Warbird Information Exchange

Where could I find the T.O showing the markings for an F-86 in the Korean War? This is for a static restoration of an F-86E model.

It's not easy but can be found in two publications (USAF T.O.'s). One covers USAF-wide markings and the other deals with Korea-assigned F-86's. One problem is that the planes were marked in a general fashion stateside at manufacture, then upon arrival in Korea (like is WWII), once the bird was assigned to a unit, the unit marked it with their scheme. We are completing an F-86F as we speak so we have most of the info. Contact me off line for help.

Not Pima's F-86E by any chance?

Interesting. I never knew the yellow/black bands were put on at the factory, nor that there'd be a TO covering their application. I'd always assumed they'd been applied in the field, or maybe at depot level. If you look, you can see some variation in the bands' width, angle, and so forth.

F-86As were ID-marked in Japan: the first shipment still carried their stateside unit markings upon arrival in theater. The ID bands were applied by FEAMCOM/REMCO units. Back in the US, on later versions NAA just applied the standard 'star and bar', buzz numbers and 'USAF' insignia, but remember that even some F-86Es and early F-86Fs had already seen CONUS service before being assigned to Korea. I don't have any evidence of the black/white and later black/yellow ID bands being applied in the US.

But as ever, one should never say 'never'....

Thank you,

Mike