One of the most enjoyable reads in the entire Osprey Aircraft of the Aces series, this book is concerned not only with the F-86 but with other aircraft that scored kills in Korea. Of course, the
F-86 was the only aces’ mount (save for Guy Bordelon’s F4U-5N) in Korea on the allied side, and so much of the book covers the Sabre in combat. The book emphasizes the scarcity of
F-86s in Korea for much of the war and spices things up with some very exciting pilots’ recollections of combat. Fighting in the F-86 was little different for these men than fighting in the
P-51 or P-47 had been in World War II; Captain Karl Dittmer recalls an incident where he and his wingmen attacked a group of 50 MiG-15s! Another section tells of the 16th Fighter Interceptor Squadron’s routine penetration of Chinese air space, which resulted in many kills and, eventually, the shoot-down and capture of its commanding officer Ed Heller, flying “Hell-er Bust X.” The introduction of various F-86 models are outlined clearly in the text, and the
last chapter deals with the Russian pilots who flew against the F-86. As is always the case in this series, the center of the book has a collection of 56 profiles, most of them Sabres, providing a handy bit of inspiration to anyone stuck for a scheme for his model. There are also many black-and-white photographs, line drawings and a comprehensive index of every allied pilot who scored a kill in the Korean War. For the price (about $15), this is a great value and perhaps the best single reference on the air-to-air portion of the Korean air war.
Chris Bucholtz has been building models since 1973 and has been a member of SVSM since 1986. His interests include 1/72 scale aircraft of all types, but specifically World War II and subjects whose pilots or crew he has met.
