ENAER T-35 Pillán
ENAER · Chile · first flew 1981 · light aircraft
The ENAER T-35 Pillán is a Chilean single-engine, two-seat military basic trainer with tandem seating, derived from a Piper design.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Low tapered wing, tandem cockpit
- Single nose piston engine
- Military trainer canopy
Look for the low, gently tapered wing, a stepped tandem two-seat canopy, and a single nose-mounted piston engine with a conventional tail. Its trainer proportions and bubble-style canopy set it apart from touring light aircraft.
Specifications
- The ENAER T-35 Pillán has a length of 8 m (26 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 8.84 m (29 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 311 km/h (193 mph).
- Typical crew: 2 pilots (student and instructor).
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Piper developed the type from its PA-28/PA-32 family as the PA-28R-300, and it first flew in 1981 before ENAER of Chile took it into series production. Named Pillán after a Mapuche spirit, it became the Chilean Air Force's standard piston primary trainer. Manufacturing and support were consolidated in Chile, giving the country a domestically built training aircraft.
Variants
Versions include the baseline T-35A and instrument-trainer T-35B, the export T-35C, and the Spanish-assembled T-35 Tamiz used by Spain's air force. A turboprop-powered T-35DT Aucán prototype was also flown as a performance development.
Where you'll see it
It serves primarily with the air forces of Chile, Spain and several Latin American nations rather than the UK, whose elementary flying training has used other types. British relevance is chiefly as a point of comparison within the wider family of piston military trainers.
Related aircraft
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