The 1964 US Presidential election was a landslide victory for John F. Kennedy. The outpouring of affection from the nation as he recovered from the November 1963 assassination attempt in Dallas virtually guaranteed his victory. Though unproven, they subsequent investigation implicated the USSR in at least some way in planning the attack. Though no suspect was ever apprehended on person of interest, Lee Harvey Oswald, was found dead in a hotel on December 3, 1963 along with evidence that the KGB had killed him.
In the aftermath NATO-Warpac relations deteriorated even further, and even though the risk of nuclear conflict seemed to have peaked with the Cuban Missile Crisis, the chances of a conventional war in Europe seemed to be increasing as Kennedy took his second Oath of Office. As Soviet air and naval activity in the eastern Atlantic increased Kennedy leveraged his ties to Ireland to convince the nation to shift from a neutral stance to lean towards NATO. Though Ireland did not become a full member state until 1975 it did enter in a defence cooperation agreement with the alliance in 1965, contributing to air and sea defence off the west coast of Ireland.
As part of this agreement the US provided military hardware and training. The first package included 18 F-86D air defense fighters. These F-86Ds had been retired from active USAF service, but were upgraded for the IAC with avionics and engine to match the F-86L. The "Mighty Mouse" rocket pack was retained, but AIM-9B Sidewinders were also integrated as a longer ranged weapon.
The Sabre Dog served with the growing Irish Air Corps until 1974 when the remaining 12 aircraft were replaced by ex-US Navy F-4J Phantoms and an interim fighter until the F-16A would be delivered starting in 1980. Towards the end of its career the Irish Sabres were upgraded to carry the AIM-9E version of the Sidewinder missile.
This model depicts an IAC F-86D late in its career carrying a pair of "Echo" Sidewinders on a QRA mission. A month later it was put into storage when it was replaced by a Phantom. It remained in storage until 1986 when it was restored for the Irish Air Corps Museum.
Kit is the beautiful ProModeller/Revell 1/48 F-86D. Paints are a mix of Hataka and Vallejo acrylics. Decals a mix of kit decals and MaxDecal Irish Air Corps 90s-2000s sheet. Sidewinders from the Meng US Short Range AAM set.
