Tomahawk Patrol grew from the story of 1st Lt. Robert J. Faber and the F-86D Sabre Dog of the 16th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. The project combined family material, squadron references and a surviving F-86D component to reconstruct an aircraft for which no photograph of Faber's actual Sabre has been located.
The F-86D Sabre Dog
Unlike the day-fighter F-86, the F-86D was designed as an all-weather interceptor. Its distinctive nose housed radar, and its armament consisted of air-to-air rockets carried in a retractable tray. The type became an important part of U.S. Air Defense Command during the early Cold War.
A Surviving Wing Panel
The relic associated with the project comes from an F-86D wing access panel, Part No. 165-142681, salvaged before the aircraft was scrapped at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona.
Wing access panel preserved from an F-86D Sabre Dog.
Reconstructing Faber's Aircraft
Although no known photograph shows Faber's exact aircraft, his family preserved a commissioned model. Craig Tinder used that model together with squadron photographs to reconstruct the markings for the artwork.
The Faber family's model provided an important reference for reconstructing his F-86D.
The Faber family attended the unveiling of Tomahawk Patrol at Aces In Action.
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