PAC Airtrainer CT/4E

Pacific Aerospace Corporation · New Zealand · first flew 1972 · light aircraft

The CT/4 Airtrainer is a two-seat aerobatic military primary trainer, with the CT/4E being an uprated, more powerful production variant used to give ab-initio pilots a fully aerobatic first mount.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	7.16 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Sleek side-by-side aerobatic trainer
Slim tapered low wing with retractable gear
Bubble canopy over two seats

Spot the compact, glossy trainer with a bubble canopy over side-by-side seats and a slim, sharply tapered low wing. Retractable landing gear and a fully aerobatic stance set it apart from fixed-gear club trainers.

Specifications

The PAC Airtrainer CT/4E has a length of 7.16 m (23 ft).
It has a wingspan of 7.92 m (26 ft).
Its maximum speed is 300 km/h (186 mph).
Typical crew: 2 (student and instructor).

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

History

Derived from the Australian Victa Aircruiser, the Airtrainer first flew in 1972 and entered service with the RNZAF, RAAF and RTAF. The later CT/4E of the 1990s introduced a more powerful engine and constant-speed propeller for improved performance.

Variants

Successive marks ran from the original CT/4A/B through the fuel-injected CT/4E and CT/4CR, differing mainly in engine power and equipment. The type remained in low-rate production over several decades.

Where you'll see it

Though a Commonwealth trainer, the CT/4 saw no RAF service, where the Bulldog and later Tutor filled the primary role; its main users were New Zealand, Australia and Thailand. It trained thousands of pilots before RNZAF retirement in 2015.

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