Detroit Lakes, MN: Veterans create replica F-86 plane

From DL-Online:  Veterans create replica F-86 plane

When the Northwest Water Carnival’s penultimate event, the Parade of the Northwest, gets underway at 1 p.m. today, there will be at least one entry that hasn’t been seen before. The Post 15 American Legion First Zinger Squadron has created a replica of a Korean War-era F-86 fighter, converted from a Kirschman Spray Coupe.

When the Northwest Water Carnival’s penultimate event, the Parade of the Northwest, gets underway at 1 p.m. today, there will be at least one entry that hasn’t been seen before.

The Post 15 American Legion First Zinger Squadron has created a replica of a Korean War-era F-86 fighter, converted from a Kirschman Spray Coupe.

The replica is named “Don’s Dream,” in honor of the late Don Bristlin, who purchased the spray plane several years ago with plans for converting it into an F-86.

“After Don died, the plane sat out in the weeds for about three years, and then one day we decided to finish it for him,” said Zinger Squadron member Dave Coalwell.

So why did Bristlin want to recreate this particular model of fighter? “The F-86 shot down more MIG’s than any other airplane,” Coalwell said.

Coalwell and fellow “Zingers” Ray Blauert and Jerry Wagondorf have been hard at work this week putting the finishing touches on the replicated fighter, in the hopes of completing it in time for today’s parade.
“Even if it’s not quite finished, it’ll be in there,” Wagondorf promised.

Though the Zingers’ plane closely resembles the 1950s-era F-86, “it won’t fly,” Coalwell said — in part because it is propelled by a Volkswagen engine instead of the original hardware

The one-seater plane is self-propelled, however. The wings also fold up to allow for maneuvering in and out of tight places, and for easier storage, Blauert pointed out.

One problem that the three Zinger Squadron members faced in recreating the fighter plane is that none of them had really worked with sheet metal before — so it was kind of a “learn as you go” process, Coalwell added.

“It’s a time consumer, I can tell you that,” he joked.

All the sheet metal for the project was donated by Snappy’s, while the labor was supplied by the three men.
“We’ve been working on this for a couple of months,” said Wagondorf. “We’re trying real hard to get it done (in time for the parade).”

“It’s starting to take real good shape now,” Coalwell added.

The plane will be painted with the same markings as its Korean War-era predecessors, with yellow stripes on the wing tips and behind the cockpit — but there will be one difference, Coalwell noted.
The tail will be painted red, with the Zinger Squadron logo prominently featured.

“And we’re going to name it ‘Don’s Dream,’ in honor of his idea,” he added.

After the Parade of the Northwest, the Zingers are planning to enter their new plane in the Turkey Days Parade in Frazee next weekend, as well as Vergas’s Looney Daze Parade and the Wolf Lake Harvest Festival Parade, both in August.