North American T-39D Sabreliner

North American T-39D Sabreliner. . , Naval Flight Officer Training The civilian Sabreliner is a late-1950s-era business jet with wings based on those of the F-86 Sabre jet liner. In the early 1960s, the U.S. Navy converted a number of Sabreliners into T-39 aircraft for the purpose of training Naval Flight Officers (NFOs). NFOs are not pilots. Rather, they operate mission systems in multi-space naval aircraft, including radar, bombing, countermeasures, and navigation equipment. Over the last 50 years, T-39s of several versions have been operated by the Navy's Training Command, and the type remains in use there today., Our Display Aircraft Bureau Number 150987 is a one-of-a-kind T-39. Accepted by the Navy on 12 August 1964, it served as an NFO trainer until 1977. In August of that year, PRNAM's T-39 was fitted with an F/A-18 nose, radar, and engineering crew stations. Thus equipped, it supported F/A-18 radar development and flight testing at NAS Patuxent River and the Naval Weapons Center (China Lake, CA). In September 1988, our T-39 was transferred to the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School as NAS Patuxent River to train students in evaluating radar systems. Upon its last flight on 14 July 1989, our T-39 had logged 6,735.4 flight hours and 4,282 landings (including one belly landing when the landing gear failed to extend). It was transferred to PRNAM in May 1994.,

. Primary Mission: Naval Flight Officer and Radar Operator training , . Crew: One Pilot, 1 or 2 instructors, 2 or 3 students , . U.S. Service Timeline (T-39 Series): 1963 - present , . Max. Gross Weight: 18,650 lb , . Dimensions: 43.7 ft length, 44.6 ft wing span , . Propulsion: Two Pratt and Whitney J60-P-3 Turbojet engines , . Max Operating Speed: ~400 MPH (sea level) , . Armament: None

, This aircraft is on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola, Florida . . This historical marker was erected by Patuxent River Naval Air Museum. It is in Lexington Park in St. Mary's County Maryland