New F-86 Sabre for Dale "Snort" Snodgrass?

Mon Jul 21, 2008 1:14 pm

Since Dale Snodgrass's "Top Gun Productions" website and the Air Combat Command (ACC) schedules website still shows an F-86 Sabre planned for the NAS Oceana air show in September, I am assuming that progress has or is being made with his Sabre.

Anyone have any updates on this? I have not seen any Sabres in flight this year yet, and would love to see Snort back in one.

Mon Jul 21, 2008 2:18 pm

Talking with my Dad last week the engine is still at the overhaul shop and over on Airshow Buzz someone said Snort hopes to debut F-5 at Oceana if the certification is done in time...

Mon Jul 21, 2008 2:57 pm

Snort told me at the Quad Cities Air Show that he hoped to debut the CF-5 at Oceana.

Tue Jul 22, 2008 11:04 am

No matter how many times the F-5 gets mentioned, I cannot get that excited..... :wink:

The Sabre is just a great looking vintage jet in my opinion. I would rather see one F-86 in flight then a formation of six F-5's.

Don't get me wrong - I would rather have Snort there with the F-5 then no Snort at all - but best option would have the F-86 and F-5 with Snort flying both (like when he has flown a Sabre and Corsair or Sabre and Mustang in the same show).

Fri Jul 25, 2008 12:33 pm

MKD1966 wrote:Talking with my Dad last week the engine is still at the overhaul shop and over on Airshow Buzz someone said Snort hopes to debut F-5 at Oceana if the certification is done in time...

The Sabre engines seem to be really spending their time in the overhaul shops this year. Snort's Sabre and the Warbird Heritage Foundation F-86F are apparently both still awaiting their overhauled engines.

Can't wait to see one in the air again.

Fri Jul 25, 2008 1:11 pm

Our engine has been on the test cell and running. It hasn't passed the cell yet as little things keep coming up during each run. The guys out in California are doing a great job despite how long it may seem to get one through test cell. These 1940's designed engines present some challenges. I'll be sure to post when we have ours ready to go into our Sabre.
David
WHF Maint
www.warbirdheritagefoundation.org

Thu Aug 14, 2008 1:32 pm

Oh well - it looks like this will be the year pretty much without Sabres at air show East of the Mississippi.

The ACC Demo Schedules has now taken the F-86 Off of the September and October show schedules and shows the P-51 now for Oceana Sept 20-21.

With Ed Shipley's Sabre sold and off the air show circuit at least for now, the long delays in getting Snort's "new" Sabre ready and continued engine work on the WHF's F-86F, there have been no Sabres to brighten the warbird presence at eastern and mid-western air shows for a while.

Maybe NEXT year........

Thu Dec 04, 2008 8:13 pm

Any new news on the Sabre for Snort?

Fri Dec 05, 2008 8:37 am

still waiting on the engine. Go figure.

Fri Dec 05, 2008 6:37 pm

I don't mean to be morbid or disrespectful at all (since I knew two the three gents, and liked them a whole lot), but Jimmy Rossi, Steve Snyder, and Wyatt Fuller all lost their lives in Sabres. Does anyone know if they had a lot of "spares" including engines that maybe could have or have been acquired to keep other Sabres flying?

Rich

Fri Dec 05, 2008 7:03 pm

Wyatt's spares went to the Vintage Wings of Canada Museum for use in the Hawk One Sabre. I thought Jimmi Rossi flew an
NAA F model, which uses a GE J-47 engine, and I have no idea where Steve's spares went to.

The big issue is the Orenda 14 engines that power them. Orenda (the company that owns the license) has some in the warehouse but will not sell them due to liability issues. The ones they do have are used to produce power in remote oil pumping stations. They have refurbed some engines, like the ones being used for Hawk One. But an engine overhaul is in the 6 figure range.