Cessna T-41 Mescalero Explained

T-41 Mescalero
National Origin:	United States
First Flight:	Cessna 172 : June 12, 1955 Cessna 175 : April 23, 1956
Introduction:	1964
Status:	In service
Produced:	1964–1996
Number Built:	T-41A : 230 T-41B : 255 T-41C : 52 T-41D : 299

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.^[1] ^[2] 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 (itself a 172 derivative), 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 The single-engine piston T-41 entered service in the 1960s and was mostly withdrawn by the USAF by 1995, but some remain in limited military service today, and some military surplus examples are flown by civil owners.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

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. 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.^[1] ^[2]

The T-41B was the US Army version, with a 210hp Continental IO-360 engine and constant-speed propeller in place of the 145hp Continental O-300 and 7654 fixed-pitch propeller used in the 172 and the T-41A.^[3] ^[4] ^[5]

In 1968, the USAF acquired 52 of the more powerful T-41Cs, which used 210hp Continental IO-360 and a fixed-pitch climb propeller, for use at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA).^[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 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.^[2] ^[6]

Four T-41s remained at the Air Force Academy for the USAFA Flying Team, as well as to support certain academic classes.^[7]

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.^[3]

Variants

Variants of the T-41 other than the T-41A were built under the type certificate of the Cessna 175 Skylark.^[8] 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 Reims Aviation in France sold similar IO-360-powered models as the R172 Rocket and Hawk XP.^[9]

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. 230 built; 170 (172F), 26 (172G), and 34 (172H).

T-41B

United States Army version powered by a fuel-injected 2100NaN0 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).^[10]

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.

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). First T-41D delivered to the Philippine Air Force in 1968^[11]

Operators

Angolan Air Force (5× Cessna 172 in service)

Argentine Army Aviation (10× T-41D in service)

Bolivian Air Force

Chilean Air Force (10× T-41D, already retired)

Colombian Air Force (30× T-41D) - retired

Dominican Air Force (10× T-41D / R172),

Ecuadorian Air Force (8× T-41A, 12× T-41D)

Salvadoran Air Force^[12]

Hellenic Air Force (T-41A, 21× T-41D, retired^[13] ^[14])

Honduran Air Force (3× T-41B and 6× T-41D, retired)

Indonesian Air Force (55× T-41D)

Imperial Iranian Air Force (T-41D)

Khmer Air Force (22× T-41D).^[15]

Kingdom of Laos

Royal Lao Air Force (T-41B, T-41D)

Armed Forces of Liberia (T-41D)

Pakistani Air Force (T-41D)

Paraguayan Air Force (5× T-41B, retired)^[16]

Peruvian Air Force (25× T-41A)

Philippine Air Force (20× T-41D, acquired from South Korea in 2008)^[17]

Republic of Korea Air Force (15× T-41D)

Republic of Vietnam Air Force (22× T-41D, no longer in service)

Royal Thai Air Force (6× T-41D)
Royal Thai Army (6× T-41B)

Turkish Air Force (30× T-41D)^[18]
Turkish Land Forces (25× T-41D)^[18] ^[19]

United States Army (255× T-41B)
United States Air Force (211× T-41A and 52× T-41C)
Jacksonville Navy Flying Club/NAS Jacksonville, Florida - 2 x T-41A, 1 x T-41B (two currently airworthy)^[20]
Kirtland AFB Aeroclub/Kirtland AFB, New Mexico - 5 x T-41C (all 5 currently airworthy)^[21]
Patuxent River Navy Flying Club/NAS Patuxent River, Maryland - 3 x T-41C (1 currently airworthy)^[22]
Eglin AFB Aeroclub/Eglin AFB, FL - 2 x T-41A, 1 x T-41B (1 T-41A and 1 T-41B currently airworthy)^[23]
Travis AFB Aero Club/Travis AFB, CA - 1 x T-41C (currently airworthy)^[24]
Dover AFB Aero Club/Dover AFB, DE - 2 x T-41A, 1x T-41C (currently airworthy)^[25]

Uruguayan Air Force (7× T-41D)

Aircraft on display

United States

65-5168 – T-41A on static display in the airpark at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma.^[26]
65-5226 – T-41 on static display at Randolph Air Force Base, Universal City, Texas. It is on display in park area adjacent to Randolph Inn Visiting Officers Quarters (VOQ) / Distinguished Visiting Officers Quarters (DVOQ) along with other historical ATC and AETC aircraft.
65-5251 – T-41A on static display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.^[27] This aircraft was previously assigned to the United States Air Force Academy inventory.
67-14977 – T-41A on static display as part of the Officer Training School complex at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.^[28] ^[29]

References

Bibliography

Book: Hagedorn, Daniel P. . Central American and Caribbean Air Forces . 1993 . Tonbridge, Kent, UK . Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd . 0-85130-210-6.
Book: Shiel . Walt . Forsgren . Jan . Little . Michael . T-41 Mescalero: The Military Cessna 172 . 2006 . Slipdown Mountain Publications . Lake Linden, Michigan, USA . 978-0-9746553-3-8 .

Notes and References

Web site: T-41A/C Mescalero. 2008-05-13. Pike. John. April 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20080514113909/http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/t-41.htm. 2008-05-14. live.
Web site: Broad Area Review of the Enhanced Flight Screening Program . 2008-05-13 . United States Air Force . United States Air Force . March 1998 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080411071652/http://www.af.mil/library/posture/t3bar.asp . 2008-04-11 . dead .
Taylor, John: Jane's Pocket Book of Military Transport and Training Aircraft, page 67. Macmillan Publishing Inc., 1974. Library of Congress 73-15288
Krivinyi, Nikolaus: World Military Aviation, page 148. Arco Publishing Co, 1977.
Web site: T-41B. 2008-05-13. WarbirdFlight.Net. 2007. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090821062509/http://warbirdflight.net/The%20T-41B.html. 2009-08-21.
Web site: T-3A Firefly. 2008-05-13. Pike. John. September 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20080514114219/http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/t-3.htm. 2008-05-14. live.
Web site: United States Air Force Academy Aircraft. 2008-05-13. USAFA. https://web.archive.org/web/20080405195441/http://www.usafa.edu/flash/aircraftViewer/index.htm. 2008-04-05. live.
Web site: . March 2003 . Type certificate data sheet no. 3A17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110608055447/http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgMakeModel.nsf/0/eb424056528d21d8862572de0072869f/$FILE/3A17.pdf . 2011-06-08 . 2024-06-06.
Web site: Kinney . Scott . Cessna Flyer Association - Big-airplane Features for a Small-airplane Price: The Cessna 175 . Cessna Flyer Association . cessnaflyer.org . December 2, 2024.
Phillips, Edward H: Wings of Cessna, Model 120 to the Citation III, Flying Books, 1986.
Sheil/Forsgren/Little 1976, p. 76
Hagedorn 1993, pp. 87, 92–93.
Web site: Tecnam Completes Delivery Of 12 Trainer Aircraft To The Hellenic Air Force Tecnam . 28 October 2019 . 18 June 2019 . 28 October 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191028235718/https://www.tecnam.com/gb/news-gb/tecnam-completes-delivery-of-12-trainer-aircraft-to-the-hellenic-air-force/ . dead .
Schymura . Jens . New Greek trainers . . June 2019 . 96 . 6 . 9 . 0306-5634.
Web site: Khmer Air Force History. aeroflight.co.uk. 6 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304113948/http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/aa-eastasia/cambodia/cam-af-history2.htm. 4 March 2016. live.
Web site: Paraguayan Air Force. aeroflight.co.uk . 18 January 2021.
Web site: Air Force acquires 15 planes. 2008-09-15. Araneta. Macon Ramos. August 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20090415193017/http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=politics1_aug15_2008. 2009-04-15. live.
Sheil/Forsgren/Little 1976, pp. 91-92
Web site: World Air Forces 2013 . 2014-04-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131102174152/http://www.flightglobal.com/airspace/media/reports_pdf/world-air-forces-2013-101015.aspx . 2013-11-02 . live .
Web site: Aircraft . Jax Navy Flying Club . 2012-11-05 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121007010442/http://www.jaxnfc.net/index_Page374.htm . 2012-10-07 .
Web site: Cessna T-41C | Kirtland Flight Center. 2017-12-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20171228112307/http://kirtlandflightcenter.org/?page_id=151. 2017-12-28. live.
Web site: Aircraft . 2009-08-05 . Patuxent River Navy Flying Club . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090404054915/http://www.navair.navy.mil/nawcad/flyingclub/aircraft2.htm . April 4, 2009 .
(Web site: Aircraft. Eglin Aero Club. 2011-02-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20100925045615/http://www.eglinaeroclub.com/aircraft.aspx. 2010-09-25. live.
(Web site: Aircraft/Rates. Travis Aero Club. 2011-04-30. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110425161702/http://www.travisaeroclub.com/index_files/aircraft.htm. 2011-04-25.
(Web site: Aero Club Brochure.
Web site: Gross. Tyler. Construction of Vance's air park nears completion. Vance Air Force Base. 30 August 2016. Oklahoma. August 25, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20160914162555/http://www.vance.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/3156/Article/370827/construction-of-vances-air-park-nears-completion.aspx. 14 September 2016. live.
Web site: Cessna T-41A Mescalero. National Museum of the US Air Force. 30 August 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161122185939/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/MuseumExhibits/FactSheets/Display/tabid/509/Article/198032/cessna-t-41a-mescalero.aspx. 22 November 2016. live.
Web site: Kimberly. Wright. OTS salutes heritage with T-41 display. Maxwell Air Force Base. 30 August 2016. Alabama. October 29, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20160914212803/http://www.maxwell.af.mil/News/Display/tabid/10067/Article/420761/ots-salutes-heritage-with-t-41-display.aspx. 14 September 2016. live.
Web site: Maxwell AFB, AL T-41 OTS Display. Warbird Information Exchange. phpBB Group. 30 August 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160922190618/http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=449765. 22 September 2016. live.