Airfix 1/72 North American F-86D Sabre
A quick look at what is in the box of the old Airfix 1/72 North American F-86D Sabre. An old classic kit, that has not yet been re-released as part of the current Airfix ‘Vintage Classics’ range.
I managed to pick this little kit up for just £8 (2023) at the Yeovil model show, I class that as a little bargain.
The subject matter fits in well with my interest in the Cold War era. Plus there was also a large nostalgic element in the purchase. I remember buying and building this kit when I was much younger.
The kit was first released in 1975, but my particular model is from a 1986 re-release with the image of the completed kit as the box art.
The kit comprises of 49 parts, in a metallic silver coloured plastic, one part of which is the cockpit canopy. The 1986 release of the Airfix North American F-86D Sabre, comes with 2 marking schemes. Both schemes are USAF and they are:
- F-86d-60-NA, 520th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Geiger Field. Washington, 1955
- F-86D-50-NA, 512th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 406th FIW, Manston,1956
However, due to the age of the kit, the decals have yellowed quite a bit. Plus I suspect that they may have also become quite brittle. With that in mind, I have been looking for some replacements, but the only ones I can find are by Print Scale Decals (https://www.printscale.org/product_1168.html). I’ve only used Print Scale once (on my USAF & SAAF F-50D Mustang’s), but sadly it was not an enjoyable experience. Maybe I’ll have to try again, or try and de-yellow the original decals?
Contents of the Airfix 1/72 North American F-86D Sabre
