Warbird Information Exchange

So who owned the one in the ice cream parlor?

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It was Sabre 5 N275X (c/n 1065 and ex-RCAF 23275): another Spectrum Air machine.

My brother, and others, like ours.



The big engine, light weight, and Mk VI slatted wings make it fast and maneuverable.



My Dad, in the back seat of the P-40, had never seen anything quite like that break -- as you can tell.

It's an expensive aircraft to maintain, though. Electromechanical systems after 50 years are not all that durable.

Dave

For a lot more great images like this

LINK --- http://www.dhc-2.com/Aird_Aviation_Archives.html
An amazing collection
INC lots of USAF Aircraft
Regards Duggy

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When I was young "sex was safe & flying was dangerous".

Funny, my Dad was a F-86D electrical mechanic in his 2 years on active duty in the USAF from 58-60 and he always liked the early model Sabre more for looks.
That said, if I had a bazillion dollars to restore and fly any kind of plane I wanted, it'd probably be a Sabre Dog, painted up in one of the active units at the field he worked on them and sometimes sat in them with the engines running.
I'd give anything to know if there was one out there somewhere on display that he'd had his hands on back then...

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Life member, 91st BG Memorial Association
Owner, 1944 Willys MB #366014
Former REMF (US Army, O3)

What unit was your father with?

(and yes: agreed on the Dog. With modern computerized controls, that Fuel Control System would be a breeze!)

I'd have to ask. I don't think he was on the books of the fighter unit(s), more like permanent party to the base itself. He spent his entire active career at McGhee Tyson AFB, which means he had to have worked on planes from the 354th and 355th FIS. I have a his Zippo lighter with the base name and F-86D line art engraved on the case.
He married my Mom in April of 1960 and I know he was off active duty before that. They almost called him back for the Cuban Missile Crisis but that was pretty much it for his service.
Dad's a huge civil war buff and he knew he had to go do his duty as he had the draft hanging over his head in the late 50s. So, he joined the only branch of the US military that never fought the Confederacy! No, I'm not kidding.
He recently told me that much of his bad hearing was related to his USAF time. He said they routinely ran checks on running Sabre Dogs with the engines running full throttle on the ground in test stands, he would often stand less than 2 feet from the front of the intake. They never had hearing protection. I had no idea of that until recently. I'd never asked him about his time on jets because my questions were always about the B-29s he got to play around in while he was in Tech School at Rantoul, Illinois...

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Life member, 91st BG Memorial Association
Owner, 1944 Willys MB #366014
Former REMF (US Army, O3)

From the years, I'd guess he was looking after TN ANG F-86D/Ls: I'll see what I can find...

Here is my take on Maggie-T Dog units:

354th Fighter Interceptor Squadron
F-86D at McGhee-Tyson from 18 August 1955 until 24 July 1957
F-86L at McGhee-Tyson AFB from February 1957 until December 1957
354th FIS inactivated on 8 January 1958.

460th Fighter Interceptor Squadron
F-86D at McGhee-Tyson from 15 June 1954 (460th FIS was activated on 18 March 1954) until 18 August 1955

469th Fighter Interceptor Squadron
F-86D at McGhee-Tyson from 15 February 1954 to 10 October 1957
469th FIS inactivated on 1 December 1957.

151st Fighter Interceptor Squadron Tennessee
F-86D at McGhee-Tyson from April 1958 to October 1959
F-86L at McGhee-Tyson from October 1959 until June 1960 (converted to F-104A)

This is the unit his Zippo is marked for. I sent an email to my folks asking for more details as he wasn't actually in the USAF by the time the unit folded up from those dates.
There is a L model (53-0668) in TN ANG markings at Centennial Park in Nashville (near the Parthenon copy), I got photos for Dad as he could have worked on it for all I know if those markings are accurate for the plane.
L-model 52-3679 is at the base he was stationed at, also in TANG markings. I hope to see it myself someday.

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Life member, 91st BG Memorial Association
Owner, 1944 Willys MB #366014
Former REMF (US Army, O3)

I’ll get to the 469th FIS F-86Ds later, but for now, regarding the two display aircraft:

53-668 saw no USAF or ANG service at McGhee: it’s ex-108th FIS IL ANG and was flown from Illinois circa 15th July 1961 and though taken on charge by 105th TS Sqn at Berry Field on that date, this was just an admin/inventory move. It was listed as ‘donated’ on 29th September 1961 and moved to Nashville Parthenon/Bicentennial Park on 11th October 1961 for display.

52-3679 is a McGhee-Tyson bird however: transferred from McClellan to 134th Consolidated Maint Sqn at McGhee-Tyson on 10th July 1958, it served with the TN ANG until donated on 10th May 1960: it had already gone to Knoxville TN for display on 2nd February.

Managed to get to the 469th FIS F-86Ds, and it looks like none survive in the USA. I think there are a few ’51-8***’ aircraft missing from my list: I have the record cards for these aircraft but it takes a looong time to go through and transcribe them. I need a few rainy days to get those done!

So here’s what I have, showing dates each aircraft was assigned to the squadron:

51-5945 469th FIS 15Nov56 to 28Nov56
51-5950 469th FIS 16Nov56 to 05Mar57
51-5971 469th FIS 01Dec56 to 10Feb57
51-6003 469th FIS 15Nov56 to 15Mar57 - JASDF as 84-8150 and is/was at Fukushima for display
51-6013 469th FIS 15Nov56 to 25Feb57 - JASDF as 84-8126 and is/was at Yamagata or Jinmachi
51-6037 469th FIS 15Nov56 to 11Mar57
51-6039 469th FIS 16Nov56 to 12Feb57
51-6049 469th FIS 16Nov56 to 11Feb57
51-6105 469th FIS 01Dec56 to 11Mar57
51-8409 469th FIS 01Sep55 to 22Oct57
52-3625 469th FIS 18Dec53 to 29Apr55
52-3634 469th FIS 18Feb54 to 04Apr55
52-3665 469th FIS 16Feb54 to 24Mar55
52-3668 469th FIS 23Feb54 to 24Mar55
52-3672 469th FIS 22Feb54 to 24Mar55
52-3675 469th FIS 15Feb54 to 04Apr55
52-3687 469th FIS 15Feb54, to?
52-3691 469th FIS 15Feb54 to 16Aug54 and 06Dec56 to 16Jan57
52-3695 469th FIS 14Feb54 to 28May55
52-3697 469th FIS 14Nov56 to 09Feb57
52-3699 469th FIS 22Feb54 to 03Mar55
52-3701 469th FIS 16Feb54 to 07Mar55
52-3703 469th FIS 06Dec56 to .57
52-3707 469th FIS 17Feb54 to 03Mar55
52-3713 469th FIS 23Feb54 to 10Mar55
52-3718 469th FIS 22Feb54 to 05Mar55
52-3721 469th FIS 15Feb54 to 24Mar55
52-3722 469th FIS 23Feb54 to 18Nov54 – to museum 16Jul59 but no trace since
52-3726 469th FIS 16Feb54 to 24Mar55
52-3728 469th FIS 16Feb54 to 19Apr55
52-3737 469th FIS 22Feb54 to 16Apr55
52-3738 469th FIS 24Feb54 to 07Mar55 and 26Nov56 to 16Jan57
52-3740 469th FIS 24Feb54 to 06Mar55
52-3744 469th FIS 22Feb54 to 09Dec54

A friend of mine was in the jet shop on F-86s in Korea and was nearly deaf too. He said the same thing, no ear protection back then (if you don't count using fingers) plus he had an explosive engine failure on the test stand he credits for his loss of hearing.

The funny thing is, I only learned of this within the last year or so. Dad has always been an avid shooter (he built his own civil war 6-pounder field gun in the 60s and we re-enacted with it for years, not using hearing protection for a long time) so I always attributed his hearing loss to that.

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Life member, 91st BG Memorial Association
Owner, 1944 Willys MB #366014
Former REMF (US Army, O3)

Well that was a waste of time...