Cessna XT-37A Tweet

Cessna · United States · first flew 1954 · fighter

The XT-37A was Cessna's prototype for what became the T-37 Tweet, the USAF's primary jet trainer for three decades. It introduced side-by-side seating in a compact airframe powered by twin Continental turbojet engines buried in the wing roots.

Recognition (WEFT)

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

Spot it by:

• Side-by-side twin-seat jet trainer prototype
• Two small turbojets embedded in wing roots
• Straight low wing with circular air intakes at roots

Recognisable by its side-by-side two-seat cockpit with a broad canopy, straight low wing, and the circular intake openings at the wing roots feeding the buried turbojets.

Specifications

• The Cessna XT-37A Tweet has a length of 8.92 m (29 ft).
• It has a wingspan of 10.3 m (34 ft).
• Its maximum speed is 608 km/h (378 mph).
• Typical crew: 2.

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

History

Cessna won a 1952 USAF design competition and flew the XT-37 prototype in October 1954. The design was accepted and refined into the production T-37A, which entered service in 1957. The aircraft's distinctive high-pitched engine whine earned it the nickname 'Tweet' or 'Tweety Bird'.

Variants

The XT-37A was the sole prototype leading to the T-37A production variant; subsequent T-37B and T-37C models introduced more powerful engines and export provisions respectively.

Where you'll see it

The prototype served only as an evaluation aircraft; production T-37s trained tens of thousands of USAF pilots and were exported to numerous air forces worldwide.

Related aircraft

• Cessna T-37 Tweet
• Cessna 172 Skyhawk
• Cessna 310
• Cessna T-37C Tweet
• A-4 Skyhawk
• Armstrong Whitworth Meteor F8 Prone Pilot
• Canadair Sabre Mk 6
• Canadair Sabre Mk.5

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