Rockwell Collins has decided to bid adieu to its well traveled and much beloved North American Sabreliner 50 avionics test bed, an airplane the company has owned since 1976. The airplane has been used over the decades for testing a variety of groundbreaking avionics developments, including early satellite communications, radio altimeters, the first Mode-S transponder, the company’s cutting-edge Pro Line 4 avionics system, as well as various FMS, radar, autopilot and approach system hardware.
The test airplane was a body double for the Beech Starship during development of that innovative airplane’s equally cutting-edge avionics system. Considering its significance in aviation history, the Sabreliner’s final destination is a fitting one.
