This aircraft I need. When I buy lottery tickets, I'm really just paying a dollar to dream for a few days of having one of these. With operational .50 machine guns, of course.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
If I could have but one...
At Thunder over Michigan this year, we saw the plane that, if I could have any one thing with wings, would be in my hangar, at least during those rare moments what I was not flying the wings off of it.
The North American F-86 Sabre Jet--a true thing of beauty, both then and now.
First flown in 1949, these aircraft enabled good pilots to sweep the Korean skies clear of Russian MiGs, and some of the nearly ten thousand built were flown by 29 other countries before the last ones were retired from the Bolivian Air Force in 1994. Fast and agile, they were wonderful aircraft and the few that still fly airshow circuits today are worth going to see.
And here's the business end of the General Electric J-47 engine.
This one is an F-86F, one of the later-produced models.
So how does it fly? Like a dream.
This aircraft I need. When I buy lottery tickets, I'm really just paying a dollar to dream for a few days of having one of these. With operational .50 machine guns, of course.
This aircraft I need. When I buy lottery tickets, I'm really just paying a dollar to dream for a few days of having one of these. With operational .50 machine guns, of course.
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That's enough reason right there to support fracking sand reduced fuel costs!
ReplyDeleteBut where do you go to buy one, and is our little 4051 x 50 ft. runway long enough to land or launch?
You buy one here:
Deletehttp://www.courtesyaircraft.com/index.php/inventory/inventory/warbirds-fighters/item/g-sabr-north-american-f-86
And the Sabre needs 2,300 feet for a take-off. Not sure how much to land and stop, but I think I'd want a bit more than 4,000, just to be safe.
I've seen Sabres fly many times at airshows.
ReplyDeleteA couple of years ago at the Planes of Fame show, they has an F-86 and a MiG-15 do (what they called) "simulated combat".
It was really just a lot of formation flying along with some opposing passes, but fun to see.
*Many* years ago I was at the El Toro airshow where Sabre Dance performed.
I was there on Saturday, and he crashed it on Sunday.
One of my favorites as well. Sorry I could not make it.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on that one.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite airplane to look at, too. I'd want one with a painting of Ted Williams on the nose, he flew one in Korea.
ReplyDeleteThat one I'll agree with you on! :-)
ReplyDeleteDid I tell you about the guy I knew in Okinawa?
ReplyDeleteHe actually got a job towing targets for the F-15's to shoot at.
He had his own F-86, painted white with a blue stripe down the side. The Air Force paid him a nice salary, plus tax-free cost of living and housing allowances, plus paid for his parts and fuel.
He did all his own work on the jet. We used to go out there to give him a hand and shoot the shit for a while. He had great stories from Korea and Vietnam.
He told me "I'm living the dream, son."
I've shot at Him!! Know that jet well.
DeleteYep, she's a beaut, and I wouldn't turn one down as a flying machine.
ReplyDeleteI built model planes as a kid, and the F-86 was my first one. Loved that plane, and still do.
ReplyDeleteMy uncle (Dad's brother) joined the Air Force to avoid the draft during Korea. One day in the mess hall an officer came in and asked if anyone wanted to fly. My uncle held up his hand and had a wonderful career. He flew F 86's, Voodoos's, F- 111's, F-4's, and I don't know what else. We visit often. He trained pilots in the Shaw's air force, and most of those fine men were murdered during the takeover by Khomeni. There is a lot of history around the old birds.
ReplyDeleteA sweet plane
ReplyDeleteSale Pending...but there's a Corsair available! :-) I think someone around here has a Yak-3, or 11...
ReplyDelete