F86 Guns

[sdennison]

Wixers, I need close up pictures or specs on the guns on a Mk VI Canadair F86. Have to make plugs for the gun openings but want them to be historically accurate. 1, 2, 3...game on. And yes, it's T33driver's. Check out latest Warbird Digest.

[Lon Moer]

Vintage Wings

[quemerford]

Wixers, I need close up pictures or specs on the guns on a Mk VI Canadair F86. Have to make plugs for the gun openings but want them to be historically accurate. 1, 2, 3...game on. And yes, it's T33driver's. Check out latest Warbird Digest.

I don't know if these will help, but for info (from the Sabre 6 IPC and F-86E Maint Instructions), the top plugs are different to the lower two (two types, six locations). I just looked at a blast panel and they look similar in shape though.







Any help?

[Scott Rose]

I don't know if it helped or not but I found the diagrams extremely interesting. Thanks!

[quemerford]

The challenge now is to find photographic proof that they were widely used: I suspect not!

Sadly my NAA Tech Rep chums are no longer with us to answer this type of minutae.

[sdennison]

Great info, thanks. Seems these replaced the tape over the gun ports in WWII. Sabremech has also turned me on to the plugs and thinks he may have a source.

Wonderful place this WIX is.

[helinut]

I do know that they are installed on the Saber that is at the ACAM in Halifax N.S.

[K5DH]

I assume that when the first round of the first burst was fired, the projectile popped the rubber plug out?

[quemerford]

That was the idea. I thought I'd have trouble finding evidence of these being fitted, but a quick look through the archives revealed a LOT of evidence of their use! Difficult to get a good image (they're usually in shade), but here is one of an RAF 234 Sqn Sabre 4, circa 1955:



Airman is Tom Broomhead, for whom the photo should also be credited.