The F-86D Sabre, or "Sabre Dog" was developed by North American Aviation from the highly successful F-86 Sabre. Surprisingly the F-86D only has a 25% commonality in parts with the "Sabre". Along with other projects at the time such as the F-84F from the F-84E it was easier to get funding for a development of an "existing" aircraft as opposed to a new design! The F-86D was to dispense with guns as its armament and it was designed around the then new 2.75 inch Folding-Fin Aerial Rocket (FFAR) or "mighty mouse" as it was known. These would be housed in a ventral tray which would deploy under the aircraft for firing. The F-86D would feature a nose mounted AN/APG-36 all weather radar in the nose which would force the engine air intake to be relocated under the nose. Compare to the original Sabre the F-86 would be longer and wider. A clamshell canopy was introduced in place of the rearwards sliding canopy of other models. Thrust was provided by a General Electric J47-GE-17 which featured afterburning, this would later be replaced by an uprated J-47GE-33.

A total of 2504 D models would be built. The design would be exported with the Mighty Mouse replaced by four 20mm cannons under the F-86K designation. The D model design would later be upgraded with new electronics, better wings (in the form of extended wingtips & leading edges), with an uprated engine. This would be designated the F-86L. In all the USAF, Japanese Self Defence Forces, Royal Danish Air Force, Hellenic (Greek) Air Force, Philippine Air Force, Republic Of South Korea, Republic of China (Taiwan), Turkish Air Force, and The Yugoslav Air Force would use the F-86D.

The Kit
The Kitty Hawk F-86D is the first time this iconic aircraft has been kitted in 1:32 scale. The kit arrives in a smaller box than you would expect, however it is crammed full of parts. You get seven sprues of light grey parts, a clear sprue (thoughtfully packed in its own card box for protections), a small PE fret and 2 sheets of decals