In this stout box one will find the well-known and excellent Academy Sabre. High lights are; fine engraved exterior, two types of drop tanks, Sidewinder and bomb options, exposed gun bays, full intake tunnel with complete engine. Almost as bonuses are the well sculptured standing pilot and engine stand to display the latter separately thanks to the intake and exhaust covers supplied. What does High Planes Models offer that is new for this boxing?

High Plane Models Additions
As this boxing is dedicated to Canadair Sabres of aerobatic teams, one has to begin with the striking schemes.
First off is a Canadian Sabre Mk 5 featuring the stunning ‘Golden Hawks’ scheme of overall Pale Gold with polished metal leading edges and large red and white Hawk fuselage motif.
A rather different approach was taken by the Yugoslavians for their Mk 4. This Sabre of the 204 Fighter Aviation Regiment starts with an overall Trainer Yellow, but the lower wing surfaces are PRU Blue. What makes this scheme so attractive are the reversed coloured arrows on the main wing surfaces and fuselage. The other four options are all Italian Mk 4s.
Both the Frecci Tricolori and Lancer Neri are similar in that their lower fuselages are Aluminum with the lower wings (and fuselage center section for the Lancer Neri) done in the Italian national colours of green, white and red. The Frecce Tricolori upper surface is done in a dark blue (Kobaltblu) with a rocket on a mid-blue background on the fuselage. Not surprisingly, the upper surface of the Lanceri Neri is overall black. On the forward fuselage is a lancer on a horse in front of a golden sun.
Two variations of the Cavallino Rampante are the final options. Both have a base finish of ivory coloured fuselage and main wings, with blue tail surfaces and red trimmed nose and canopy. One version has solid blue lower wings and solid ivory uppers while the other has the outer wing sections done in blue. Both examples feature white stars on the blue fields and a black rearing stallion on a white cloud on the fin.
All six aircraft carry full national insignia.
In order to cover all the national, unit, aircraft and stencils for this colourful selection, two sealed decal sheets are included in the kit. One features all the black markings (including walkway guides) and white stars and cloud for the Cavllino Rampante options. The other sheet has all the colour and two things are worthy of note. First off, HPM has accurate Red Ensigns and maple leafs for the Canadian version. Next, the gold in the Lancer Neri motif looks very good indeed. The decals appear to be in perfect register and have the clear carrier film trimmed close to the edges of the individual subjects.
To go with the schemes are six pages of full colour with three-views of each subject. A new assembly guide is offered and this well-illustrated replacement clearly shows assembly done over 13 steps that include detail colour notes. An entire page is devoted to matching the colour call outs to national specifications with six paint brands; Gunze Mr Color, Humbrol, Model Master, Revell, Tamiya and Extracolor. The only comment here would be that Pale Gold is available from the Alclad II line of metalizers.



High Plane Models certainly take ‘getting it correct’ to heart. All the Sabres included are versions produced by Canadair. These have some minor detail differences on the mid-fuselage compared to North American produced Sabres. Four resin parts include the sugar scoops added to the Mk 5, and the small intake added to the fuselage for both versions. Excellent 1/48 scale plans clearly show where these items go, plus the additions and deletions of the access ports for the Sabre Mk 5.
If you are a fan of the Sabre, and a lot are, this is a must buy for both the stunning colour schemes and the resin parts and excellent scale drawings to make an accurate Canadair Sabre Mk 4/5.

Thanks to High Plane Models for the review kit.

Reviewed by Vic Scheuerman, IPMS Edmonton