Toys and Models Corporation F-86E Sabre Signed by Boots Blesse

From the Manufacturer The North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War. Considered one of the best and most important fighter aircraft in the Korean War, the F-86 is also rated highly in comparison with fighters of other eras. Although it was developed in the late 1940s and was outdated by the end of the 1950s, the Sabre proved versatile and adaptable, and continued as a front-line fighter in numerous air forces until the last active operational examples were retired by the Bolivian Air Force in 1994. Its success led to an extended production run of more than 7,800 aircraft between 1949 and 1956, in the United States, Japan and Italy. Variants were built in Canada and Australia. This F-86 Sabre is personally signed by Frederick "Boots" Blesse. Blesse graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1945. He flew two combat tours during the Korean War, completing 67 missions in F-51s, 35 missions in F-80s and 121 missions in F-86s. During the second tour in F-86s, he was officially credited with shooting down nine MiG-15s and one La-9. At the time of his return to the United States in October 1952, he was America's leading jet ace. Blesse was a member of the Air Training Command Fighter Gunnery Team in 1954 and 1955. Both years his team won the Air Force Worldwide Fighter Gunnery Championship. During the 1955 gunnery meet, General Blesse, flying an F-86F aircraft, won all six trophies offered for individual performance, a feat that has never been equaled. Blesse retired from the USAF in 1975, with more than 6,500 flying hours in fighter-type aircraft and more than 650 hours combat time to his credit. Certificate of Authenticity included.

• Hand carved mahogany wood model airplane
• Hand crafted and hand painted
• Finished with a layer of polyurethane which provides lasting protection and brillance