Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
I was hesitant at first as well, but it was the only way the board would accept the aircraft. It would be neat to one day get an F. It's also great to see the museum continue to get aircraft and have active restorations, we also have a TB-25K project ongoing.Great to hear that this H-model will be saved. I'm never a fan of inappropriate Sabre colour schemes but understand why. Hopefully one day you'll be able to swap your H for an F and '253 can regain her Clovis (never "Cannon" in her day) colour scheme.
I only have the history based on what was on Aerial Visuals, so if you have the full history I'd appreciate it!Incidentally did you get the aircraft's full history? I can post here if you'd like it.
Watched this yesterday, it was an enjoyable watch!
View: https://youtu.be/Y20Puwq-ANY
It seems to work by clicking on the small blue writing under the do not enter sign.
Thank you! Would you mind if I added this information to Aerial Visuals to make it more complete?Full history:
53-1253 built at North American Aviation, Columbus OH with construction number 203-25
Available 13Dec54
Accepted 04Feb55
Delivered 03Mar55 for Project TAC-4F-579
474th FBGp Clovis AFB NM 02Mar55
Southern California Aviation Ontario CA 13Nov56 (contract work)
2584th Reserve Flying Center (AFRES) Memphis TN 11Apr57
142nd FIS DE ANG New Castle 28Oct57 (TFS from 01Dec58)
contract work at New Castle 27Apr60
142nd TFS DE ANG New Castle 07May60
166th Consolidated Logistics Maint Sqn New Castle 07Apr62
107th TFW NY ANG Hancock 03Jun62 (storage)
177th TFGp NJ ANG Atlantic City 01Jan63
On-site contract work at Atlantic City 31Oct63
177th TFGp NJ ANG Atlantic City 21Dec63
175th TFGp MD ANG Martin Field 20Feb65
On-site contract work at Martin Field 13Oct65
175th TFGp Martin Field 30Nov65
On-site contract work at Travis AFB 26Sep67
175th TFGp MD ANG Martin Field 14Dec67
140th TFW MD ANG (activated) Martin Field 13May68
TDY Cannon AFB 10Jun68
140th TFW MD ANG (activated) Martin Field 05Dec68
175th TFGp MD ANG (returned to State) Martin Field 20Dec68
Donated museum 29Jun70
to Jamestown ND 10Aug70 for display
The Cannon AFB TDY and assignment to 140th TFW reflect a call to active duty during the Pueblo Crisis: at that time the MD ANG sent an F-86H detachment to Cannon AFB to form a school providing fighter conversion courses to Air Force pilots who previously only flown transport types. During this activation the 104th TFS Sabres gained a temporary 'CT' tail code in white (the similarly-activated F-86H-equipped 138th TFS NY ANG at Cannon wore 'CS'). The TDY and school idea were dropped at the end of the Crisis.
The ANG units initially assigned their aircraft at squadron level; later to the CLM Squadrons (in the same way as many USAF units pooled aircraft at Organizational Maint Sqn level), and later to Group.
So as you can see, this is an airframe with its own history – including Federalized service during Vietnam. It not only served with the Air Force, but with the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard of four different states.
Feel free. Glad to helpThank you! Would you mind if I added this information to Aerial Visuals to make it more complete?
Sam
* 4 F-86E-10s and 6 F-86F-1s were regunned with the cannon and redesignated as F-86F-2-NA. After combat trials in Korea, all of these were assigned to the Colorado ANG, and served in their "Minutemen" aerobatic team.
Yes... but those two F-86F-1s received Oerlikon 206RK cannons (which didn't work out) and they were scrapped in 1958 & 1960.Most of the F-86F-2s served with the Minutemen team, but not all. Two further aircraft were cannon-armed, as F-86F-3.
No: the two F-86F-3s were converted independently of the F-2 machines.Yes... but those two F-86F-1s received Oerlikon 206RK cannons (which didn't work out) and they were scrapped in 1958 & 1960.
Unfortunately F-models are hard to come by through the USAF Loan Program, so the H was the only F-86 they expected to be able to acquire for the time being. It will be an inaccurate paint scheme but the decision to mark it as such was to tie it to a local Sabre pilot.Just remember... the F-86F had 6 .50 cal Browning M3 machine guns*, while the F-86H had 4 20mm T-160 cannon**. The construction number of your F-86H (203-25) indicates it is a F-86H-10... which definitely was a cannon-armed airframe.
* 4 F-86E-10s and 6 F-86F-1s were regunned with the cannon and redesignated as F-86F-2-NA. After combat trials in Korea, all of these were assigned to the Colorado ANG, and served in their "Minutemen" aerobatic team.
** The first 115, designated F-86H-1s, had the 6-MG armament, the remaining 175 F-86H-5s and 300 F-86H-10s had the cannon armament.
My information is absolutely correct... I never said or implied that they were part of the earlier group.No: the two F-86F-3s were converted independently of the F-2 machines.
The two F-86F-3s were redesignated as such in July 1952 and initially bailed to NAA; their physical conversion spanned the end of the war in Korea. They were not "both scrapped"; one was lost in a flying accident.My information is absolutely correct... I never said or implied that they were part of the earlier group.
Those two were converted after combat in Korea had ended, the others were converted early on.