F-86D Sabre Dogs in Drab Finishes

Overview

With the upcoming release of the Revell/Monogram F-86D, I'm sure there's plenty of people thinking about building one or two Sabre Dogs. For those who don't want to try a natural metal finish, though, your choices are very limited. Below are a few camouflaged F-86Ds that might help you finish your Dog in something other than silver.

F-86D "112"
Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia is actually the only country I have verified that actually flew their F-86Ds in camouflage colors. They were painted in dark green and dark gray over blue (although some might have had silver or light gray bellies). There were also a couple instances of natural metal F-86Ds in Yugoslav markings as well. The number on the nose was in white and was also carried on the right upper wing. I'm not sure if it was also carried on the left lower wing, though. These planes weathered fairly quickly and later in their life they had two racks underneath the rocket pad for flare packets.

F-86D "F-016"
Denmark

This F-86D is most likely a gate guardian, as the photo it's based on shows it being lowered into place by a crane. There's no concrete base for it, though, so it may have just been a display piece at an armed forces gathering. I have no references on whether Danish F-86Ds ever received this overall olive green scheme while still in service, but if my memory serves me correctly that change in camouflage came about roughly when they were still in service, so it's plausible. Standard Danish roundels are in all six positions, and the Danish flag is on the tail.

F-86D "210067"
Greece

I initially had only one photo of this Greek F-86D and it took me a while to find out that it was actually a gate guard at one of the bases. It's finished in a faded SEA scheme of dark green, medium green and tan over light gray. It's doubtful that in-service Greek Dogs carried such a scheme, but again I have no firm evidence stating that. It was most likely painted after the fact, probably to help stave off corrosion on an outdoor display. Later photos of the plane show the canopy askew and a serial number "210067" stencilled on the rear fuselage.

F-86D Idaho ANG
Gowan Field, Boise Idaho
1962

The final example seen here has no photo backing it up, but is rather based on a drawing seen in "Dirty Plastic", Arizona IPMS Summer 1982 Issue 112/124 in an article by Ray Sweet. It shows an ANG F-86D (or more likely, an F-86L) camouflaged in tan (FS 20400), brown (FS 30140) and green (FS 34079) over light aircraft gray (FS 36622). The star & bar on the fuselage is black and gray, as is the upper wing one, while the lower wing one is black only. The only other identifying mark on the plane is the ANG badge on the tail.

If anyone has a photo verifying this scheme as an active-duty Dog (or any of the potential gate guards displayed here), please let me know.