F irst released by ESCI in 1979, the now-Italeri 1/48 scale F-86E has been reissued numerous times - this boxing marks the 19th. While lacking in fine details, this Sabre boasts outstanding fit and a terrific decal sheet with four options: natural-metal USAF, Italian and Canadian fighters, and a camouflaged West German Luftwaffe jet.
While you will not find separate slats or flaps on this Sabre, the side-mounted speed brakes are provided. Simplistic details are molded into the speed brake wells along with the landing gear bays. The undercarriage is simple but robust and has adequate detail, including brake lines on the main gear legs.
Cockpit detail consists of a simple tub with decals for the flat side consoles and instrument panel. A seat with molded on seat belts fills the rest of the space. I did not add the nose gear bay to the cockpit floor until I inserted it into the fuselage for a more precise fit.
There is plenty of space to add nose weight thanks to the inclusion of intake and exhaust covers - forward-thinking accessories given the age of the kit. For some reason, the instrument shroud and rear deck are molded in clear. A domed piece on the rear deck remains clear, so I cut it off, painted the rear deck, and reinstalled it.
The wings are in three pieces, upper halves and lower full span. The parts fit quite well, but the fit to the fuselage may be a bit tighter if you wait to install the upper wing halves after mounting the lower wing. Don’t forget to open the inner wing pylon locations if building a Sidewinder-armed Sabre, which is limited to the Luftwaffe version in this kit.
The fit of the gun bay doors, nose intake, and tail fairings are excellent, needing nothing other than a quick rub down to smooth seams.
The air brakes fit well enough to be assembled closed if desired. There is a triangular insert for the rear fuselage that allowed ESCI to release a tail-hook equipped FJ Fury version of this kit back in the day. The insert fit well enough that I only needed a touch of filler. The drop tanks and Sidewinders are a bit clunky but include separate pylons with raised details, which seemed odd considering the rest of the kit has recessed details. They fit well enough after cleaning up the mold lines.
The canopy and windscreen are a bit thick but clear, and both fit well after removing minor flash.
I left the horizontal stabilizers off to be painted separately. They, too, have raised panel lines.
I painted my Sabre using Hataka Orange Line RAL, then a coat of Acryl clear gloss sealed everything for decals.
The decal sheet is definitely the highlight of this kit. Having chosen the West German camouflage scheme, I wondered how well the red nose and tail trim decals would work. I needn’t have worried — fit was flawless, and they are robust enough to allow precise alignment without damage. Be warned: There are numerous stencils, and the decal numbering scheme appears to repeat numbers because separate sections are provided for common markings as well as those specific to the chosen scheme. There are even repeated numbers for the drop tanks and Sidewinders. I resorted to marking off decals as I used them to make sure I didn’t miss any. Italeri only provided one fuel cap marking for each drop tank instead of the pair called out. There are a handful of decals that simulate surface details, such as a dorsal intake. I applied them, but they really don’t do a good job of replicating reality. Other than the initial confusion about decal numbers, all performed superbly, including the stencils.
My Sabre took just over 20 hours, mostly because of the masked camouflage and decal application. It might not be the most detailed, but the shape is good and the decal sheet is great. And I love not having to scratchbuild an intake cover!
Note: A version of this review appeared in the December 2020 issue.