Sabre 5 c/n 1111 is owned by Tom Heldt and is now being restored in Neuhardenberg, Germany (for history of the aircraft, scroll down the page). One of only six former Luftwaffe Sabre 5s to survive, c/n 1111 has been rescued from an uncertain fate by Tom Heldt and is now being restored in the former East Germany.
"We finally received the wingtips back from complete restoration which included taking all the huge dents out and making them look like new again. They were installed again and painted red. The pitot tube was also installed in the right wingtip."
Above - A view of the right wing showing the red-painted wingtip newly-installed on Tom's Sabre.
"I finally found the time to change the nosewheel rim. The rim which was on my Sabre was a late model rim which was used mainly on Sabre 6. I bought the Sabre 5 wheel on eBay and restored it. After restoration I took the new tube and tire and installed them on the rim. Now, my Sabre has the original Sabre 5 nosewheel on it."
Above - As noted above, c/n 1111 now sports the early 'spoked' nosewheel which characterised the Sabre 5.
"Another huge step was the installation of the two 455 litre (120 gallon) drop tanks. Though all the attachments and fittings are missing, we managed to build/weld a rail-type attachment which connects to the wing and provides perfect fittings for the ball-shaped attachments of the tank itself. Now, we are able to slide the tanks on and off from the back of the aircraft if necessary. It is an easy two man lift. This was very important to me in case the aircraft has to be moved to another location someday."
Above: The newly-fitted 120-gal 'quick-release' drop tanks finally in place.
"The latest work on the Sabre included applying the original Luftwaffe- Registration "BB-237" to the right side of the aircraft."
Above - c/n 1111 looking almost complete and a far cry from the wreck that Tom first bought.
As mentioned in a previous update, Tom is still missing a few instruments. Can you help? (B6 Accelerometer, Artificial Horizon and Engine Oil Temperature Indicator ). Please contact Tom if you can at SabreBB237@aol.com .
"With the warm weather we are having, I have been going more often to the Sabre now and here is the April update for you including pictures."
"I finally managed to restore the landing gear including painting it, with the exception of the small left-hand door which is located on the landing gear itself. I also completely sanded down, primed and painted all the wheel wells after removing the left-hand, totally destroyed main landing gear door which covers the wheel well."
Above - The main landing gear looking almost complete: a far cry from the pictures from earlier in the restoration.
Above - The main gear bays primed and ready for painting.
"The missing "fence- extending leading edge" on the right hand wing was built from scratch and mounted. Also, the two small leading edge pieces which attach to the front wing root were finally installed making the wing look more complete. "
Above - at left, the missing wing fence now back in place and at right, the wing root fairings also fitted. The latter were a feature of the '6-3'-winged Sabres, and covered a small portion of the ammunition door/step, where the extended leading edge covered it at the root. .
"Another main step was the installation of the main instrument panel, most of its instruments , the installation of the control stick and the throttle into the cockpit. "
"The wing edges are currently at a local metal shop for restoration and hopefully they return soon for installation and completing the wings. Also, the early model nosewheel is currently undergoing restoration."
"As you can see on the pictures, the Sabre is making good progress I think."
As mentioned in a previous update, Tom is still missing a few instruments. Can you help? (B6 Accelerometer, Artificial Horizon and Engine Oil Temperature Indicator ). Please contact Tom if you can (email at bottom of the page).
"After one of the main struts sank in, we had to focus the work again on the landing gear. I found someone who [could] build brackets which I could install around the extended struts."
"I had to jack out the left strut after it sank in by using a car floor jack. After that, I installed the brackets on both main landing gear struts. Then, to even out the extreme uneven height to the nosewheel, I also installed a bracket around the strut of the nosewheel which resulted in lifting the nose by 5cm. This made a huge difference and the aircraft now sits secured on its enforced struts."
"Also, I had special bearings made in order to fit the main wheels correct and straight on the main landing gear. I also purchased new brake flanges and installed them, too. Now, the main wheel is straight and secured on the axle."
Above - The main landing gear's crooked stance being corrected and the nose gear extension also now correct.
"Even though it was cold like a freezer in the shelter in February and working a whole day on the floor under the aircraft to fix the landing gear almost froze me up completely, I did not stop there. The next day, I managed to install the right windscreen which I had specially made. "
As well as the exterior work on the aircraft, Tom is now also looking to complete the interior restoration:
"I found the original Instrument Panel and it arrived yesterday [30 March 2007]. On the second pic you can see all the intruments I already have for the main panel. Now, I am looking for all the instruments from the left and right consoles in the cockpit. I do have the throttle lever and a replica of the control stick."
Yet again, Tom's single-handed dedication to restoring this aircraft is an inspiration. More updates to come as Tom progresses. Hopefully warmer weather will give him better working conditions.
"My father picked up the Upper Access Door in Bremen in order to have it on the aircraft for this years airshow at Neuhardenberg airport. I was able to attach the Upper Access Door onto the fuselage without bigger problems. The latches were greased up a bit and then they worked perfectly, bringing the completion of the outer part of the Sabre a very significant step ahead."
"I was also able to tackle the biggest problem with success, the totally corroded mainwheels. After trying all kinds of methods to get the "nut-wheel retaining", securing the mainwheel, off the axles using methods like normal tools, heating the nut up or spraying it with rust-remover, the only thing left to do was to cut the nut off. I had asked many restoration experts but this was the only and last solution. I cut them off and during the process they got red hot and after cutting one small piece off it they cracked open a bit. With the use off a screwdriver and a hammer I was able to get the nut off the axle, finally."
"The wheels still did not move since the brakes were set and it was not possible to loosen the brakes. Pulling the whole wheel assembly off the axle was also not as easy as one might think. After hitting the rim with a small sledgehammer from the outside towards the inside, a big loud crack could be heard and the wheels finally started to move off the axle. A few more hits with the hammer and then I was able to pull the very heavy mainwheels off the axle! What a success!"
"For now, I put two new mainwheels on the axles so that the aircraft does not sit without wheels and so I am able to move it. The wheels are the same size, though they are from a T-33 and the bearings are different and do not fit correctly onto the axle. I will have to restore the old wheels and then put them back on the aircraft. I did the same with the nosewheel after purchasing a new tire and a new inner tube for it. It now looks almost like new."
I hope to bring further updates to Tom's project soon (and hopefully I'll be able to post them quicker too!). For now, here are some photos to illustrate the current status:
No-one can accuse Tom of hanging around, at least as far as his Sabre is concerned.
At the beginning of April, Tom returned to Germany from a 6-month work assignment overseas, and in the intervening period managed to secure the two major missing parts for the Sabre - a canopy and an Upper Compartment Access door. The canopy was originally fitted to another ex-Luftwaffe Sabre, Mk. 6 c/n 1675, which ended its days in the USA with Flight Systems as N80FS (this aircraft is now in private ownership in the States, and now fitted with an airworthy canopy - the item which Tom has was presumably replaced for a better item). It is thus fitting that this 'German' canopy has returned home to help out one of its brothers. Tom found the canopy through an ad he posted on an aircraft parts page on the internet. He also managed to get a great deal on a tire for the nosewheel and also the right windscreen. His wife managed the payment and the shipping of the parts since Tom was abroad at this time. What would we do without our spouses? All parts were picked up by one of Tom's brothers-in-law, who runs a self-employed trucking business in El Paso, Texas. He picked the parts up in Orinda, California and delivered them to El Paso, Texas. During the Christmas 2005 holidays, Tom's wife visited her family there and, together with her youngest sister, delivered the parts with her pick-up truck and her fiances trailer to a shipping company well known to them. They then crated the parts for overseas shipment and the crate was shipped via Houston, Texas to Bremen in Germany. On March 1st, 2006, Tom's father drove from Berlin to Bremen and picked up the crate with a rented van and delivered it to the shelter in Neuhardenberg. In Neuhardenberg, local staff from the airport there helped Tom's father to offload the crate. What a family effort!
Tom was offered the Upper Compartment Access Door through an email from a person that read all about my project on THIS website!!! It came from Rick Clemens' Sabre 5, c/n 1090, ex-RCAF 23300 - another aircraft with Flight Systems links, but this time as one of the Sabre 5s converted by the company to drone use for the US Army. Other parts recently restored for installation on the Sabre are an ejection seat from Sabre 6 c/n 1731 (ex-Luftwaffe) and the rudder mentioned above, believed to be from F-86F s/n 52-4371. Gun blast panels were new old stock and had never been installed on a Sabre before.
At the end of April, Tom went to work on the Sabre again and managed the following:
"First, we had to replace the rear bulkhead and the sheet metal on which the rear canopy rails were attached. Both parts were completely removed from the aircraft and left a huge hole in the back of the cockpit. Part of the rear canopy rails were however still present, the front rails are complete and in good condition. We inspected the canopy and found that almost all the attachments/rollers that fit into the rails are still present on the canopy. This made the installation of the canopy fairly easy after fixing the rear part of the cockpit."
"I already had restored the ejection seat which I bought on ebay and we were able to put it into the Sabre and securing it on the new rear bulkhead which we built."
"After that, the canopy was cleaned and painted from inside and outside. All the checklists inside the canopy frame are also still present. We then fitted the canopy to the rails and are even able to slide the canopy aft for about a foot. It cannot be opened further since the rear rails are only about a third of the length they used to be. The canopy handles on the left and right side of the canopy frame are in good working condition and can be used to slide the canopy."
The Upper Compartment Access Door should arrive in Germany in mid-June, and can then be installed, therefore completing the exterior of the Sabre. We hope to bring you photos of the completed aircraft as soon as it all comes together.
Mini update - Tom has now located a cockpit canopy, thus moving the project significantly closer to completion. It was located in California at a very competitive price, and Tom has also purchased the right windscreen panel and a nosewheel tyre from the same seller. Since one of Tom's brother-in-laws is operating a freight business, he was nice enough to pick up the parts while he was in the area and the parts were shipped via El Paso, Texas at the beginning of January.
The main parts that Tom needs to complete this aircraft are the Upper Compartment Access Door (nose area, forward of windscreen) and the left windscreen panel.
"The Sabre was shown to the public for the first time in over 20 years on an airshow at this airfield which was held on 13. and 14. August 2005 and people were very interested in this project. We had lots of picutres of the restoration project for the visitors to see."
"I went to the Sabre last week again, [and] this time, work concentrated on the wings, as these were still in not good shape. We managed to install the cut off piece from the left wing, the leading edge along with about a foot of wing was cut right from the wing root, I guess to access the bolts for taking the wing off. Then we covered some holes on the left and right wing, managed to fix the left guidance fence and then sanded both wings down completely and covered them with primer. next we painted both wings and applied the German Cross on both wings. Both wingtips are not yet restored and have been removed from the wings for restoration. The flaps and ailerons were fixed, but will need some more attention."
"After intensive work and letting the paint dry for around 24hrs, we covered the plane competely to protect it from dust and humidity. There will not be any work done on the plane until March next year since I am deploying to Afghanistan."
"We finally managed to install the rudder! Although all the fittings are missing we found a way to install it after one whole day of trying. Now the complete tailplane is back together and I painted the German Flag and the Lettering which you can find below the German flag on all German military aircraft consisting of the word of service(Luftwaffe, Marine or Heer) the aircraft flies for, in this case the LUFTWAFFE, the aircraft type and the serial. In this case" LUFTWAFFE CAN F86 54-1111", meaning Luftwaffe Canadair F86 54-1111. My wife has a good friend which ownes a offset Printshop and she had them make this lettering for my aircraft. How nice is that of her?!?!?!"
"After that I started to cut aluminum sheet metal so they could be riveted over the huge wholes which were present on the forward fuselage. Since many of the "ribs" of the forward fuselage were severely damaged I had no choice but to place large pieces of aluminum over the complete areas and rivet them on after I was able to secure the "broken bones". There was simply no other way for me to do this since I am not a sheet metal expert. I got advice from such an expert and he basically said there is not much else you can do in this case other than replacing the complete skin of the forward fuselage. He, my father and myself for that, were very surprised of who much of a difference the sheet metal makes ones it was in place and how well this "Aircraft Battle Damage Repair" -method looks. Just one big whole is now left below the left gun blast panel because of the lack of sheet metal I had available, though this will be fixed next time.
The aluminum and the rivets I purchased through eBay. In addition, I just purchased two used complete mainwheels for the Sabre."
Tom has had a busy summer of 2005, with c/n 1111 looking more like a complete aircraft after many years. Over to him,
"[We] cut and riveted all necessary remaining aluminum sheet metal in order to close the ugly holes the plane still had on the front left. In addition, we cut and riveted sheet metal for both gun bay doors, both radio access doors and one for the engine access door on the right side. In addition, I managed to fill the holes with yet more sheet metal where the gun camera used to be and surrounding holes that were present."
"The two fuel tanks with pylons I bought on eBay are also present on the pictures. I placed them in front of the plane since the Sabre will be shown to the public on an open day which this airport will hold on the weekend of 13/14 August 2005. The bigger tanks are still in the back of the shelter awaiting pick-up from the new owner to whom I sold these tanks."
"I have been working on the plane in March and April and the fuselage is now almost completely restored from the tail section to the cockpit. The nose part still needs sheet metal work which will be done next time I go to work on the plane."
"The next steps will be to finally replace the skin on the front of the aircraft to finish the fuselage and to install the rudder. All that is missing from the fuselage are the maintenance panels, which will be replaced with original ones, or for the time being with aluminum sheet metal to finally close the fuselage up completely."
"First, we installed the Gun Blast Panels and also already used the primer to cover them. Next I started to fill the holes and dents on the intake and forward fuselage using normal car body filling from the local hardware store, an idea which I received from a couple of people that are or have restored airplanes. It all worked very well, though some of the holes and dents very so deep that I had to use a couple of layers of filling to finally close them. Next time I go to the plane, these filled in areas will be sanded down and also covered with primer."
We had to clean the shelter also because yet another newspaper reporter came by to take pictures of the plane for the article which was published in already two newspapers! A local German TV- Station also came by to interview us for a feature article on my aircraft an its restauration which will be aired in Germany shortly.
In 2004 Thomas Heldt purchased c/n 1111 and his first task was to move it back to Germany, where restoration could begin. Tom managed to secure the use of an old hardened aircraft shelter at the former East German base in Neuhardenberg. In August 2004 the aircraft arrived there, and restoration has now begun, assisted by Tom's father. First work centred on the forward fuselage, and other areas are now being tackled. Over to Tom now to describe what he has done so far:
"I already purchased many new parts for the plane including the rudder, the gun blast panels, a new rim for the mainwheel, a complete nosewheel and I also found an Ejection seat for it on eBay!!!"
"We started to work on the tail section and the fin/elevator, which will also be the main task next time I go to work on the aircraft. I had to shift my plans as I was able to get a nice maintenance stand free of charge from the airport where the plane is located, they are particularly interested in my project and are doing all they can to assist me. So I decided to focus on the tail section since I have the maintenance stand now. I also have the rudder and will try to fit it to the fin, although all the attachments were cut off from the fin...we shall see. Nevertheless, I took all the rust of the landing gear and already covered it with anti-rust spray and primer."
"We already were able to take the huge dent out of the exhaust from the plane, it was about one third dented in from the bottom. We used some wooden blocks and a 2 tonne car floor jack to take the dent out; what can I say, it worked perfectly. Now, I just need to fill in the little cracks and then prime this part of the plane. We used the same process to take a dent out from on top of the intake of the plane working our way to it through the radar compartment."
"So, we are making progress and I hope to celebrate the "Roll-out" in the fall of 2005."
The aircraft was subsequently ferried to France for service with 439 Sqn at Marville, and would presumably have gained a camouflage scheme by this time. However, 439 Squadron did not receive Sabre 5s until April 1955 at the earliest, so there is a 'gap' of at least nine months between 23321 flying in Canada and being assigned to 439 in France – maybe the aircraft flew as a chase plane for Canadair?
Once in service with 439 Squadron, 23321 gained the fuselage code 'IG-321' and would have been painted in the squadron's 'Sabre Tooth Tiger' tail markings. With 439 Squadron receiving Sabre 6s from June 1956, 23321 was retired in 1957 and was ferried to Scottish Aviation's overhaul facility; it was struck off RCAF charge on 8 August 1957.
The aircraft was one of 75 chosen to equip the first German Luftwaffe Sabre unit –Waffenschule 10 (Weapons School 10 - WS10) at Oldenburg and after overhaul with Scottish Aviation at Renfrew was transferred to the Luftwaffe on 3 May 1958. Whilst in Scotland, the aircraft gained the 1. Staffel code 'BB-131', which was painted in large figures on the forward fuselage. Circa May 1958, c/n 1111 was transferred to 3./WS10 and re-coded 'BB-237'.
With the advent of Sabre 6s for the Luftwaffe, and with the Sabre 5 training programme complete, c/n 1111 was struck off Luftwaffe charge and transferred to Dornier on 21 March 1962. Its whereabouts are then somewhat hazy, but the aircraft was then noted on the military side of the Porz-Wahn base near Köln in 1969. It was initially used as a monument, still bearing WS10 markings and was displayed in front of the Luftwaffe Materiel Command building on the base. Circa 1982 the aircraft moved to a new fire/rescue role at Wahn and its condition began to deteriorate; the canopy was smashed and the machine gun blast panels appear to have been removed at around this time. Over the years at Wahn, the rudder, radar compartment access door, gun bay doors and most of the access doors from the upper fuselage also disappeared. The aircraft was demilitarised in 2003 before being offered for sale, much of the forward fuselage skin was cut and ripped open and also the gun camera from the intake was removed.
In 2003 the aircraft was sold to a private collector in the Netherlands and briefly moved to Baarlo.
