Birds on Sticks and in Parks

[quemerford]

I'm a bit late scanning these but here's a nice big batch from Leon Cleaver (Woodsy Airfield):

F-86F 53-1096 at Kellogg Field, Battle Creek, MI, 8-12-76:

This one had an unusual career, per Forgotten Jets:

F-86F-35-NA s/n 53-1096
*USAF 562nd FBS (388th FBW).
*2/1958: Transferred to the Norwegian AF.
*PX-5.
*1959: PX-J.
*MU-3.
*Returned to the USAF.
*Put into storage at the AMARC bone yard.
*Currently preserved at Kellogg Field, Battle Creek, MI.

53-1096 is a misquote: the Kellogg aircraft is an F-86A-5; the real 53-1096 did got to DM after service in Norway, but was soon back in service, this time with the Royal Saudi AF as s/n 702. It was last seen at Dharan AB circa 1991 but likely still there.

The Kellog F-86A is/was 49-1096, which does have an interesting story too: delivered to 33rd FIW at Otis on March 14, 1950, it served with 60th FIS until transferred to 116th FIS (Washington ANG) on May 25 1951. The 116th had been mobilized and deployed to RAF Shepherds Grove in the UK during September 1951. '096 served in Europe until returned to CONUS in November 1954. It was retired to Kellog in June 1959.

Here's a shot of it on the ground in better days, and undeniably an F-86A (though unmarked):

[Chris Brame]

Thanks quemerford - I thought the intake looked small for an F. I'll pass the info along to Nathan Decker.
Edit: Baugher lists 49-1095 as on display at Selfridge ANGB Museum, Michigan - is this 1095 or 1096?
http://selfridgeairmuseum.org/F-86A.htm
It's still on a stick, painted as F-86F 52-4387.

[Stoney]

The F3D was blue when I lived in Long beach in 1968, glad they are taking care of it.

[quemerford]

Thanks quemerford - I thought the intake looked small for an F. I'll pass the info along to Nathan Decker.
Edit: Baugher lists 49-1095 as on display at Selfridge ANGB Museum, Michigan - is this 1095 or 1096?
http://selfridgeairmuseum.org/F-86A.htm
It's still on a stick, painted as F-86F 52-4387.

Chris,

I suspect another typo: 49-1095 was also a 116th FIS WA ANG machine, but with no direct link to the Michigan ANG or Kellogg: it was retired from 191st FIS UT ANG to Davis Monthan on October 30, 1957 and authorized for reclamation (scrapped) there on May 27, 1958. Only a check of the Selfridge aircraft's i.d. plate would confirm, but this multiple-identity machine does seem to be 49-1096.

Just for info, the intake sizes A to F are the same, but their method of construction does differ: production F-86As featured a fibreglass intake, while the F-86E/F had an aluminium intake ring, with a small radome on the top lip. Just to confuse things, when surviving F-86As were upgraded with later gunsight radar (to F-86A-6/A-7 standard), they too received the aluminium intake, which by that time had been standardized on the F-86E; the photos above show this later F-86A-6/-7 config.

As a rule, the only sure-fire recognition features for F-86As are the lack of aerodynamic fairings around the horizontal tail (installed to provide a flat surface for the all-flying tail on F-86E/F to act against); and (if the aircraft isn't painted), a fibreglass-construction forward portion to the vertical tail. You'll also see a mass-balanced elevator on F-86As, which is not present on other models with the all-flying tail.

Not always installed (because of later modifications, so dependent on when the photo was taken) are intake-mounted airspeed probe and no corresponding probe on the RH wingtip; and other small fibreglass fairings (wing root at trailing edge etc).

F-86A-1s always had a rounded (and unique to that subtype) forward windshield area which is a recognition feature and seen on F-86As at Lackland (plus the ex-Chanute machine which has recently moved) and the A model at Great Falls (see above). There is also an F-86A-1 with Sabre 5 wings in the museum at Calgary.

The v-shaped windshield that was introduced on the F-86A-5 isn't always a good recognition feature since it was also installed on the first batches of F-86E Sabres. Ditto the flush wingtip navigation lights.

I could go on about wings and leading edges but I think that's far enough off-topic for now!

[JohnB]

Fairchild AFB has an F-86A in 116th markings. Its in an airport, but not on a pole.

[quemerford]

Fairchild AFB has an F-86A in 116th markings. Its in an airport, but not on a pole.

Another fake unfortunately: it's a Sabre 5 (ex-Flight Systems or Southern Aviation from memory?)

[rcaf_100]

This particular T-bird is actually 21272, as the real 21616 crashed in 1973.
'616 was one of two Silver Stars used by the RCAF Golden Hawks as a support aircraft, and this example is dedicated to Wing Commander Jack Allen, who was the commanding officer of the Golden Hawks from 1960-62, and was born and raised in Nanton.

So another fake GH! Will the real Golden Hawk please step forward?

The other Silver Star used by the team was 21500.
She is now in the hands of the Jet Aircraft Museum in London, Ontario, and apparently the plan is to repaint her into her overall GH gold colours at some point during her restoration to airworthy status.

[JohnB]

Fairchild AFB has an F-86A in 116th markings. Its in an airport, but not on a pole.

Another fake unfortunately: it's a Sabre 5 (ex-Flight Systems or Southern Aviation from memory?)

I was led to believe it was ex-USAF....at any rate, it has a "V" windscreen.

[quemerford]

Fairchild AFB has an F-86A in 116th markings. Its in an airport, but not on a pole.

Another fake unfortunately: it's a Sabre 5 (ex-Flight Systems or Southern Aviation from memory?)

I was led to believe it was ex-USAF....at any rate, it has a "V" windscreen.

Just to clear this one up, the Fairchild Sabre is Canadair Sabre 5 23344, ex-Southern California Aviation Inc. and N86EC.'

[airnutz]

There's a T-33A-1-LO in Texarkana, Texas at Spring Lake Park since 1962 which started out as a playground amusement and later was given it own fenced in area. Documented by Mike Henninger with a photo from 2010 of 51-4025 after a relatively recent spruce-up....
http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDos ... rial=67659

More recent photos of her a bit weathered and fading, tho she was scheduled for a spruce-up day just before by the local Civil Air Patrol Thanksgiving 2016. The fella is a local DJ who's trying to rediscover the story behind the T-33 coming to Texarkana in 1962. If you go to the Facebook link he posts(open viewing-no log-in), "Remember In Texarkana", there's pics of a BT-13(regis. startsNC65***) up on sticks in 1951 of the Stop Agan Service Station at 51st and Spruce. Scroll a bit further down for another Agan service station airplane photo and colorized post card, a UC-78 NC53198 at another location then on Hwy 67...
http://aroundtexarkana.blogspot.com/201 ... pring.html

I am still looking for anyone who remembers the Kerrville, Texas F9F Panther that was at Louise Hays Park until removed because of vandalism damage around 1970ish. A local reporter there with a blog would like to know too. We used to play on that bird. It was open, and the ejection seat was removed, but my brother reminded me the other day that someone had rigged a board in the void so we could sit in the cockpit to play fighter pilot. We could also crawl around inside the empty engine bay thru the tailpipe exit. Fotos would be a biiig bonus!

[quemerford]

There's a T-33A-1-LO in Texarkana, Texas at Spring Lake Park since 1962 which started out as a playground amusement and later was given it own fenced in area. Documented by Mike Henninger with a photo from 2010 of 51-4025 after a relatively recent spruce-up....
http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDos ... rial=67659

More recent photos of her a bit weathered and fading, tho she was scheduled for a spruce-up day just before by the local Civil Air Patrol Thanksgiving 2016. The fella is a local DJ who's trying to rediscover the story behind the T-33 coming to Texarkana in 1962.

Seems to have come from Barksdale. I don't have this aircraft's record card pre-55, but here is the rest of its history:

With 3520th CCTW McConnell by 1955

To Aircraft Engineering & Maintenance Company (AEMCO) Oakland CA May 16, 1956 for overhaul

To 3550th CCTW Moody July 25, 1956

To AEMCO Oakland CA April 8, 1957 for overhaul

To 3550th CCTW Moody June 17, 1957

To 3415th TTW Lowry August 3, 1957

To 3550th CCTW Moody September 5, 1957 (became a Flying Training Wg from August 15, 1958)

To Sacramento Air Materiel Area, McClellan May 27, 1959 for overhaul

To 412th Consolidated Logistics Maint Sqn Wurtsmith July 10, 1959 (412th CLM Sqn was the ‘on paper’ organization responsible for 412th FGp T-33s, along with the mission aircraft, which were F-89J up to 1960; and F-101 after that date)

412th Consolidated Logistics Maint Sqn (detachment?) Tyndall November 21 to December 12, 1959

To AEMCO Oakland CA December 22, 1959 for overhaul

To 412th Consolidated Logistics Maint Sqn Wurtsmith January 1960

To 379th Composite Gp Wurtsmith April 1, 1960 (Wurtsmith transferred from ADC to SAC on this date and 379th Bombardment Wg was the Base Host Operating Unit)

4238th Composite Gp Barksdale February 1961 (4238th SW was B-52 unit there)

4238th Strategic Wg Barksdale October 1, 1961

Donated museum/school from Barksdale June 22, 1962

[airnutz]

Thanks for looking up and typing out her available history Quemerford. The history they're curious about is, "Why did it come here?" They need to find some old timers there in T-ark to fill em in...probably talk to the park people, whoever sponsored the aquisition of the aircraft etc. I'll pass on your info and a few tips..Thanks!

[Chris Brame]

I don't have this aircraft's record card pre-55, but here is the rest of its history:

With 3520th CCTW McConnell by 1955

Forgotten Jets adds this:

T-33A-1-LO s/n 51-4025
*1953: USAF 3520th PTW.

[Lon Moer]

There's a T-33 gate guard at Sanders Aircraft Technology at Eagle's Nest airport in Ione, Ca.
Can be clearly seen on google earth and street view.

[Jerry O'Neill]

Here's a few I've run into over the years.

T-33, Randolph AFB, Nov. 2008, One of the nicest pole displays I've come across.


T-38, Randolph AFB, Nov. 2008.


T-33 Tweety, Randolph AFB, Nov. 2008.


F-86 Sabre, Danville, IL, Sept. 2006



Huey Cobra, Easthampton, CT VFW. Aug. 2008, with my jeep in the foreground.


Huey Cobra, Waterbury, CT May 2009.


FG-1D Corsair, Stratford, CT, April 2006, only two years left for this baby's pole sitting days!


Corsair coming down! July 22, 2008. I was in charge of the removal. After 37 years in the salt air of Stratford, CT, she will never again be subjected to the elements!