After the Second World War, it was evident that jet fighter aircraft would be vital to Canadian defence forces. The North American F-86 Sabre was chosen, but it was decided that the Sabres would be built in Canada by Canadair in Montreal. By the spring of 1951, the Sabre entered RCAF service and equipped RCAF squadrons based in both Canada and Europe.

Despite the importance of the Sabre to the forces, the Canadian public best remembers the Sabre as the aircraft of the RCAF Golden Hawks aerobatic team. The Golden Hawks gave exciting air show displays in the 1960s. The Sabre was retired from fighter operations in 1963, but was used in other roles till 1968.

The Museum’s F-86 was assigned to RCAF Air Defence Command’s No. 1(F) Operational Training Unit at RCAF Station Chatham, New Brunswick on the 12th of May, 1954. Although not officially disbanded until the 10th of July 1962, No. 1(F) OTU had effectively been replaced by the Sabre Conversion Unit which was also known as the Sabre Transition Unit. Sabre 23257 was transferred to AMDU’s detachment at Mountain View on the 17th of January, 1969. It was then assigned to Training Command’s Canadian Forces Air Trades School at CFB Borden, Ontario in June, 1969 where it was converted to an ‘Instructional Airframe’. It has been restored and repainted to reflect how it appeared on the ramp at Chatham in 1960.