Photo By John Hughel | Mark Smith and his partner Karen Barrow with Century Aviation work with a team of...... read more read more
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CLACKAMAS, Ore. - The vivid sheet metal finish and the distinctive profile of the F-86 Sabre jet reflects a unique era in U.S. military aviation history. As the first swept-wing U.S. fighter jet used in combat, the Sabre was fully capable of opposing their swept-wing Soviet MiG-15 counterparts during high-speed dogfights over the skies of Korea from 1950 to 1953.
As the Oregon Military Museum is methodically preparing for its grand re-opening, one of the centerpiece exhibits will be an F-86 that was recently reassembled at the museum’s home at Camp Withycombe. The transonic jet, which has been in storage during renovations, will represent two distinct pieces of Oregon military history for visitors.
During the Korean War future NASA astronauts John Glenn, Buzz Aldrin, and Wally Schirra flew the airframe. In total, there were 40 Korean War ‘Aces’ and one of the last to earn this title was U.S. Air Force Capt. Clyde A. Curtin, assigned to the 335th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and a native of Portland, Oregon.
The Oregon Air National Guard also flew the F-86 during the same period. On February 10, 1951, the 123rd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was federalized and reassigned to the 325th Fighter-Interceptor Wing of the Western Air Defense Force.
Aircraft number 12892 has an interesting history. With a team of local volunteers overseen by the restoration team from Century Aviation, the jet was assembled over the last week of February of 2020. They specialize in working with museums as consultants to restore, install and handle aviation artifacts.
Oregon Military Museum Director and curator Tracy Thoennes was excited yet anxious seeing the aircraft reassembled. Watching the aircraft being reconstructed, she described its significance while describing key aviation details of the Korean War.
“Clyde [Curtis] recorded his 4th and 5th ‘Kills’ a week before the Armistice (July 27, 1953), and his aircraft was just a few serial numbers away from the F-86 we are restoring here for the Oregon Military Museum,” she explained. “Both this aircraft and the one Curtis flew were part of the same production series and were assigned to the 4th Fighter Wing, the most successful aviation unit during the war.”
The airplane served on the U.S. inventory until 1956 and then acquired by the Republic of Korea until 1963. For the next 20 years, number 12892 was retired before being acquired by the Oregon National Guard. Since 2012, it has been disabled and in storage as the Museum has undergone restorations.
In terms of presenting all facets of the Oregon Military, the F-86 represents a key link to aviation and the Air Force contribution during this period. With reverence to its history, the paint scheme on the airplane is in keeping with the 50th Anniversary of the Korean War and how the Oregon Air National Guard detailed the aircraft during the early 1950’s.
“Early on most of our acquisitions in the collection (for the museum) were Army pieces, Thoennes explained. “We are trying to make sure we tell the story of every military branch and this aircraft is an important part of that multi-branch story.”
The support for the restoration was funded by the Oregon Museum Foundation, Thonness said. “Eventually we hope to get some bids on having the canopy of the airplane restored and if there are other features needing to be addressed.”
The team from Century Aviation has worked on restoration undertakings all over the country to include projects at the Museums of Flight in Seattle and most nobility on the ‘Spruce Goose’ at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.
“We started our own business 28 years ago after working on the ‘Spruce Goose,' said Mark Smith. Along with his partner Karen Barrow, the company is based out of East Wenatchee, Washington but they spend a majority of time on the road.
The work they undertake is often threefold: from building replicas to disassembling and reassembling aircraft, and frequently working as consultants to larger projects.
“Our speciality is the beginning of flight with the Wright Brothers up to WWII; steel tube and fabric but as soon as I say that then we're working on an F-18 Hornet or like we are doing here with the F-86.”
For the F-86, they did not need to manufacture any of the parts as the airframe was well preserved during its time in storage. Like most local projects, they rely on a few skilled volunteers to help on the final assemblage of the airframe.
“Normally it’s nice to have about four or five volunteers on a project like this but often the word gets out that something exciting is happening so those numbers can swell pretty quickly,” Smith grinned. “With a project like this, sometimes you get more than enough ‘helpers.’
Some of the larger undertakings might last months and sometimes years compared the time it took to finish up the F-86 renovation, said Smith. “Each project has its challenges but that’s what keeps it interesting.”
One of those is a short-term project that they are about to begin is at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, before undertaking a much larger and long term undertaking in Washington, D.C.
“We’re heading off to work at the National Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian,” he said. “Ultimately the existing area will be emptied and rebuilt with some items going back to their original place but new items added. It’s a six to seven year project.”
Still, both Smith and Barrow enjoyed working close to home in the Pacific Northwest on the Sabre jet and observing the transformation of the Oregon Military Museum.
“The preservation and restoration is important to any artifact that a museum has for its collection,” said Barrow. “Preserving that legacy can peak someone’s interest to know more about a particular period of time and what that article represents.”
With many unique pieces, presentations and exhibits, the Oregon Military Museum hopes to capture that same level of excitement when the renovations are all completed for the public.
“With all the different eras represented here, there will be so much to see and learn from: to the archives, library, and exhibits, when it comes to Oregon’s military history--there is going to be so much to look to at,” Barrow emphasized.
“When the museum opens, people will have a blast!”
| Date Taken: | 03.20.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 04.06.2020 19:23 |
| Story ID: | 366698 |
| Location: | CLACKAMAS, OREGON, US |
| Web Views: | 673 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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