- Cessna T-41 Mescalero
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This article is about the piston-engined military trainer. For the sailplane of the same name, see Applebay GA-111 Mescalero.
T-41 Mescalero 
The T-41 Mescalero Role Primary pilot trainer National origin United States Manufacturer Cessna Introduction 1964 Status Active Primary users United States Air Force
United States Army
Royal Thai Air Force
Royal Thai ArmyDeveloped from Cessna 172 The Cessna T-41 Mescalero is a military version of the popular Cessna 172 used by the United States Air Force and Army as well as the armed forces of various other countries as a pilot training aircraft.[1][2]
Contents
Design and development
In 1964, the US Air Force decided to use the off-the-shelf Cessna 172 as a preliminary flight screener for pilot candidates and ordered 237 T-41As from Cessna.[1][2]
The T-41B was the US Army version, with a 210 hp (160 kW) Continental IO-360 and constant-speed propeller in place of the 145 hp (108 kW) Continental O-300 and 7654 fixed-pitch propeller used in the 172 and the T-41A.[3][4][5]
In 1968, the US Air Force acquired 52 more powerful T-41Cs, which used 210 hp (160 kW) Continental IO-360 and a fixed pitch climb propeller, for use at the Air Force Academy (USAFA) in Colorado Springs.[1][2]
In 1996, the aircraft were further upgraded to the T-41D, which included an upgrade in avionics[1] and to a constant-speed propeller.
Beginning in 1993, the United States Air Force replaced much of the T-41 fleet with the Slingsby T-3A Firefly for the flight screening role, and for aerobatic training, which was outside the design capabilities of the T-41. The T-3A fleet was indefinitely grounded in 1997 and scrapped in 2006 following a series of fatal accidents at the United States Air Force Academy.[2][6]
The Air Force now trains through a civilian contract with DOSS Aviation known as Initial Military Flight Screening which makes use of the Diamond DA20.[7]
A number of USAF Academy T-41 were eventually distributed to various USAF Aero Clubs. Some of these aircraft developed structural cracks, forcing their grounding.[citation needed]
Three T-41s remain at the Air Force Academy in order to support certain academic classes as well as the USAFA Flying Team.[8]
A number of air forces, including Saudi Arabia and Singapore, purchased various civilian models of the Cessna 172 for use in the military training, transport and liaison roles. While similar to the T-41, these aircraft were not T-41s and were powered by the standard 172 powerplants available in the model year purchased. These included the 145 hp (108 kW) Continental O-300 in pre-1968 aircraft and the 150 and 160 hp (120 kW) Lycoming O-320 in later 172s.[3]
Variants
- T-41A
- United States Air Force version of the Cessna 172F for undergraduate pilot training, powered by 145 hp Continental O-300,[3] 211 built.
- T-41B
- United States Army version of the Cessna R172E for training and liaison duties, powered by 210 hp Continental IO-360,[4] 255 built.[5]
- T-41C
- A version of the T-41B for use by the USAF Academy, powered by 210 hp Continental IO-360,[4] 52 built.
- T-41D
- A version of the T-41B for export under the Military Aid Program with 28V electrical system and simplified equipment, powered by 210 hp Continental IO-360,[4] 238 built.
Operators
Military operators
- Angolan Air Force (5× Cessna 172 in service)
- Argentine Army Aviation (10× T-41D in service)[4]
- Bolivian Air Force[4]
- Chilean Air Force (10× T-41D, already retired)
- Colombian Air Force (30× T-41D)[3][4]
- Dominican Air Force (10× T-41D / R172),[4] retired[citation needed]
- Ecuadorian Air Force (8× T-41A,[3][4] 12× T-41D)
- Salvadoran Air Force
- Hellenic Air Force (T-41A, 21× T-41D)[4]
- Honduran Air Force (3× T-41B and 6× T-41D, retired)[4]
- Indonesian Air Force (55× T-41D)
- Imperial Iranian Air Force (T-41D)[4]
- Royal Laotian Air Force (T-41B, T-41D)[4]
- Armed Forces of Liberia (T-41D)[4]
- Pakistani Air Force (T-41D)[4]
- Paraguayan Air Force (5× T-41B)
- Peruvian Air Force (25× T-41A[3][4] in 1967, 40 x T-41D in 1974)[citation needed]
- Philippine Air Force (20× T-41D)[4][9]
- Republic of Korea Air Force (15× T-41D)[4][9]
- Vietnam Air Force (22× T-41D, no longer in service)
- Royal Thai Air Force (6× T-41D)
- Turkish Air Force (25× T-41D)[4]
- United States Army (255× T-41B)[3]
- United States Air Force (211× T-41A and 52× T-41C)[3]
- Fort Meade Flying Activity - 3 T-41C (all 3 currently airworthy)[10]
- Holloman AFB Aeroclub - 4 T-41C (2 currently airworthy)[citation needed]
- Kirtland AFB Aeroclub - 5 T-41C (all 5 currently airworthy)[11]
- Patuxent River Navy Flying Club - 3 T-41C (1 currently airworthy)[12]
- Eglin AFB Aeroclub - 2 T-41A, 1 T-41B (1 T-41A and 1 T-41B currently airworthy)[13]
- Travis AFB Aero Club - 1 T-41C (currently airworthy)[14]
- Uruguayan Air Force (7× T-41D)
Aircraft on display
- Lone Star Flight Museum, Texas - T-41B Mescalero on display and in operation[15]
- Vance AFB, Oklahoma - 1 T-41A on static display in the airpark[16]
South Korea
- T-41B on display at the War Memorial of Korea, Seoul.[citation needed]
Specifications (T-41C)
Data from Global Security[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1-2
- Length: 26 ft 11 in (8.21 m)
- Wingspan: 35 ft 10 in (10.92 m)
- Height: 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m)
- Wing area: 159 ft² (14.8 m²)
- Empty weight: 1,363 lb (618 kg)
- Loaded weight: 2,500 lb (1,134 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Continental IO-360-D, 210 hp (160 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 125 knots (144 mph, 232 km/h)
- Range: 626 nm (720 mi, 1,159 km)
- Service ceiling: 17,000 ft (5,180 m)
- Rate of climb: 880 ft/min (4.47 m/s)
References
- ^ a b c d e Pike, John (April 2005). "T-41A/C Mescalero". http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/t-41.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-13.
- ^ a b c d United States Air Force (March 1998). "Broad Area Review of the Enhanced Flight Screening Program". Archived from the original on 2008-04-11. http://web.archive.org/web/20080411071652/http://www.af.mil/library/posture/t3bar.asp. Retrieved 2008-05-13.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Taylor, John: Jane's Pocket Book of Military Transport and Training Aircraft, page 67. MacMillian Publishing Inc, 1974. Library of Congress 73-15288
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Krivinyi, Nikolaus: World Military Aviation, page 148. Arco Publishing Co, 1977. ISBN 0-668-04348-2
- ^ a b WarbirdFlight.Net (2007). "T-41B". http://warbirdflight.net/The%20T-41B.html. Retrieved 2008-05-13.
- ^ Pike, John (September 2006). "T-3A Firefly". http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/t-3.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-13.
- ^ DOSS Aviation (2007). "About Doss IFS". http://www.dossifs.com/. Retrieved 2008-05-13.
- ^ USAFA (undated). "United States Air Force Academy Aircraft". http://www.usafa.edu/flash/aircraftViewer/index.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-13.
- ^ a b Araneta, Macon Ramos (August 2008). "Air Force acquires 15 planes". http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=politics1_aug15_2008. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
- ^ Niles, Rick (undated). "Our Fleet". http://www.fmfa.org/planes_starter.html. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
- ^ "Kirtland Flight Center Aircraft". http://kirtlandflightcenter.org/club/planes.html#t41. Retrieved 2010-12-22.
- ^ Patuxent River Navy Flying Club (undated). "Aircraft". http://www.navair.navy.mil/nawcad/flyingclub/Aircraft2.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-05.[dead link]
- ^ ( Eglin Aero Club (undated). "Aircraft". http://www.eglinaeroclub.com/Aircraft.aspx. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
- ^ ( Travis Aero Club (undated). "Aircraft/Rates". http://www.travisaeroclub.com/index_files/aircraft.htm. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
- ^ Lone Star Flight Museum (2009). "T-41 Mescalero Photo Gallery". http://www.lonestarflight.org/t41mescalero/index.html. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
- ^ Vance Air Force Base (16 August 2010). "Construction of Vance's air park nears completion". http://www.vance.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123219237. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
External links
See also
- Related development
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
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