T-41 Mescalero

infobox Aircraft
name=T-41 Mescalero
type=Primary pilot trainer
manufacturer=Cessna


caption=The T-41 Mescalero
designer=
first flight=
introduced=1964
retired=1997
status=
primary user=United States Air Force
more users=United States Army Royal Thai Air Force Royal Thai Army
produced=
number built=
unit cost=
developed from=Cessna 172
variants with their own articles=

The T-41 Mescalero is a military version of the popular Cessna 172 used by the United States Air Force and the United States Army as a pilot training aircraft. cite web|url = http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/t-41.htm|title = T-41A/C Mescalero |accessdate = 2008-05-13|last = Pike|first = John|authorlink = |year = 2005|month = April] cite web|url = http://www.af.mil/library/posture/t3bar.asp|title = Broad Area Review of the Enhanced Flight Screening Program|accessdate = 2008-05-13|last = United States Air Force|authorlink = |year = 1998|month = March]

Design and development

In 1964, the 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.

The T-41B was the US Army version, with a 210 hp Continental IO-360 and constant-speed propeller in place of the 145 hp Continental O-300 and 7654 fixed-pitch propeller used in the 172 and the T-41A.Taylor, John: "Jane's Pocket Book of Military Transport and Training Aircraft", page 67. MacMillian Publishing Inc, 1974. Library of Congress 73-15288] Krivinyi, Nikolaus: "World Military Aviation", page 148. Arco Publishing Co, 1977. ISBN 0-668-04348-2] cite web|url = http://warbirdflight.net/The%20T-41B.html|title = T-41B|accessdate = 2008-05-13|last = WarbirdFlight.Net|authorlink = |year = 2007]

In 1968, the Air Force acquired 52 more powerful T-41Cs, which used 210 hp Continental IO-360 and a fixed pitch climb propeller, for use at the Air Force Academy (USAFA) in Colorado Springs.

In 1996, the aircraft were further upgraded to the T-41D, which included an upgrade in avionics 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. cite web|url = http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/t-3.htm|title = T-3A Firefly |accessdate = 2008-05-13|last = Pike|first = John|authorlink = |year = 2006|month = September]

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. cite web|url = http://www.dossifs.com/|title = About Doss IFS|accessdate = 2008-05-13|last = DOSS Aviation|authorlink = |year = 2007]

Three T-41s remain at the Air Force Academy in order to support certain academic classes as well as the USAFA Flying Team. cite web|url = http://www.usafa.edu/flash/aircraftViewer/index.htm|title = United States Air Force Academy Aircraft|accessdate = 2008-05-13|last = USAFA|authorlink = |year = undated]

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 Continental O-300 in pre-1968 aircraft and the 150 and 160 hp Lycoming O-320 in later 172s.

Variants

;T-41A:United States Air Force version of the Cessna 172F for undergraduate pilot training, powered by 145 hp Continental O-300, 211 built.;T-41B:United States Army version of the Cessna R172E for training and liaison duties, powered by 210 hp Continental IO-360, 255 built.;T-41C:A version of the T-41B for use by the USAF Academy, powered by 210 hp Continental IO-360, 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, 238 built.

Operators

Military operators

;CHI
*Chilean Air Force (10 x T-41D, already retired);COL
*Colombian Air Force (30 x T-41D);ECU
*Ecuadorian Air Force (12 x T-41D);ESA
*Salvadoran Air Force;GRE
*Hellenic Air Force (21 x T-41D);HON
*Honduran Air Force (9 x T-41A);PER
*Peruvian Air Force (T-41A);PHI
*Philippine Air Force (20 x T-41D) cite web|url = http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=politics1_aug15_2008|title = Air Force acquires 15 planes|accessdate = 2008-09-15|last = Araneta|first = Macon Ramos|authorlink = |year = 2008|month = August] ;ROK
*Republic of Korea Air Force (15 x T-41D);THA
*Royal Thai Air Force (6 x T-41D);TUR
*Turkish Air Force (25 x T-41D);USA
*United States Army (255 x T-41B)
*United States Air Force (211 x T-41A and 52 x T-41C);URY
*Uruguayan Air Force (7 x T-41D)

pecifications (T-41C)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref=Global Security
crew=1-2
length main=26 ft 11 in
length alt=8.21 m
span main=35 ft 10 in
span alt=10.92 m
height main=8 ft 10 in
height alt=2.69 m
area main=159 ft²
area alt=14.8 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main=1,363 lb
empty weight alt=618 kg
loaded weight main=2,300 lb
loaded weight alt=1,043 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (jet)=
type of jet=
number of jets=
thrust main=
thrust alt=
thrust original=
afterburning thrust main=
afterburning thrust alt=
engine (prop)=Continental IO-360-D
type of prop=
number of props=1
power main=210 hp
power alt=160 kW
power original=
max speed main=125 knots
max speed alt=144 mph, 232 km/h
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main=626 nm
range alt=720 mi, 1,159 km
ceiling main=17,000 ft
ceiling alt=5,180 m
climb rate main=880 ft/min
climb rate alt=4.47 m/s
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=

armament=

avionics=

References

External links

* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/t-41.htm Global Security: T-41 Mescalero]

ee also

aircontent
related=
* Cessna 170
* Cessna 172
* O-1 Bird Dog

similar aircraft=
* CT-134 Musketeer
* Slingsby T-3 Firefly
* PAC CT/4

lists=
see also=