Cessna T-37 Tweet

Cessna · United States · first flew 1954 · fighter

The Cessna T-37 Tweet was the USAF's primary jet trainer for more than five decades, notable for its side-by-side seating arrangement and twin turbojet engines buried in the wing roots. It introduced student pilots to jet flight before they moved on to the T-38.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, straight
E — Engines	2 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	8.92 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Side-by-side seating primary jet trainer
Twin turbojets embedded in wing roots
High-pitched engine note earned 'Tweet' nickname

Compact straight-wing jet trainer with two small intake ovals at the wing roots, side-by-side cockpit under a rounded canopy, and a broad chord straight wing.

Specifications

The Cessna T-37 Tweet has a length of 8.92 m (29 ft).
It has a wingspan of 10.3 m (34 ft).
Its maximum speed is 685 km/h (426 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in October 1954, the T-37 entered USAF service in 1957 and eventually equipped the air forces of numerous US allies under Military Assistance Programs. Production totalled around 1,269 aircraft across several variants.

Variants

The T-37A was the initial production model; the T-37B added improved avionics and engines. The A-37 Dragonfly was a heavily modified ground-attack variant used extensively in Vietnam.

Where you'll see it

Served with the USAF until 2009 when replaced by the T-6 Texan II; widely exported to South American, Asian, and Middle Eastern air forces, many of which kept it in service well into the 2000s.

Related aircraft

AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 5,024 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.