STANDARD DATA: Seats 10. Gross wt. 23,000. Empty wt. 13,000. Fuel capacity 1,102. Engines two 4,315-lb. s.t. General Electric turbofans. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 563. Cruise mph 527. Stall mph 99. Initial climb rate 4,500. Range 1,938. Ceiling 45,000. Takeoff run (balanced) 4,900. Landing roll 2,525. |
As the North American Sabreliner, this executive jet bore a famous name. It actually began as a military utility transport aircraft and dates back to 1958. The commercial version emerged in 1963 as the Sabreliner. In its civilian form as an airliner and business jet, the Sabreliner ranks as medium sized. Its speed by jet standards is modest with a cruise of 489 knots. Because the Sabreliner was originally designed as a military T-39 and was designed to meet military specifications, it shows unmistakable signs of its origin. It is larger and more rugged and powerful than jets that have been designed solely for civilian use. The Sabreliner has excellent climb performance and a ceiling of 45,000 feet. Rockwell also built a Sabre 60 jet equipped with 3,300-lb.-thrust engines. Both the 74 and 60 models were fitted with thrust reversers to aid in shorter landings and assist in braking on icy or wet runways.
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