Great Planes
F-86Sabre
Entering the micro jet age with blistering speed and performance!
By Jim Wiggin PHOTOGRAPHY: JIM WIGGIN & STEVE BARRY
The United States Air Force was only a few weeks old when the first F-86 prototype took to the skies on October 1, 1947. The F-86 would go into history as the United States first swept wing fighter jet. Not only would the Sabre make a name for itself over the skies of Korea, but also would soldier on wearing the insignia of many countries from Canada to West Germany and as recently as Bolivia in 1994. Ever since I was a kid, the lines of the F-
A
86 lured me. The sweeping wings, swept back tail surfaces and that bubble canopy screamed 1950s Cold War technology. An in- teresting period in our world’s history and one I have spent a great deal in time study- ing with the focus mainly on the aircraft of the time. The F-86 most certainly is at the top of my personal list of interest from this time period. It certainly was no surprise to me that
when Great Planes set about producing the first micro EDF jet, they would choose a pro- totype such as the Sabre. Much like the F- 86 was the first of much technological ad-
38
s the Sopwith Camel was to WWI, the P-51 to WWII, so too is the North American F-86 Sabre syn- onymous to the Korean Conflict.
vancement in its time, so too is the Great Planes model. Everything from the 30mm brushless fan unit to the new AnyLink, this model is peppered with many firsts. The model is contained within a box much
like many micro models available on the market today. A dramatic picture of the F- 86 in flight adorns the front, while a picture showing the contents of said box, as well as the illustration depicting the inner workings of the model, are on the back. The pictures and text leave no doubt of the goodness within.
Opening the box is where the similarities
with other micros end. Naturally my eyes were drawn to the silver bird, but careful at- tention to the accessories was also in order. There are two types of this model available. One includes its own transmitter and is ready to go, while the other is the Tx-R ver- sion, which is the subject for today’s review. More about Tx-R and what it means to you later. Besides the plane, there is a set of wire gear that can be snapped into the plane for takeoffs from a solid surface, or can be sim- ply removed for sorties over the local park. A lightweight foam pilot is included; howev- er some artistic license is required, as he needs to be painted. A simple DC car charg-
AT A GLANCE Type:
Construction: Wing span: Wing area: Airfoil: Length: Weight:
R/C sport scale micro EDF foam and plastic 15 inches 53.1 sq. in.
undercambered 14.4 inches 67 grams
Wing loading: Motor: ESC:
6.4 oz./sq.ft.
30mm Hyperflow brushless 6-amp
Battery:ElectriFly 2S 200mAh 15C Li-Po
Radio: 4-channel, (3) digital ultra micro servos, 2.4 GHz SLT micro receiver
Manufacturer: Great Planes
Dist. by: Hobbico P.O. Box 9021
Champaign, IL 61826 217-398-3630
www.greatplanes.com MAY 2012
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