F-86's under restoration to fly?

[The Inspector]

Some more info about G-SABR- It's an F-86A-5-NA mcn 151-4547 s/n 48178, the 8Th F-86A-5 built. Ben Hall of Seattle 'knew the guy who knew the guy' who found it on a scrap pile in So. Cal. in the very early 70's. Ben towed a trailer down I-5 and loaded it up for the trip home. While eating lunch in Sacramento, he looks across the road and sees most of another F-86 on a scrap pile. Very soon that P-86 was loaded on the trailer and both came North to KPAE. The second SABRE was just the basic front half but gave up valuable items for the restoration of the 'A' including new, better leading edges. 5178 was finished in a 70's 'disco racer' paint scheme of, as I remember, yellow (or orange), reddish brownish and dark brown parallel speed stripes on an all white airframe, registered N 68388. That scheme was soon done away with and the Korean War markings went on with a new N#, N179. Ben flew the airplane all over the Northwest for many years, even naming his landscaping business 'SABRE DOZING". I have an old photo cube on my desk with a picture of Ben's startup belch of flame out the tailpipe.

The aircraft was sold back East then again overseas and is now G-SABR. The doner airframe hulk was pushed around KPAE and donated/traded to the MoF. It was cosmetically restored and was on display until Boeing retired it's Canadian Sabre chase plane which was swapped out with the P-86. Records seemed to prove out that the Sacramento airframe was a REALLY early P-86 and might have been an XP-86, It's known that it was a chase plane @ Edwards for several years before going to the boneyard where Ben rescued it. I have no idea where that airframe went nor whether or not it's still in the Museums possession, but there were a few folks who saw it on display and realized that that old P-86's seat held some pretty famous fannies in it's day-I'd like to know whre it is now.

The prismatic front windshield panel stayed until the early E models when the windscreen was revised following pilot inputs from Korea. I ran into Ben and Chuck Lyford a couple of years ago and they both were as lively as I remembered them from 30 years ago.

[agent86]

When I went to the air races in Mojave in 1974 they actually had Jet racing. In those days there were no Migs or anyother Soviet block jets.only F-86's and T-33's. The F-86's if I remember correctly were all in 1970's civil paint schemes. I believe most were based in Mojave and were doing work for the USAF. cant remember the name of the company in Mojave doing this work(senior moment) but I'm guessing someone will know

[warbird1]

When I went to the air races in Mojave in 1974 they actually had Jet racing. In those days there were no Migs or anyother Soviet block jets.only F-86's and T-33's. The F-86's if I remember correctly were all in 1970's civil paint schemes. I believe most were based in Mojave and were doing work for the USAF. cant remember the name of the company in Mojave doing this work(senior moment) but I'm guessing someone will know

Flight Systems

[agent86]

You sir are correct, Flight Systems. Thanks.

[Bearcat SA]

Does anyone know how many of the F-86's that fly, still have operational bang seats ?