The North American F-86L Sabre Dog
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Overview
I am in the process of adding new profiles to my F-86D/L CD-ROM, and
in the process I am updating the earlier illustrations. Look for a new
version of the CD to be out sometime soon.
![](F-86L-1.jpg)
F-86L-56-NA, 53-650
56th FIS
This 56th FIS Sabre Dog was flown by Lt. Col. H. S. Askelson, the squadron
C.O., while based out of Wright Patterson AFB. The tail is painted in
a yellow and black checkerboard, while the 56th FIS emblem is carried
on the nose. The pilot's name is in black on a yellow streamer on the
canopy frame. Below the windscreen is an Air Defense Command pennant in
blue and white. This plane has a somewhat odd placement of the buzz number,
being in front of the star and bar instead of behind it.
![](F-86L-2.jpg)
F-86L-55-NA, 53-0726,
120th FIS, Colorado ANG
When it comes to gaudy Air Guard Sabre Dogs, the Colorado ANG ones probably
were the most colorful. In addition to the already bright dayglo orange
panels on the nose, rear fuselage and wings, this plane also has red chevrons
on the fuselage and tail, and red stripes around the fuselage, all outlined
in yellow. There is a thin outline around the letters and numbers that
go over the chevrons. This is definitely a plane that would be hard not
to see, either on the ground or in the air. Other aircraft in the unit
had different colors of chevrons for different flights.
![](F-86L-3.jpg)
F-86L-55-NA, 53-0637,
108th FIS, Illinois ANG
This example shows to good effect the standard markings found on 108th
FIS F-86Ls. Dayglo orange panels are in the usual places and the squadron
markings are found on the tail. These consist of a blue band with the
unit emblem centered on it. The radome on this example is unpainted fiberglass.
The stenciling on this plane wasn't painted on, rather it was applied
in the form of stickers, which resulted in the squares of silver around
them on the dayglo areas. The flight color of yellow is on the tail and
on the drop tanks, with the aircraft number duplicated on the tanks as
well.
![](F-86L-4.jpg)
F-86L-55-NA, 53-0573
125th FIS, Oklahoma ANG
This F-86L of the 125th FIS carries the unit emblem on the tail (a beaver
with a coat, tophat, and walking stick, holding three aces). The standard
dayglo bands are present, as is the OKLA AIR GUARD on the fuselage sides.
Other unit-specific markings consist of a red and white striped rudder
and a red band on the tail with a white silhouette of the state of Oklahoma.
The belly of this F-86L has been painted in aircraft gray.
![](F-86L-5.jpg)
F-86L-35-NA, 51-8491
185th FIS, Oklahoma ANG
The markings found on this F-86L are fairly simple, with the usual OKLA
ANG surrounding the fuselage star and bar. The serial on the tail is in
a rather unusual size, being much smaller than normal. This is due to
the position and size of the orange chevron outlined in black on the tail.
The anti-glare panel of this plane is black, and the radome is unpainted
fiberglass.
![](F-86L-6.jpg)
F-86L-60-NA, 53-4023
146th FIS, Pennsylvania ANG
The F-86D/L sure lends itself well to sharkmouths, so it's surprising
that there weren't more of them out there. The most famous are likely
the 498th "Geiger Tigers", but at least one ANG plane carried
a set of teeth. This 146th FIS bird has its sharkmouth extending back
past the windscreen, and an eye finishes off the 'face'. The former U.S.
AIR FORCE on the fuselage has been stripped off, leaving a hint of its
location, and the PA ANG was applied around the star and bar. The 146th
FIS emblem adorns the tail and consists of a Keystone Cop running with
his billy club extended. The belly of the plane is painted in aircraft
gray.
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