T-41 Mescalero
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| T-41 Mescalero | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| Description | ||
| Role | Primary Pilot Trainer | |
| Crew | 1 or 2 | |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 26.92 ft | 8.21 m |
| Wingspan | 35.83 ft | 10.92 m |
| Height | 8.83 ft | 2.69 m |
| Wing area | 159 ft² | 14.77 m² |
| Weights | ||
| Empty | 1,363 lb | 618 kg |
| Loaded | 2,300 lb | 1,043 kg |
| Powerplant | ||
| Engines | One Continental IO-360-D (C variant) | |
| Power | 210 hp | 160 kW |
| Performance | ||
| Maximum speed | 144 mph | 232 km/h |
| Combat range | 720 mi | 1,158.7 km |
| Service ceiling | 17,000 ft (C) | 5,180 m |
| Rate of climb | 880 ft/min (C) | 268 m/min |
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.
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