Published on Oct 16, 2014
Mini-documentary
about Golden Apple Trust's North American F-86A Sabre (48-178). The
aircraft will be returning to the United States in the very near future.
An F-86A Sabre built in 1948 is the world's oldest flying jet, and recently arrived back in the United States after several decades in Europe, EAA reported this week. The airplane, which EAA hopes will fly next summer at AirVenture, is the only surviving "A" model. Its service history includes Strategic Air Command, Air Defense Command and the California Air National Guard. It flew in defense of the Los Alamos nuclear research facility with the 94th Fighter Squadron of the 1st Fighter Group. The Sabre was later transferred to a technical college in Fresno, California, and then sold to a local scrap dealer, where it was bought by Ben Hall of the Sabre Pilots Association, in 1970. The jet was restored and flew again in 1974
Ben W. Hall
The story begins in early 1970. when one of Ben Hall's Seattle neighbors, Jim Larsen, learned of an F-86 languishing in a surplus dealer's storage yard near Fresno, California. The dealer was asking $700 for the Sabre's remains, and a restoration project would likely require lots of work (and money). Jim knew that Ben Hall had owned T-6 and P-51 aircraft, and he asked him to join in on acquiring and restoring the Sabre. Ben joined Jim and flew to Fresno, where they determined that rebuilding the Sabre, F-86A-5 #48-178, was probably worth a try. It would be four long years and about 10,000 man-hours later before they knew for certain if they had been correct.
As purchased in 1970, F-86A #178, had many shortcomings. Most notably, it lacked an engine, had no wing leading edges, and the cockpit was a mess. Fortunately, another F-86 was located in a junkyard and bought for $500. It provided most of the missing parts needed to make '178 flyable, including much of the cockpit but no usable leading edges.
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