Tillamook Air Museum: North American T-39 Sabreliner (photo diary)

by Ojibwa for Kossack Air Force

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Friday, Aug. 22, 2025 Friday, Aug. 22, 2025 at 7:15:19am PDT

The Tillamook Air Museum, housed in a World War II Navy Blimp Hanger in Tillamook, Oregon, has a North American T-39 Sabreliner.

According to the Museum:

“The T-39 Sabreliner was an American business jet that was developed by North American Aviation and used by the United States Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. Named the “Sabreliner” after similarities in design to that of the F-86 Sabre, the airplane was produced from 1959-1982 and was used extensively as an executive transport, for training, and as a cargo carrier. In total, approximately 800 Sabreliners were manufactured, of which over 200 were for United States military use (the remaining Sabreliners were used in the civilian market). The airplane requires a minimum flight crew of two and could carry up to seven passengers. Interestingly, the Sabreliner is the only business jet authorized for aerobatics and is used as a training platform for pilots to simulate real-world disaster and recovery scenarios.”

This aircraft has a top speed of 550 mph, a cruising speed of 500 mph, a range of 2,500 miles, and a service ceiling of 40,000 feet.

The Museum’s T-39 Sabreliner was built by North American Aviation in Inglewood, California and accepted by the United States Air Force on July 19, 1961. After logging a total of 9,869 hours, the aircraft was retired and later it was acquired by the Classic Aircraft Aviation Museum of Hillsboro which loaned it to the Tillamook Air Museum.