Mass Build Bookshelf: F-86 Sabre

[John H. Rood]

My parents met at North American Aviation's Los Angeles Division in the early 1950s and worked in the engineering effort on the F-86D and F-100A programs. My mom was an engineer on the yaw damper fix for the F-100A, a very serious concern at NAA in the wake of famed Pearl Harbor hero and NAA test pilot George Welch's death during a demonstration flight in an F-100A.

She left NAA in 1956 to have five more Rood kids in addition to my sister and I; but my dad stayed on through the X-15, F-108, B-70, SST, B-1 and many more design & development programs at NAA.

Believe it or not, in some respects North American Aviation at Inglewood was a relatively "small" shop back then; my father gave me this book some years ago as a fascinating insiders look at some of the goings-on there.

[Mark Kettle 1]

I'd like to add this magazine to your book shelf John.

THE STORIES BEHIND THE WORLD'S GREATEST AIRCRAFT

If you want to order the above magazine here's a link:

preview and order magazine

ISSUU link to preview

[Mark Kettle 1]

Picture showing the Fisherman's Bend production line in 1954, in the line is Avon-engined CAC Sabre 30, notice the deeper engine intake.

I'm reading up on the Avon powered Sabre's like Steve Houghton's build, I'm getting the info from this magazine below.

[John H. Rood]

Seldom is an aviation-minded book a highly-regarded thing by "real" writers and critics. Seldom is a respected writer ALSO a pilot that flew F-86 Sabres in combat over "MiG Alley" in 1952.

THE HUNTERS has both of these exceptional traits. USAF fighter pilot James Horowitz wrote his first novel, this one, THE HUNTERS, while flying F-86's in Korea; it was published under his literary name James Salter to what's become enduring praise.  Here is the author, in the cockpit, during the war:

In the literary world, Salter went on to wide recognition as one of the truly great American novelists.  He also wrote a few screenplays for Hollywood.  On his passing at age 90, his first novel THE HUNTERS was remembered near and far. For example, The Paris Review, and The Guardian.

THE HUNTERS eventually got the Hollywood treatment, Robert Mitchum and all.  Not a bad movie according to most critics, and to this day the aerial cinematography is shimmering and I'd go out on a limb to say that the novel and the movie are a natural for most any PSS F-86 Sabre 2020 Mass Build enthusiast.

And here's an earlier version than my paperback, this one's hardcover -- and gotta love its jacket:

Edited By John H. Rood on 11/11/2019 18:53:43