Joe Scheil wrote:
From the Yocumusa.com website...and interesting RF-86 primer for 48-195....
Following on from the relative success of early Sabre recce operations, 5th AF and FEAMCOM authorised a further batch of five 48-FY Sabres for conversion, under the project 'Ashtray' tag. The conversion of this later batch of Sabres began in October 1951, and the completed aircraft were redesignated RF-86A. In addition, the two Honeybucket aircraft received the RF-86A designation. The Ashtray aircraft were individually converted, and thus each was different frohm the last. In general, the compartment below the cockpit was enlarged and fitted with constant temperature air conditioning for a forward oblique 24-inch K-11 camera and two 20-inch K-24 cameras mounted lengthways with a mirror arrangement to provide vertical coverage. The RF-86As could be distinguished by the presence of camera bay fairings underneath the forward fuselage just forward of the wings. Most RF-86As were unarmed, although some retained a pair of 0.50-in machine guns with limited ammunition capacity. The following aircraft were converted to RF-86A configuration: 48-183, 48-187, 48-195, 48-196, 48-217, 48-246, and 48-257.
(missing photo)
67th TRW Ashtray RF-86A 48-196. This is one of two RF Sabres to later serve with the California ANG.
The seven RF-86A aircraft went to the 67th Wing's 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron from April 1952. On combat missions, they were usually able to evade interception and perform missions that were more hazardous than the typical reconnaissance flight. Only one RF-86A was lost in combat; 48-217, which was hit by ground fire on a mission over a hydroelectric plant at Wonsan. The pilot, Maj. Jack Williams, the squadron CO, managed to bail out, but was found dead by the rescue helicopter. A further two RF-86As were written off in routine flying accidents in Korea, and another example was authorised for reclamation following combat damage. The three surviving RF-86As were replaced by RF-86Fs in Korea and passed through 6400th Air Depot Wing, FEAMCOM in early 1953 for return to the US. Two of these aircraft went on to serve with 115th and 196th Fighter Bomber Squadrons (later FIS) of the California Air National Guard, the third to the 121st FBS, District of Columbia ANG. The de-converted RF-86As were favoured by ANG pilots for cross-country trips, as lots of baggage could be stored in the vacant camera bay. 48-195 was nearly lost whilst with the196th FBS, as Don Frisbie explains:
"I was making a high-speed pass across the airfield at about 500 knots IAS and got a forward fire light and smoke in the cockpit. I immediately retarded the throttle to idle and started a steep climb. The fire light didn't go out immediately, and the smoke persisted, so I stop-cocked the engine and turned the fuel shut-off to 'Off'. The fire light went out and the smoke and fumes quit. I ended up at about 12,000 feet over the field, made a 360-degree turn to a high key at about 7,500 feet and made a normal flame-out pattern and landing from there. Maintenance found a leaking fuel line that was aggravated by the very high fuel pressure at the low altitude and very high airspeed."
Although one of the RF-86As was subsequently lost in an accident (the 121st FBS example), the remaining pair saw out their active service with the Air National Guard until retired in 1958. They were scrapped at Davis Monthan AFB.
I've updated the text a bit since I wrote that, so there is quite a lot to add on the Honeybucket and Ashtray RFs. Note also that in your CA ANG photo, 48-178 is leading with 49-1217 on the left wing: one already airworthy in the US; and the other soon-to-be!
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