North American F-86D Saber Dog
Saber version D was created by installing radar in the nose of the F-86A fighter, more modern electronic equipment, as well as a new and more powerful engine. The prototype took off on December 22, 1949, and was mass-produced until 1955. It was the first fighter plane in history to have no guns but only missile weapons and the first fighter-interceptor equipped with radar and had one crew member.
The first examples of the “Nosy Saber”, as it is unofficially called, were given to the Yugoslav Air Force in 1961. It was the first fighter plane with a aiming radar and an engine with an additional combustion chamber in our country. We have acquired 130 planes, of which 30 were immediately decommissioned for spare parts.
The first unit to operationally use this type of aircraft was the 117th Fighter Regiment. In Yugoslavia, 29 Sabers were converted into IF-86D reconnaissance by installing three aerial cameras.
They were withdrawn from use in 1974, when the Saber, which is on permanent display, was handed over to the Museum.
