Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000 20:32:55 -0500
From: Alan Harris (email address removed)
Organization: Sabreliner Corporation
To: aviophile
Subject: Tidbits for your Reference Database
(some headers removed)

Hi,

I don't know if you are actively seeking nuggets of info to fill in
blanks in your "Turbine and Rocket Engine" database, but here they are
anyway:

For the "Liquid Rocket" section:

The LR64 was (and is) a very small two-chamber rocket engine used to
power the US Navy's AQM-37 target missile.  It was originally produced
by Rocketdyne in their plant in Neosho, MO (late 50's, early 60's).
Then production was taken over by, of all companies, Harley Davidson
(yes, the motorcycle guys) in York, PA.  Harley finally got tired of it
last year and production has been assumed by my company, Sabreliner
Corporation--which is how I happen to know something about it.

It's something of a homecoming in that Sabreliner now owns the plant in
Neosho which originally produced the engines.  Although we now
specialize there in aircraft turbine engine overhauls, the idea of a
former product "coming home" had enough appeal to make us take on the
little rockets.

In the time between Rocketdyne relinquishing the Neosho plant and our
acquisition of it in 1992, the plant was operated by, in sequence,
Continental Aircraft Engines, Teledyne CAE, and Teledyne Neosho.

We are starting a production run of rockets now for Raytheon Aircraft
Company, who has a Navy contract to build some AQM-37's.  For reasons
which I have never fully understood, the LR64 nomenclature has recently
been dropped and the new name is "RM 6599", but it's the same engine.


For the "Turbojet" section:

If you want to add another user of the J85 engine, the North American
prototype for the T-39/Sabreliner series of aircraft used two prototype
YJ85's, derated to 2250 lb thrust.  The prototype was called the UTX and
was type number NA246.  First flight was on 9/16/58.  Somehow Pratt got
their foot in the door after that, and the military and commercial
models which sprang directly from the UTX (T-39A/B/D and Sabre 40) had
the J60/JT12 engine.

Cheers,
Al Harris
Director, Product Development
Sabreliner Corporation