NAVY GETS LOOK AT PLANE; SABRELINER PROJECT AHEAD OF SCHEDULE

PERRYVILLE -- Navy and government officials had a look at the "new" modified T-39N jet aircraft here Friday.

The T-39Ns, to be used for the Undergraduate Naval Flight Officers (UNFO) training program at Pensacola, Fla., were rolled out of Sabreliner's maintenance and modification center at Perryville Municipal Airport.

"Today is a milestone day for Sabreliner," said F. Holmes Lamoreaux, chairman, chief executive officer and president of Sabreliner Corp., headquartered in St. Louis. "We're turning the first two out of a total of 17 planes over to the Navy, and we're doing it more than a month ahead of schedule."

On hand for the three-hour roll-out ceremony Friday were Navy and government officials, Missouri Gov. John Ashcroft, representatives of U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson's, Senators Kit Bond and John Danforth, and executives from a number of aerospace companies: Westinghouse Electric, AAI Corp., Tracor Flight Services Inc., Beech Aerospace Services Inc., and Southwest Research Inc. They all serve as sub-contractors in the training program.

Navy officials participating in the ceremony included Navy Commodore Jim Jones, commander of Training Wing 6 at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, and Dick Scott, UNFO program manager with Naval Air Systems Command in Washington, D.C.

Also on hand were Keith Hulsman, program manager for the UNFO program, with Tracor Flight Services, Mojave, Calif., which provided pilots for Friday's "fly-by," and for the training program; and Emmett Wheeler, Baltimore, Md., general manager of the Aero Space Division of Westinghouse, which provides the AP-66NT radar system, a modern version of the F-16 radar.

"When we received the Navy contract in March 1989, we agreed to have the training program in tact by September," said Lamoreaux. "We feel we'll be ready by Aug. 1, including the training of all instructors."

Sabreliner is the primary contractor for the full UNFO training system, which also includes ground-based air-to-air radar intercept simulators, air-to-ground radar navigation simulators and all logistics, maintenance and training support systems.

"The training program is a `turn-key' operation for the training program," said Lamoreaux.

The T-39N, a modified Sabreliner Model 40 business jet introduced in 1959, is one of the few twin-engine jets that is single-pilot capable.

"This is not the first time Sabreliner Model 40 will be used by the Navy," said Lamoreaux. "A modified version of the 40, which ultimately became the T-39D, was delivered to the Navy in 1965 and was used for training of naval flight officers."

The Navy purchased a total of 42 T-39Ds, which remained in service until 1986.

"Thousands of officers were trained on the aircraft," said Lamoreaux.

"We've completed 98 percent of all the work necessary to provide the initial training capability to the Navy by Aug. 1," said Lamoreux. "Only the training of pilot instructors and naval flight officer instructors remain to be completed over the next few weeks."

Sabreliner will provide UNFO services for the government during fiscal years 1991 through 1998, including a base five-year period and one-year option. The firm will deliver 15 additional T-39N planes to the Navy over the next 11 months.

He added that more than a dozen additional T-39Ns were in various stages of modification for phase-in to the UNFO program.

"This (UNFO) training system is a milestone for the Navy, too," said commander Jones. "Every one of our 600 flight officers will train on this aircraft. Every pilot will fly the T-39Ns at least 72 hours."

Jones told the group that UNFO is a critical military program.

"Our naval flight officers are jet-age navigators and weapons systems operators," said Jones. "They are an essential crew member in F-14, A-6 attack bombers, and S-3 carrier-based anti-submarine warfare aircraft.

"This UNFO training system marks the introduction of our UNFO students to actual flight training and flight environment," said Jones.

Gov. Ashcroft cited Sabreliner's growth as a "positive impact on employment in Missouri.

"At a time when the defense industry in our state has suffered cutbacks, Sabreliner has continued to grow," he said. "During the past year, the firm has honored Missouri and Ashcroft for its expansions and added employment."

The governor said the firm had added 200 employees since June of last year, bringing the total employment to 750.

"More than 60 percent of the company's employment is at Perryville," said Ashcroft. In the latest employment figures released by the firm, 488 persons were being employed at the Perryville center. Others worked in the St. Louis area.

Recently, Sabreliner rolled out another plane, and successfully conducted the first test flight of a structurally-enhanced U.S. Air Force T-37B trainer. The Air Force trainer plane, equipped with a Sabreliner Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) kit, was tested at the Perryville airport.

Sabreliner fabricated the structural modification kits, with engineering support from Southwest Research Inc. The SLEP kits will be installed on up to 644 Cessna T-37Bs, enabling the Air Force to fly the jet pilot trainers for at least another decade.

The company also has a major contract with the Army to rebuild Huey helicopter engines.

During the past 21 months, Sabreliner has won eight competitive government contracts totaling $400 million, including options. The firm also has modifications and refurbishment contracts with foreign governments, including Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico and Sweden.

Sabreliner dedicated a new engine test cell at the Perryville facility last August. The cell is the first non-military engine testing facility equipped with Howell Instrument Co.'s Automated Engine Data Acquisition Testing System It can test engine performance on a wide variety of turboshaft, turboprop, and turbojet engines.