1: F-86F Sabre / Canadair CL-13 B Sabre VI

F-86F Sabre and Canadair CL-13 B Sabre VI, a Heller kit

A plastic kit of one of the best-known jet fighters of the postwar era. According to the packaging, both the American F-86F and the Canadian license version Canadair CL-13B Sabre Mk.6 can be built from the package, which are two different machines with the same silhouette. The manufacturer also keeps the same aircraft as a starter set with glue, a brush and paints, but that is a different item. The scale is not stated here. Please check it on the packaging.

The real subject

The North American F-86 Sabre was the first American fighter with a swept wing and the main opponent of the MiG-15 over Korea. The F-86F version received a more powerful engine and a modified wing, which returned its agility at high altitudes. The Canadian company Canadair built the Sabre under license, and its last variant, the Mk.6, received the domestic Orenda 14 engine. It is precisely this version that is still considered the most capable production Sabre of all. The West German air force also took over the Mk.6 version in 225 units, and it served with them until the F-104G replaced it in 1964.

Building and painting tips

Decide on one version before you start gluing; both the exhaust and the cabin details differ between them. The intake in the nose requires a clean inner surface, as it is visible deep inside. Glossy natural metal is demanding on the Sabre: it needs a perfectly smoothed base, because every scratch will appear under a metallic finish. Stir the metallic paint, as the pigment settles to the bottom, and apply it only at the end.

Who the model is for

• collectors of first generation jet fighters
• those interested in the Korean War
• modelers who build the West German air force
• those who want to try a natural metal finish

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not part of the package, unless stated otherwise.