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DREAM MACHINES
- Aviation Features
- DREAM MACHINES
By LUIGINO CALIARO 11th May 2017
FEATURE
At Waukesha airport, Wisconsin, can be found two of the most famous jets from the Cold War era. In one of the main hangars, Paul Keppeler keeps a T-33 and now a superb F-86 Sabre
PAUL KEPPELER COLLECTION
Paul Keppeler flying his beautiful Canadair Sabre Mk6, N50CJ.
Ownerpilot Paul Keppeler has a background in the US Air Force transport aircraft community.
As with so many Sabre pilots through the ages, Paul Keppeler praises the aircraft’s handling qualities to the hilt.
Paul Keppeler has lived and breathed aviation since his youngest days. His father was a US Air Force F-89 Scorpion radar intercept officer and, wanting to be a pilot himself, Paul also enlisted in the USAF. He made a career as a C-130 Hercules pilot before moving to the civilian airline world. Now he is a Boeing 777 captain for Delta Air Lines, but in his free time he flies several warbirds, including a Cessna T-37 ‘Tweet’ owned by some friends.
His interest in aviation, and in particular the Cold War jet era, led Paul to form a small but exciting collection composed of a T-33 and an F-86E, both manufactured by the same firm. The ‘T-bird’ — in reality a CT-133 Silver Star — was built by Canadair in Cartierville, Québec, in April 1952 and delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force with serial 21579, later changed to 133579. It flew with the Canadian Forces until April 2002, when it was retired by its last operator, 434 Squadron at CFB Greenwood.
Paul bought the CT-133 from an auction that June. He discovered that the aircraft was in perfect flying condition, requiring only a general inspection, disarming of the ejection seats, installation of a civilian radio and application of US civil registration N433RD. He decided to maintain the Silver Star’s wraparound camouflage, including the markings of 439 Squadron. A fighter unit with a distinguished history, 439 flew CF-104 Starfighters and CF‑188s from West Germany during the Cold War.
Of the ‘T-bird’, Paul says: “It is a fantastic and relatively simple aircraft to operate, with excellent handling — no dark corners. The airplane flies honestly and smoothly throughout all flight regimes. The ailerons are hydraulically boosted and very sensitive; they take some gettingused- to for new T-33 pilots, who can be seen doing a ‘wing waggle’ during their first take-offs.
“The only issue is that, in manoeuvres, the pilot has to keep in mind that the centre of gravity is further aft than on many jets due to the design and engine location making it tail-heavy. Consequently, if the pilot doesn’t pay attention, especially during a vertical climb, the T-33 could depart controlled flight or mismanage a spin recovery. It will likely not recover nose-down, but instead a nose-over-tail ‘tumble’ can occur due to the aft CG. While the manoeuvre is alarming to a pilot, it can be recovered from easily and consistently so long as there is sufficient altitude. Recovery is by simply neutralising the controls and waiting for it to start flying nose-down again, which it will do every time. However, if elevator trim was left way nose-up — 13° or greater — this will cause the aircraft to pitch up abruptly during the high-speed recovery and stall, spin or tumble again. The altitude required for recovery is a minimum of 10,000-12,000ft and intentional tumbles should not be initiated below 20,000ft.”
The Sabre’s markings are those of F-86F 51-13361, the mount of Korean War ace Maj James Jabara during his service with the 435th Fighter Bomber Squadron.
“His interest in aviation, and in particular the Cold War jet era, led Paul Keppeler to form a small but exciting collection composed of a T-33 and an F-86E, both manufactured by the same firm”
In its late- Cold War Canadian Forces camouflage scheme, CT-133 Silver Star 133579/ N433RD cavorts for the camera.
Since the summer of 2016, Paul Keppeler has had in his airworthy collection another famous machine, a beautifully restored F-86 Sabre in a bright polished aluminium finish. It was built at Canadair’s Montréal plant as an F-86E Sabre Mk6 and served with the RCAF as serial 23700 before being transferred to the South African Air Force. There the Sabre was camouflaged and, serialled 381, was operated by 1 Squadron.
In November 1987, after a period on loan to the SAAF Museum, the aircraft was sold to Corporate Jets Inc of Scottsdale, Arizona. With US civil registration N50CJ and a white and blue colour scheme, it flew in Europe from the Royal Netherlands Air Force base at Soesterberg during the early 1990s as a target tug.
For this Sabre two-ship, Paul Keppeler’s Canadair-built mount was joined by F-86F 52-4986/ N188RL from the Warbird Heritage Foundation, as featured in the April issue.
Source:
Aeroplane
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