PAF F-86F Sabre (# 54029) at Toba Tek Singh

[Abbas Ali]

Saw this photo in today's (June 26) newspaper. The photo shows a North American F-86F-40-NA Sabre (serial# 54029) of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) being put on display at Level Crossing Chowk, Toba Tek Singh. Seems they will have to repair cockpit canopy glass.



If this F-86 is sporting its original serial number then following photo from 1960s shows exactly same aircraft with 1965 Indo-Pak war hero Squadron Leader Shabbir Hussain Syed in the cockpit. Note serial number '54029' painted below cockpit windshield.



Another photo of F-86F-40-NA Sabre (serial# 54029) with Squadron Leader Shabbir Hussain Syed.



PAF F-86F Sabre aircraft saw heavy combat in Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971 and scored several air-to-air and air-to-ground victories that were confirmed by aircraft's gun camera.

Abbas

[raihans]

interesting details about this PAF Sabre, thanks Abbas for sharing the info and photographs...

[TAILWIND]

I fail to understand the logic behind placing old combat acft at roads and public places. I donot know what is objective. Mostly these acft and other old weapons e.g tanks guns etc are put at public places and then forgotten. The place itself and sirrounding area is littered with dust and 'kora-karkat', with a lone metal junk gathering dust. It is neither aesthetically appealing, historically significant, technologically unique and/or a masterpiece of art. Moreover such socalled monuments have no relevence to surrounding scenary or landscape.

[pk363]

I fail to understand the logic behind placing old combat acft at roads and public places. I donot know what is objective. Mostly these acft and other old weapons e.g tanks guns etc are put at public places and then forgotten. The place itself and sirrounding area is littered with dust and 'kora-karkat', with a lone metal junk gathering dust. It is neither aesthetically appealing, historically significant, technologically unique and/or a masterpiece of art. Moreover such socalled monuments have no relevence to surrounding scenary or landscape.

Fully agree with you TW, there is no point displaying this old military hardware along streets and on squares.

[Abbas Ali]

Complete serial number for this F-86F Sabre is '55-4029', according to information on following link:

http://f-86.tripod.com/p.html

The same F-86F Sabre with serial number '54029' is shown in painting by Group Captain (R) Syed Masood Akhtar Hussaini that shows strike mission led by Squadron Leader Shabbir Hussain Syed against Indian Air Force (IAF) Canberra bomber station at Kalaikunda on September 7, 1965.

Here's painting of F-86F Sabre serial number '54029'.


Information about painting:

Strike Against a Bomber Base
September 7, 1965

The painting shows 2 of the 5 Dacca-based F-86 Sabres attacking the IAF bomber station at Kalaikunda. The Sabre pilots, quickly overcoming their initial surprise at finding so many bombers neatly lined up, wasted no time in making the best of it. The formation leader was Squadron Leader Shabbir H. Syed with Flight Lieutenants Abdul Baseer, Tariq Habib, Abdul Haleem and Flying Officer Afzal Khan in his formation. In his memoirs written after the 1965 India-Pakistan war, Air Chief Marshal P.C. Lal, Chief of the Air Staff, IAF, conceded the losses suffered by the IAF during this daring attack. He wrote: "A sharp lesson ... was taught by the PAF in an attack on an IAF base near Kharagpur (Kalaikunda). In one raid that it mounted, it destroyed several Canberra bombers and Hunter fighter aircraft on the ground."

Info Source: PAF Year 2010 Wall Calendar

The Sabres that took part in this Kalaikunda strike mission belonged to PAF No. 14 Squadron based at Tejgaon, Dacca, East Pakistan. Flight Lieutenant Tariq Habib who was part of this mission later joined PIA.

Actual video footage made from a PAF aircraft that shows row of burning IAF Canberra bombers at Kalaikunda can be viewed in CD about PAF No. 14 Squadron history released some years ago to celebrate squadron's 50th anniversary in 1998.

Abbas

[Abbas Ali]

Found this older photo of F-86F Sabre (# 54029) when it was on display at Teku Park in Toba Tek Singh.


Photo Source: Tehsil Municipal Administration Toba Tek Singh

Abbas

[Abbas Ali]

Photo of the aircraft after its installation at a new place in Toba Tek Singh. Apparently they sought help from PAF personnel for repainting the aircraft.

Those two holes below intake lip apparently missing landing lights and painted red are not looking nice.


Photo Source: www.dailywaqt.com (July 8, 2012 edition)

Abbas

[turbotraker]

I fail to understand the logic behind placing old combat acft at roads and public places. I donot know what is objective. Mostly these acft and other old weapons e.g tanks guns etc are put at public places and then forgotten. The place itself and sirrounding area is littered with dust and 'kora-karkat', with a lone metal junk gathering dust. It is neither aesthetically appealing, historically significant, technologically unique and/or a masterpiece of art. Moreover such socalled monuments have no relevence to surrounding scenary or landscape.

Sir I have to disagree with you. Every time I visit Pakistan I go out of my way to find these rare birds so I can photograph a piece of Pakistan's history. If they were not gate guardians or on show at junctions, how else would I/we be a able to photograph them?

I know it doesn't take long for them to be covered in dust and bird sh*t, but they are still very photogenic

Murtaza

[Abbas Ali]

Sabre Jet Wash


PAF F-86F Sabre (serial# 54029) on display at Shahbaz Chowk in Toba Tek Singh getting washed by a fire brigade truck on November 22, 2012 - (Photo Source: DAWN - November 23, 2012, edition)

Abbas

[Abbas Ali]

Retired North American F-86F Sabre (serial number 54029) of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on display at Shahbaz Chowk in Toba Tek Singh as seen on November 19, 2017.









Abbas

[Franek Grabowski]

Aside, how many historically significant ex-PAF Sabres are there around? I think one veteran Sabre with kills from 1965 war was handed over to Canada a few years ago.

[Abbas Ali]

Frank, after 1965 war ex-Luftwaffe Canadair Sabres were acquired by Pakistan through Iran. Pakistani Canadair Sabres saw heavy combat in 1971 war.

The Pakistani Canadair Sabre (serial number 1815) on display in Canada I think was the last built in Canada and apparently that was the main reason it was selected for preservation in Canada.

Abbas

[Franek Grabowski]

Ah, OK, anyway this is a historically important aircraft. Are there any others? I believe that M M Alam's Sabre was lost in service, was not it? How about other aircraft?
PS I believe there is a single surviving F-104 with credited kill.

[Khan747]

http://www.royalaviationmuseum.com/917/sabre-f-86/

[Abbas Ali]

Seen on rainy March 11, 2019.



Abbas