Development of the Gas Turbine Engine Installation in the North American Aviation Sabreliner

The Sabreliner business aircraft is unique in that it is one of the first such aircraft to be powered by small gas turbine engines. Further, its military predecessor, the T-39A, is believed to be the first USAF aircraft to be designed and tested to FAA CAR 4b and to military requirements in many areas where these exceeded the FAA requirements. The gas turbine engine installation, as a result, was required to satisfactorily pass unusually comprehensive tests, as reviewed in this paper. The commercial Sabreliner gas turbine installation has benefited from this FAA/USAF scrutiny and from the many hours of T-39 aircraft military service that preceded its introduction.