This auction is for the AMT North American F-86F Sabre, kit # A-627:100, in 1/72 scale.
All parts are still sealed in the factory bag.
One of the most iconic jet fighters of all time, the F-86 established its place in history as the opponent of the Mig-15 in the Korean War. It was credited with 792 kills against losses of 78, a 10 to 1 kill ratio. Of 41 American aces in the Korean War, 40 flew the Sabre (the only exception was a night fighter Corsair pilot). Although it was developed in the late 1940s and was outdated by the end of the 1950s, the Sabre proved versatile and adaptable and continued as a front-line fighter in numerous air forces. The XP-86 prototype was rolled out on 8 August 1947. The first flight occurred on 1 October 1947 with George Welch at the controls, flying from Muroc Dry Lake (now Edwards AFB), California. The F-86 was the primary U.S. air combat fighter during the Korean War, with significant numbers of the first three production models seeing combat. While earlier straight-winged jets such as the P-80 and F-84 initially achieved air victories, when the swept-wing Soviet MiG-15 was introduced in November 1950, it outperformed all UN-based aircraft. In response, three squadrons of F-86s were rushed to the Far East in December. Early variants of the F-86 could not out-turn MiG-15s, but they could out-dive them. The MiG-15 was superior to early F-86 models in ceiling, acceleration, rate of climb, and zoom. With the introduction of the F-86F in 1953, however, the two aircraft were more closely matched, with many combat-experienced pilots claiming a marginal superiority for the F-86F. The heavier firepower of the MiG (and many other contemporary fighters) was addressed by “Project Gun-Val” which saw the combat testing of seven F-86Fs each armed with four 20 mm T-160 cannons. Despite being able to fire only two of the four 20 mm cannon at a time, the experiment was considered a success and signaled the end of the decades-long use of the Browning .50 caliber in the air-to-air role. The MiGs flown from bases in Manchuria by Chinese, North Korean, and Soviet VVS pilots were pitted against two squadrons of the 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing forward-based at K-14, Kimpo, Korea. In October 1951, the Soviets managed to recover a downed Sabre, and in their investigation of the type they concluded that the Sabre's advantage in combat was due to the APG-30 gun-sight that facilitated accurate fire at longer ranges. The North Koreans and their allies contested air superiority in MiG Alley, an area near the mouth of the Yalu River over which the most intense air-to-air combat took place. Although the F-86A could be safely flown through Mach 1, the F-86E's all-moving tailplane greatly improved maneuverability at high speeds. The MiG-15 could not safely exceed Mach 0.92, an important disadvantage in near-sonic air combat. Far greater emphasis had been given to the training, aggressiveness, and experience of the F-86 pilots. A total of 738 carrier-modified versions were purchased by the US Navy as FJ-2s and -3s. The Sabre is by far the most-produced Western jet fighter, with a total production of all variants at 9,860 units.
Beginning life as the Aluminum Model Toy Company a few years after WW2 and specializing in car and truck kits for many years, AMT entered the aircraft kit field in 1967 by re-issuing Frog and Hasegawa kits in the USA. New decals and boxart were created for this arrangement which ended in the early 1970's. This kit of the F-86F Sabre is from the 1966 Hasegawa mold and was first released in 1968.
The box is near mint, structurally sound with no tears, crushing, or tape pulls. Beautiful boxart. The instructions are in excellent shape. The decals are near mint. Priced to move.
All parts are still sealed in the factory bag.
USA bidders only. Buyer pays shipping and handling of $9.95 for priority mail shipping. All sales are final - if you have an issue you wish to discuss, please contact me.
Payment within 3 days.
