1:48 North-American F-86F-40 Sabre

The real subject

The North American F-86 Sabre was an American single-seat jet fighter with a swept wing that made its name in the fighting over Korea. It was built in many versions and served with dozens of states, among them places outside the United States where it was produced under license. The F-40 designation belongs to a late production series of the F version. The Sabre is to this day one of the most popular modeling subjects of the early jet era.

What the set contains

A photo-etched set for a model in 1:48. The photo-etching replaces items that cannot be made thin enough in plastic: the instrument panel and the side panels of the cockpit, the seat belts, levers, consoles, covers, grilles and other small things. The exact range of parts and the places where they are seated is given in the instructions supplied with the set.

Building and painting tips

Separate the parts with a sharp blade on a hard surface, not by twisting, or they will bend. Make the bends on a bending tool or between the jaws of flat tweezers, so that the edge stays sharp. It is glued with cyanoacrylate glue in the slightest amount. Before painting, wash and degrease the surfaces and spray them with primer, so that the paint holds even under handling.

Who it is for

The set suits modelers who already handle fine work with tweezers and want to take a model beyond the level of an ordinary kit. Photo-etching pays off most in the cockpit, because that stays visible under the glazing and a flat plastic panel there catches the eye. It is an add-on: the kit, the paints and the glue are not included in the delivery, unless stated otherwise.