By the time of his retirement from active Air Force service in 1967, Francis S. "Gabby" Gabreski had flown more combat missions than any other American pilot. This highly decorated Polish-American pilot flew in both WWII and the Korean War, in planes as diverse as the Spitfire Mark IX, the P-47D Thunderbolt, and the F-86 Sabre.

This model fighter aircraft is resplendent in the markings of the USAAF's famous 61st Fighter Squadron of the 56th Fighter Group, with such delicate touches as a red-striped spinner. This incredibly detailed scale model shows fifteen German "victory marks" on the fuselage. In fact, "Gabby" was to reach thirty-one victories (28 aerial, and 3 on the ground) before he was shot down on 20 July1944, and forced to spend the rest of the war in a German POW camp. At the time this made him the highest scoring ace of the war, though several others were to surpass his tally by the end of WWII. Later, he also added another 6.5 victories during the Korean War.