T-41 Mescalero

T-41 Mescalero
275px
The T-41 Mescalero
Type	Primary pilot trainer
Manufacturer	Cessna
Introduced	1964
Retired	1997
Primary users	United States Air Force United States Army
Developed from	Cessna 172

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.

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. In 1968, the Air Force acquired 52 more powerful T-41Cs for use at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

In 1996, the aircraft were further upgraded to the T-41D, which included an upgrade in avionics.

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 aerobatics training, which the T-41 was not capable of. 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 and further engine problems. The Air Force no longer trains non-fliers, so no longer has a replacement for this type.

Specifications (T-41C)

Data from Global Security

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: 2,300 lb (1,043 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)

Related content

Designation sequence

• T-38 - T-39 - T-40 - T-41 - T-42 - T-43 - T-44

See also

• Global Security: T-41 Mescalero