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OzMods 1/144 North American F-86D

By Matt Bittner

Introduction

The F-86D "Sabre Dog" was the next line in the famous F-86 "Sabre" series. It was designed as an all-weather jet interceptor and started flying in 1949. There were over 2500 built.

The Kit

The OzMods 1/144 F-86D consists of 28 pieces of injected white plastic and one injected canopy (a separate vacuformed canopy is available from OzMods for an additional cost). In general the kit is well molded but my main tires were off center and will need to be replaced. The kit is broken down into left and right fuselage halves; a one-piece wing; external fuel tanks that are split top-and-bottom; separate horizontal and vertical tail pieces; main gear legs; main wheels/tires; main landing gear covers; nose wheel and strut one-piece; and nose wheel doors. The cockpit consists of a tub; separate control column; instrument panel; two-piece ejection seat; and the area that sits behind the seat/under the canopy.

ozmods_f86d_2.jpg
Decals are ALPS-generated for two aircraft: Unfortunately there are some accuracy issues with the decals. The typeface the decals have are standard USAF block-style, while those on the aircraft should be North American rounded; and the decal serial number is stenciled while it should be solid. If you want to build the USAF aircraft, then be aware it was actually an early version of the F-86D and didn't have the parabrake housing. The only error with the Yugoslav aircraft is the nose should be painted blue and not purple. Unfortunately my decals didn't fare well in-transit and have multiple scratches on them – a problem when dealing with ALPS-generated decals.

OzMods has switched to a "softer" plastic and this kit is the first to use this plastic. Their earlier plastic was a hard, brittle type, that sometimes would shatter when not handling it with care. Not only will the new, softer plastic help with parts removal, but the molding quality is top-notch. Nice, engraved panel lines with trailing edges are thin given the material.

ozmods_f86d_3.jpg
Instructions are of the single-sheet, single-page variety with all parts being shown in an "exploded-type" drawing. Once you have the cockpit finished and installed, the rest of construction should go fast. Glue the fuselage halves together, add the three separate tail pieces and single-piece wing, and you now have an 1/144 F-86D model ready for paint. Once painting is finished, then add the rest of the bits and your model is complete. One thing not mentioned is the need for nose weights. I will add some anyway, "just in case".

Conclusion

The OzMods F-86D is an excellent addition to the world of 1/144 jet aircraft. Even with the faults I've found it's still worthwhile to purchase, as not only is there no other injected F-86Ds on the market, it really is a nice kit.

Our thanks to OzMods for the review kit. For those looking for the authoritative title on Sabre Dog colors and markings, this is the book to have.

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