Flyhistorisk Museum Sola · Military aircraft
North American F-86F Sabre
The F-86 Sabre was the first American fighter with swept wings and tail surfaces. The prototype flew in 1947; the improved F-86F flew in 1951 and was soon in action in the Korean War, where it did well in air combat against the Soviet MiG-15. Over 9,800 were built, including a carrier-based variant. The Royal Norwegian Air Force received 116 in all; the first landed at Rygge in 1957, replacing the Thunderjet. It was the first aircraft in Norway to break the sound barrier — in a dive, admittedly. It was used mainly with rockets and bombs against ground targets. The aircraft were upgraded in the late 1950s, but by the late 1960s cracks appeared in the fuselage and new aircraft were wanted; the last were withdrawn in 1967. Several went on to Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Portugal. The museum's example came to Norway in 1957 but flew only one hour before it was found to have fuselage distortion after excessive G-loading.
