1/24 F-86D 

by John Bell

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Here is a picture of a 1/24 scale F-86D I built around 1958, a long time ago. Unfortunately, it was destroyed in a moving accident.

The model is plank on, with sheet balsa flying surfaces. Individual aluminum panels, with rivets in each panel.

One night, while working on the pilots helmet, I dropped the helmet, tried to catch it by closing my knees. Bad move! I smashed it. I headed to the local tavern to drown my sorrows. Next morning, I got up, looked at the model, and saw that the helmet was OK. My Mom had fixed it, after I headed out. How she did it, I will never know. She always claimed she couldn't even draw a cat on a fence, but we found out later that she was a born artist. 
Sadly, my Dad made her quit painting, in oils. He said the paints and canvass were just too expensive. She died, broken hearted, two years later. Her name was Mimi.

John

Photos and text © by John Bell