Hi Bill,
This one had sat outside for 15 years. It is a former Luftwaffe Sabre and then spent time in Canda towing targets. It came in with the short wings and solid leading edge, but it is a 6-3 winG. Steve's shop fitted the wingtip extensions and swapped the solid leading edges for slats. They had to reskin about half of the slats we got, but it's going to be a good Sabre whan it is completed. The engine is an Orenda ... can't recAll just now whether it is a 15 or a 16, but it has about 2,500 pounds mnore thrust than a USAF F-86F.
I'm not quite sure what you would call it now, but it basically an F-86F with more thrust. Technically, I suppose it is still a Mk VI since that is what the data plate says. Interestingly enough, we managed to find a new set of slat bearings for it and the slats look and operate like brand new.
I'll post a few more when it gets closer to being done.
We found drop tanks for it in a strange place. We located a set being used as a pontoon boat!, acquired them, and had to remove the dents from beaching using an English wheel ... but they look pretty good now. We had a few interesting moments trying to mount the US slats on the Canadian wing. Since the Canadians weren't using the slats, they had plumbed the hydraulic lines right in front of the slat pockets, and all those lines had to be re-plumbed. They were going to replace them anayway. Also, there were a couple of tabs that had to be cut away to get the slats to fit right. Everything was removed from the leading edges except what is needed now, so considerable weight was removed from the LEs.
Here it is when I was working on it:
We had just finished cleaning the trailing edge and it was all nice and Amuminum in color.
Looks better now that its polished, huh?
I'll get shots when all the marking and stencils are done on ours, and also when this Mk VI is completed.