Cessna T-41 Mescalero

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The Cessna T-41 Mescalero is a military version of the popular Cessna 172, operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) and Army, as well as the armed forces of various other countries as a pilot-training aircraft.<ref name="Global">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="USAF">Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Better source needed The T-41A, used by the USAF for introductory training of pilot candidates with little or no flying experience, was a commercial off-the-shelf 172 with few modifications. Upgraded versions of the T-41 with more powerful engines and more specialized equipment were based on the Cessna 175 derivative of the 172, including the T-41B for the Army, T-41C for the USAF Academy, and the T-41D for the U.S. Military Aid Program. The single-engine piston T-41 entered service in the 1960s and was mostly withdrawn by the USAF by 1995, but some remain in limited military service today, and some military surplus examples are flown by civil owners.

Design and development

File:Cessna T-41B Mescalero U.S. Army serial 67-15000.jpg
The first production Cessna R172E operating as a T-41B Mescalero with the US Army

In 1964, the US Air Force (USAF) decided to use the commercial off-the-shelf Cessna 172F as a lead-in aircraft for student pilots rather than starting them out in the T-37 jet aircraft. The USAF ordered 237 T-41As from Cessna.Template:Efn The first USAF class (67-A) of students began training on the T-41 from the civilian airport in Big Spring, Texas, in August 1965.<ref name="Global"/><ref name="USAF"/>Template:Better source needed

The T-41B was the US Army version, with a Template:Convert Continental IO-360 engine and constant-speed propeller in place of the Template:Convert Continental O-300 and 7654 fixed-pitch propeller used in the 172 and the T-41A.<ref name="Taylor">Taylor, John: Jane's Pocket Book of Military Transport and Training Aircraft, page 67. Macmillan Publishing Inc., 1974. Library of Congress 73-15288</ref><ref name="Krivinyi">Krivinyi, Nikolaus: World Military Aviation, page 148. Arco Publishing Co, 1977. Template:ISBN</ref><ref name="WarbirdFlight">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1968, the USAF acquired 52 of the more powerful T-41Cs, which used Template:Convert Continental IO-360 and a fixed-pitch climb propeller, for use at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA).<ref name="Global"/><ref name="USAF"/>Template:Better source needed

In 1996, the aircraft were further upgraded to the T-41D, which included an upgrade in avionics<ref name="Global"/>Template:Better source needed and to a constant-speed propeller.

Beginning in 1993, the USAF replaced many 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.<ref name="USAF"/><ref name="GlobalT3">Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Better source needed

Four T-41s remained at the Air Force Academy for the USAFA Flying Team, as well as to support certain academic classes.<ref name="USAFA">Template:Cite web</ref>

A number of air forces, including Saudi Arabia and Singapore, purchased various civilian models of the Cessna 172 for use in military training, transport, and liaison roles. While similar to the T-41 and named as such, these aircraft were not actually T-41s from a technical standpoint and were powered by the standard 172 powerplants available in the model year purchased, including the Continental O-300 in pre-1968 aircraft and the Lycoming O-320 in later 172s.<ref name="Taylor"/>

Variants

File:Cessna T-41A Mescalero USAF.jpg
USAF T-41A
File:Seongmu AF Academy15031 T-031 T-41B 212 FTS AFA RoK (3097694947).jpg
Cessna T-41B of the Republic of Korea

Variants of the T-41 other than the T-41A were built under the type certificate of the Cessna 175 Skylark.<ref name="3A17">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=cessnaflyer/> The 175 was a close derivative of the 172 and most parts aft of the firewall are interchangeable. The controversial Continental GO-300 engine from the civil 175 was never used in the T-41; the T-41B through D instead used the Continental IO-360. Cessna never offered a civil model directly analogous to these aircraft, but Cessna licensee Reims Aviation in France sold similar IO-360-powered models as the R172 Rocket and Hawk XP.<ref name=cessnaflyer>Template:Cite web</ref>

T-41A
United States Air Force version of the Cessna 172F, 172G, and 172H for undergraduate pilot training, powered by 145 hp Continental O-300.<ref name="Taylor" /> 230 built; 170 (172F), 26 (172G), and 34 (172H).<ref name="Phillips" />Template:Efn
T-41B
United States Army version powered by a fuel-injected Template:Convert Continental IO-360-D or -DE driving a constant-speed propeller and featuring a 28V electrical system, jettisonable doors, an openable right front window, a 6.00x6 nose wheel tire, and military avionics. The baggage door was removed. 255 built (all Model R172E).<ref name="Krivinyi" /><ref name="WarbirdFlight" /><ref name="3A17" /><ref name="Phillips">Phillips, Edward H: Wings of Cessna, Model 120 to the Citation III, Flying Books, 1986. Template:ISBN</ref>
T-41C
USAF Academy version with a 14V electrical system, fixed-pitch propeller, civilian avionics, and only the two front seats. 52 total built; 45 as the R172E and 7 as the R172F.<ref name="Krivinyi" /><ref name="3A17" /><ref name="Phillips" />
T-41D
Military Aid Program version with 28V electrical system, four seats, corrosion-proofing, reinforced flaps and ailerons, a baggage door, and provisions for wing-mounted pylons. 299 total built; 34 as the R172E, 74 as the R172F, 28 as the R172G, and 163 as the R172H (with extended tail fillet).<ref name="Krivinyi" /><ref name="3A17" /><ref name="Phillips" /> First T-41D delivered to the Philippine Air Force in 1968<ref name="t41-76">Sheil/Forsgren/Little 1976, p. 76</ref>
B.F.14
(Template:Langx) Royal Thai Armed Forces designation for the T-41D.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Operators

File:AE-054@FDO 05NOV09 (6950716252).jpg
Argentine Army Cessna T-41D Mescalero
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File:T-41DM FAP.jpg
T-41DM of Peru
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File:USAFA Flying Team T-41D.jpg
T-41D of the USAFA Flying Team
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Aircraft on display

File:110-9V-BEU (15355089308).jpg
Singapore T-41 on display at museum
Philippines
Singapore
United States

Specifications (T-41C)

File:Continental IO360D.JPG
Continental IO-360-D 6-cylinder engine

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See also

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References

Notes

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Citations

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Bibliography

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