After I had finished my F-101 C "Voodoo" in 1:48 scale, I went back to my favourite 1:32 scale and Kitty Hawk's just released F-86 D "Sabre Dog" was the right stuff I had waited for so long. Many Hasegawa F-86 F's I have already built and I had
planned to convert the F-Version into a D-model by using Aeropoxy's resin conversion set. Fortunately Kitty Hawk came up with their
wonderful "Sabre Dog"- Kit and I couldn't wait to enlarge my collection of cold war jets with a model this famous
all weather fighter in the big scale. And the "D" was again the right subject for foiling the model with aluminium kitchen foil as already explained in my previous submissions. A bare metal finish with aluminium foil can't be beaten by any silver
laquer on the market today and even Alclad silver only comes close to the aluminium finish.
As already mentioned, Kitty Hawks "Sabre Dog" is a real highlight released in 2015. Correct in outline and size with all the features we expect when buying a model of this scale.
I have built my "Dog" absolutely "out of the box" with closed rocket compartment and speed brakes as a have seen them parked in the nearby Landstuhl / Ramstein air base in the late fifties and early sixties. The build was really fun and seldom I had to use putty, only light sanding was necessary on the intake section. The cockpit interior could be a little more detailed, but I'm sure, that the aftermarket will fill this gab in the near future.
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As usual I have chosen for my model markings of those
colorful and highly polished birds normally flown by the wing or squadron commanders. Zotz-Decals gave me the chance to realize my model in the markings of the Wing Commander of the 86FIW, USAFE. The original aircraft had the serial number 52-4102 and belonged to the 526 TFS "Black Knights". This aircraft retained basic 526th colors with the addition of muilti-colored fuselage and drop tank stripes. The red nose scallop , which is not included in the Zotz-Decals, was later removed.
There is indeed nothing to critisize on this kit and I surely will build the K/L-Version of the "Dog", but I'm not yet sure which finish I'll choose. Bare metal or Camouflage ? Let's see.