F-86H Sabre Restoration

[SamuelK]

Recently, the Fargo Air Museum acquired a North American F-86H Sabre, serial number 53-1253, via the NMUSAF Loan Program.

This aircraft served with the 428th FBS of the 474th FBW at Cannon AFB in New Mexico after it was taken on strength up until 1957, where it was transferred to the 142nd FIS of the Delaware ANG. In the 1970s, the aircraft was withdrawn from use and arrived at the Jamestown Regional Airport in Jamestown, ND, roughly 100 miles west of Fargo where it was displayed on a pole in front of the passenger terminal. For the last decade or so, it has been sitting on the ramp, awaiting its fate.

Within the last six months, the Fargo Air Museum was able to get approval for acquiring and moving the Sabre to Fargo, for outside display. The plans are to restore it cosmetically in the markings of an F-Model Sabre of the 563rd FBS of the 388th FBW while serving at Etain-Rouvres AB in the 1950s. The reason behind painting it in an F-Model scheme is due to one of the founders of the museum, the late General Darrol Schroeder flying with this outfit during his time in the Air Force, and this was the sole reason they were able to acquire the Sabre since the F-86 never served in North Dakota in either an ANG or active duty outfit. Acquiring this plane also saved it from being scrapped, as the NMUSAF was planning on doing so if the Fargo Air Museum didn't take it.

Restoration on this aircraft is hopefully starting this summer, after more funding comes in and transportation/permitting is planned for the 100-mile move.

Fargo Air Museum - Save the Sabre

Photo credit: Max Sabin

Photo Credit: Max Sabin

 

[Sabrejet]

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.

 

[SamuelK]

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 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.

 

[Sabrejet]

Incidentally did you get the aircraft's full history? I can post here if you'd like it.

 

[SamuelK]

Incidentally did you get the aircraft's full history? I can post here if you'd like it.

I only have the history based on what was on Aerial Visuals, so if you have the full history I'd appreciate it!

 

[Sabrejet]

Ah OK - yes that's missing a lot of detail. Give me an hour or so and I'll get the info together.

 

[SaparotRob]

View: https://youtu.be/Y20Puwq-ANY


It seems to work by clicking on the small blue writing under the do not enter sign.

 

[SamuelK]

View: https://youtu.be/Y20Puwq-ANY


It seems to work by clicking on the small blue writing under the do not enter sign.

Watched this yesterday, it was an enjoyable watch!

 

[Sabrejet]

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.

 

[SamuelK]

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.

Thank you! Would you mind if I added this information to Aerial Visuals to make it more complete?

Sam

 

[Sabrejet]

Thank you! Would you mind if I added this information to Aerial Visuals to make it more complete?

Sam

Feel free. Glad to help

 

[SaparotRob]

The F-86 has a lot of fans here, even the "D".

 

[GreenKnight121]

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.

 

[Sabrejet]

* 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.

Most of the F-86F-2s served with the Minutemen team, but not all. Two further aircraft were cannon-armed, as F-86F-3.

 

[GreenKnight121]

Most of the F-86F-2s served with the Minutemen team, but not all. Two further aircraft were cannon-armed, as F-86F-3.

Yes... but those two F-86F-1s received Oerlikon 206RK cannons (which didn't work out) and they were scrapped in 1958 & 1960.

 

[Sabrejet]

Yes... but those two F-86F-1s received Oerlikon 206RK cannons (which didn't work out) and they were scrapped in 1958 & 1960.

No: the two F-86F-3s were converted independently of the F-2 machines.

 

[SamuelK]

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.

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.

 

[GreenKnight121]

No: the two F-86F-3s were converted independently of the F-2 machines.

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.

 

[Sabrejet]

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.

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.

 

[SamuelK]

Sabre Update 6/30/2024:

Yesterday, Fargo Air Museum Staff and Volunteers drove out to Jamestown to prep the Sabre for the move to Fargo. The group was out there to prep for the next stage, which is to detach the wings for the fuselage for transport. More to come.