces to protect them against salt water intrusion. When off-loaded at Kisarazu, it was clear, however, that salt water corrosion had occurred. The severity of the corrosion depended upon how far forward each airplane had been on the carrier's deck. Most of the damage was due to electrolytic action between the magnesium filler strips attached to the ailerons' trailing edge aluminum. The damage that occurred enroute slowed the inspection of the Sabres and decreased their availability for ferrying to Johnson Air Base, north of Tokyo.
On the morning of the 15th, Chris and I were on the flight line at Johnson assisting with aircraft preflighting when a message was received from the group maintenance office that Chris or I would be asked to go on temporary duty to Korea to work with the first of the 32 Sabres that were being deployed.
When Chris was assigned to the 4th Fighter Group, he was designated the senior rep. It would be his decision as to who went to Korea and who stayed in Japan. I was therefore mildly suiprised when Chris said, "I'll flip you to see who goes... winner's choice!"
I won the toss and chose to go with the detachment to Korea. To me, it was veiy rewarding to be a part of the cadre with the 4th Fighter Group that started what was to become the epitome in fighter pilot accomplishment, the JET ACE!
From the outset of flying at Kimpo Air Base, I saw first hand the F-86A weapon system operate in the worst weather, under the most primitive and restrictive of maintenance conditions, and with proably the strongest demand for a l00 per-cent incommission rate from the higher commands.
In retrospect, I personally believe that those first 21 days of combat operations with the F-86A were the most demanding on personnel and equipment the 4th encountered during its first year of operation with Fifth Air Force. Yet, for all the limitations, the 4th Fighter Group did outstandingly well.
The F-86's power plant and airframe components performed to specifications, given the circumstances: the engine tailpipe temperature was trimmed up to exceed the rated thrust (which decreased the engine hot section components' life expectancy), the airframe was flown past its red line speed restriction, and g forces often exceeded the 7.33 limit for which the structure was designed. These conditions took their toll, but nothing catastrophic resulted. We had the usual maintenance problems which were to be expected, but they were intensified during airplane turnarounds in some cases by the intense cold and lack of shelter.
So, as I stood on the flight deck of the C-54 watching the two First Lieutenants trying to line up with the Kimpo runway, I wondered what I was flying into and how everything would turn out. Perhaps I would have stayed aboard had I known I would go 18 days without a real bath; that the temperature and wind chill factor would drop the thermometer below freezing to the extent that a water bucket froze if left too far from a stove; that Christmas dinner was bully beef and boiled potatoes because the cook could not thaw our turkeys; that I would have chow that day with the Turkish Army Brigade soldiers who unhesitatingly used their rifle bayonets to spear bread from our table; or that I would have to talk my way onboard the last air-vac transport in the middle of the night that was taking "walking wounded only" to avoid the possibility of being captured when our base was about to be overrun. ... But, then, if I had stayed in Japan, I might not have learned what my boss, John Casey, meant when he shipped me off to the Far East, when he said, "Remember, I didn't hire any heroes!" I kept that in mind all the way back to Johnson Air Base that night.
MY FAVORITE SABRE STORY
by Major John Lamb
John is cunently the Chief of Quality Assurance for the 52nd FW at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany He flies the F4-G primarily as a functional check flight pilot. John has about 2,425 hours of A-37 time, 700 in the AC-47 and 1,400 hours in the F4-C/D/E/ G and RF plus other hours in many other airplanes, including a T-6 with the Domincan Republic who presented John with honorary wings from their air force.
In fall 1983, I was sent to Honduras to assist their A-37 Dragonfly squadron during one of the "Ahuas Tara" exercises. Our task was to introduce close air support training with the USAF O-2 FACs (forward air controllers) from Panama to the Fuerza Aeria Honduras (Fall) (the Honduran Air Force). Working with an airborne FAC was new to the FAH, and the communication, command and control links with their ground forces needed to he developed.After meeting with the FAH Director of Operations, the A-37 squadron and the SouthCom staff, I convinced our Wing Cormmander and the Tactical Air Command project officer that we needed to give them our best people and effort because some previous assistance teams had unfortunately raised some credibility issues.
The reason I was selected for the project was because I had 400 combat missions in the A-37 in Southeast Asia and was in charge of the OA-37 formal training for the aircraft at the time. I picked Captain (now LTC) Blake Thomas to go with me on the team. Blake was picked because he had been an instructor pilot in international undergraduate pilot training at Sheppard Air Force Base and had also been in the initial F-15 cadre at Soesterberg, NL, and he was immensely perceptive. This means that when I told him they had F-86s sitting on their ramp, he would have killed for the chance to go with me!
During the time we were in San Pedro Sula, we also helped upgrade two of their pilots to instructor status in the A-37, and we spent countless hours teaching academics on everything from general airmanship, aircraft systems knowledge, and tactics to our most gracious hosts. As we worked and played together with the Hondurans, a positive bond grew. What we showed them about our airplane skills was returned to us on their soccer field; and man, they were good!
We could not hide our desire to get our hands on their F-86s from the first day we arrived! We had no idea that we would ever be able to do anything but wish for a chance to fly them. They had Canadair Mk.3 (F-86E) models that had belonged to the Venezuelans. They had been through an IRAN (Inspection and Repair As Necessary) and taken back to zero time by the Venezuelan Air Force. When we flew them they had between 700-900 hours.
In early December 1983, Captain Jose A. San Martin, their Ops officer, told us that our reward for our hard work was a chance to fly their Sabres!!! So here we were, studying the Sabre Dash 1, sitting by the pool and tennis courts at the luxury hotel, Copant! Sula, sipping cervezas, and saying, This is the life!!" To pass their fifty question general knowledge test, I translated their questions into english and Blake looked up the answers. We spent hours doing cockpit familiarization, fervently fondling every switch, lever and handle! The crew chiefs went through the engine start and ground checks with us. Day Two was another engine start, practice taxi, engine runup with emergency fuel sytem checks, and a highspeed abort on the runway. It was like going hack in history, except for the fact that I had flown Gooneybird gunships as a Second Leutenant, and the vintage aircraft layout made me feel at home. The big difference was the Sabre had the correct number of chairs in it and was a fighter!
The vivid memory of being too excited to sleep the night before we were to flyour first Sabre will always stay with me. This is a guy who had two combat tours and over 3,500 hours of flying time. Our first sortie was a generic aircraft handling, bea-p-the-pattern ride. It seemed a lot like the A-37 as far as getting off the ground and accelerating, but it watered my eyes once the Sabre got going. I rememher dropping the nose, quickly getting 500 knots, and laughing as Iwatched my chase instructor pilot not wanting to follow me through a loop. I had trouble seeing to land while trying to look around that gigantic smile on my face! Touch down, short aerobrake, duck the head and open the canopy to help slow down. What a kick!
The next few sorties were formation work with some simulated close air support. One thing that really sticks in my memory was pulling the lever to charge the .50 caliber machine guns. I was very disciplined about pulling hard and holding the lever as directed, but I did not know what to expect. What a manly sound, that "chunk-a-chunk" six times, as the arming bolts slammed into position. We first strafed rocks in the ocean off a small uninhabited island. This was to develop a feel for sighting and ranging.
My last sortie in the F-86 was a two-versus-two which was flown between 10,000 and 25,000 feet directly over the base. The base commander and Blake were the first element, and San Martin and I were their adversary. We took reciprocal radials off the VRTAC navigation station for three nautical miles from theVOTAC which had us meeting with roughly a five mile split. I knew San Martin and I had the advantage because Blake was flying as a wingman and his leader just was not as aggressive as the rest. In the split over the VORTAC, I climbed into our briefed altitude block. The sun angle was neutral for both elements, but because Blake was dividing his time flying good fighting wing position, I picked up their two ship first. Using an altitude advantage and lead turn, we were able to saddle up into a guns tracking position by 270 degrees of turn. Not great, but for my first BFM (basic flight maneuvers) in the airplane, I was thrilled, and I knew Blake was swearing! Later he would make me pay for that when we were developing a defensive maneuver training program for the OA-37, but at the time, being able to gun a hotshot F-15 jock, NATO Tactical Leadership Program graduate, was like being summoned by acenterfold. We did not have enough gas to split into one-on-one, which we really would have loved to do; but what fun flying several passes over the airfield to motivate the crew chiefs! I was working hard trying to be a smooth Number Three on the inside of the turn. While we were putting on this air-show, I was thinking, "We are the only four ship flight of F-85s airborne anywhere in the whole world!"
The next week while I was in Tegucigalpa outbriefing with the FAL Chief of Staff and Director of Operations, Blake got to fly the Sabre one last fime. There was a transient Australian C-130 crew who apparently climbed out on the top of the wing of their Herky to cheer the display of "BLADE" flying (theAustralian nickname for the Sabre).
I only logged 9.5 hours in the F-86, but of the 4,700-plus hours and 1,079 combat hours I have been lucky enough to live through, I treasure those Sabre flights among my most favorite memories. Who would not? 13
THE ROCKET-ASSISTED SABRE PROGRAM
In 1960, the Air Research and Development Command of the United States Air Force at Edwards Air Force Base in California conducted a series of tests on a rocket-assisted F-86F, serial number 52-4608, which was redesignated to JF86F-30. This modified Sabre quickly became the fastest and highest flying Sabre in aviation history. The project was a joint USAF and North American Aviation test program intended to develop an improved day interceptor that would fill the gap until the F-104 Stadighter became available in greater numbers. All test flights were conducted at the North American test area at Palmdale, California, and the project pilot was Jay Ranks.
The modification that made 52-4608 so unique was the installation of a RocketdyneAR2-3 rocket engine beneath its fuselage, located behind the wing at the site of the fuselage break. The AR2-3 system weighedapproximately 225 pounds, took only about thirty minutes to service, and was considered almost completely reliable. The rocket motor could be throttled to between 3,000 and 6,000 pounds of thrust at 35,000 feet, with a maximum usage of 2.8 minutes. It could be operated at any altitude up to 80,000 feet, and it could be restarted. The system, furthermore, was considered easy to learn for its pilots.The AR2-3 rocket motor was fed by the same KP-4 jet fuel used by the Sabre's J47 jet engine, along with a hydrogen peroxide oxidizer fed by a pump from two external 200-gallon modified droptanks attached to the Sabre's outer wing pylons. Two other standard 120-gallon (IP-4) droptanks could also be carried on the inner pylons, but these greatly increased the drag on the rocket-assisted Sabre during the faster interceptions. Another unique feature with the JF-86F-30 Sabre was the addition of two GAR-8 Sidewinder missiles, in addition to the usual six .50 caliber machine guns, which could also be used.
During its testing, 52-4608, with the rocket package assisting its J47, reached 70,840 feet, although the recommended maximum altitude for attacking enemy aircraft was placed at 60,000 feet where both the J47 and the AR2-3 still functioned normally. At 45,000 feet, the rocket-assisted F86F was capable of Mach 1.03 in level flight, and the Sabre could achieve an incredible Mach 1.22 at 60,000 feet in level flight (with both figures based upon not carrying the two inboard JPA drop tanks). The time to climb for the rocket-assisted Sabre to 60,000 feet was 2.4 minutes, and it could reach a target 95 nautical miles away at 60,000 feet in 16.7 minutes from the time it began rolling for take off.
The AR2-3 assisted Sabre concept was generally successful, but it did not proceed beyond its testing program. Several AR2-3 rocket motors, however, were later used in the NF104 program by test pilots at Edwards Air Force Base.
Whatever happened to the world's fastest and highest flying Sabre? We are pleased to report that one of our Sabre Societymembers, Bob Scott of San Martln, California, who flew F-86As, "E"s, "Fs and "H"s with the Air Force and the Air National Guard, and who later retired as a Delta Air Lines L-1011 Captain, acquired 52608 in the early 1970s from salvage at North Ainerican Aviation. This remarkable F-86F Sabre is now in storage in a disassembled condition. Bob hopes it will someday be restored and placed in the Edwards Air Force Base museum, although it potentially could be restored to fly again. Bob's famous Sabre currently carries Federal Aviation Administration registration number N57963 as of July 1989.
AN F-86H IS REBORN
--PART TWO--by Ed Buerckholtz
When one is recruiting technicians for a jet warbird rebuild, the individual who answers often turns out to be: (a) very excited, but inexperienced; (b) "experIenced", but not entirely truthful, or (c) the kind of person who has worked on everything all over the world but who is currently installing seamless gutters from the back of his truck. So when one finds a real artist, one tends to overlook some peculiarities.
I say this so you will understand that when I found two of our techs laughing hysterically at 10a.m. one morning, I next went looking for beer cans! The truth was worse. We came very close to providing the raw material for enough beer containers to hold "a thousand pints of Lite". While hoisting our J73-GE-3 jet engine from its temporary aircraft jacks, the boom's support cable parted. Fortunately, our engine was only an inch in the air, and it had descended firmly. Another inch or two and we may have been calling a scrap dealer while wondering what to tell our banker. Just another day in the restoration business!I have become accustomed to speaking with some offbeat warbird restorers who say, when they face a problem, that it's "No problem. We'll just bring it up from billet". Soon we got to this unenviable pass. When North American wanted to seal the gap between the retracted flap and the top of the wing, they assigned this task to an engineer I would like to meet, though not in a dark alley. This worthy individual decided this required a complex extrusion of fine magnesium, unnecessary though this may seem to we who know less. This precious object was then milled by a machinist and installed with 344 rivets requiring disassembly of the rear wing structure to remove. In time these seals corroded (as magnesium will), and when our Sabre arrived, they were good only as blades for the world's longest cheese cutter. But, we were lucky. It required a search of only two months to find John Patton, a machinist, who could mill replacements, but this time from a hard grade of aluminum. We now have an extra set, so I have a valuable chip when bargaining with recalcitrant warbird restorers who are hankering for an F-86H restoration of their own!
Another amusing feature of the restoration experience is our "easter egg" hunt for parts. We were fortunate that Professor Jim Froemming and the folks at the college (see Part One in Volume 1 Number 3) protected this airplane from vandals and souvenir hunters, but when the government demilitarized the bird earlier in 1970, the team must have had one collective hot date because they removed not only everything dangerous or classified, but they also did it with the fewest twists of the wrist, taking the wheat with the chaff. As a result, we are searching for things that were never in any way hazardous or secret.
Trying to replace rare items allows us to meet some interesting characters in the restoration world. The first is the puck nut. This is the person that has it but will not sell it, even though he has no use for it, now or in the future. This fellow has no rational justification for his position and needs none. He has the goods. Price escalation is useless; his choice is to barter. A B-25 turret drive for anew canopy? Voilal Friends for life!
Another distinctive character is the big dealer. This person has no time for a small transaction. A canopy seal? It would take more time to find than it is worth. Usually these people have computer inventory systems. I believe the reason for their reluctance is that they hope to sell their stuff to some government some day at gold plated prices. Needless to say, antiquarian sentiment is not in their makeup. The solution is through an intermediary - a mutual friend who can make the request on a more personal basis. Rainmakers have helped many desperate restorers. May their tribe increase!
Another thorn in the rebuilder's side is the ice cream parlor syndrome, referring to the Sacramento Sabre overrun accident years ago which nearly sabotaged the jet restoration movement forever. This mindset is found anywhere. It pervades the original manufacturers, espcially if they have been through a merger or three. Their position is that any assistance, let alone a sale to a restorer, opens the door, however slight, for a disastrous legal judgment. After talking with these people, I am left with a mental picture of a small, haggard wretch in deep mourning, entombed in a basement office under a cloud, while in the distance the Voice of Doom intones the dreaded phrase, "Jointly and severally liable". There is not much one can do about the ice cream pador syndrome. it would help if the safety record of our jet warbird movement improved. The military can wreck jets; it usually occurs in deserts, at sea, or at military airfields in grubby spots far from public observation. Further, it is usually held necessary for the national defense. But when civilians crash a jet, it is often at public displays. Sometimes they take a journalist into the smoking hole. Be that as it may, nobody will ever forget the Sacramento disaster.
The work on our F-86H is progressing nicely. The aft section looks new, thanks to Leroy Keener. The wings will be finished, as will the wheels and brakes, by the time this is published. The forward fuselage bays are done as are tail feathers. Would you believe we need 256 new brake pucks?! Still waiting are the cockpit and main hydraulics bay, the main gear wells and the engine's inspection. With only 180 hours on it, our J73 looks good. We have a specialist to plan our avionics setup. We will make it a good one with modern gyros, possibly ERS, GPS nav and all the necessary hardware. Can anybody locate a HUD projector? Please let us know.
Another item readers could help with is the weapons bay display we want to complete on the right side. We hope to remove the gun bay panel and have everything visible. The bay is done, but we need M-39 cannons, the adaptor kit and the ammo feed drives. Needless to say, the weapons will be inoperable, but we want them to look accurate. Present plans call for a conformal smoke tank in the left gun bay. Baggage space may be located in the ammo lockers or the external stores. Does anyone have a Mk 12 nuclear device training shape? Golf clubs would be better than megadeaths - titanium instead of plutonium!
Once again we appeal to the kindness of strangers: send us your tired, unwanted F-86H stuff. We'll buy, we'll trade, we'll even get you published in Sabre Jet Classics! We still don't have a canopy seal, but we do have six extra F-86H nosewheel tires. We are hurting for inititors and catapults for our canopy and seat, but we have lots of corporate jet parts; Sabreliner, Falcon and the like. We even have a pair of F-86H flapgap seals - new manufacture! For you, a special deal! We are always online and interested in talking with Sabre folks. Please call us at Spint Fighters at (314) 532-2707, or FAX (314) 532-1486
(To Be Continued)