Jet trainer

A jet trainer is a jet aircraft for use as a trainer, whether for basic or advanced flight training. Jet trainers are either custom designs or modifications of existing aircraft. With the introduction of military jet-powered aircraft towards the end of the World War II it became a requirement to train pilots in the handling of such aircraft.

The Lockheed T-33, the most produced jet trainer
A Slovak L-39ZA (1701) in Biele Albatrosy colors at Radom Air Show 2005

History

The first generation of trainers in the 1940s were modified from existing designs like the Gloster Meteor and Lockheed T-33 but with these were followed by custom training aircraft like the Aero L-29 Delfín and the BAC Jet Provost.

As training developed different air forces used jet trainers for different phases of training. Although most air forces continued to use piston or later turboprop aircraft for basic training, a number of jet trainers like the Cessna T-37 Tweet appeared for the early stages of pilot training. Pilots who were picked to fly fighter or strike aircraft then went on to fly more advanced training aircraft like the Hawker Siddeley Gnat.

As the early jet-trainers became obsolete then further generations have appeared, the British using the single-engine BAE Systems Hawk while the French ordered the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet. In the Warsaw Pact the Aero L-39 Albatros became the standard jet trainer.

As the jet trainer developed it was also used for weapon training, which led to some trainers being modified as light strike aircraft; for example, the Cessna T-37 Tweet was developed into the Cessna A-37 Dragonfly.

List of jet trainers

Aircraft Country 1st flight No. built Status
Aermacchi MB-326 Italy1957800Limited service
Aermacchi MB-339 Italy1976230Operational
Aero L-29 Delfín Czechoslovakia19593,500At least a few in service with the Mali Air Force
Aero L-39 Albatros Czechoslovakia19682,800Operational
Aero L-59 Super Albatros Czechoslovakia198660Operational
Aero L-159 Alca Czech199772Operational
AIDC AT-3 Tzu Chung Republic of China198063Operational
AIDC T-5 Brave Eagle Republic of China20201In development
BAC Jet Provost United Kingdom1954741Retired
BAe Hawk United Kingdom19741,000Operational
Boeing/Saab T-7A Red Hawk United States/ Sweden20162In development
CASA C-101 Spain1977166Operational
Canadair CT-133 Silver Star Canada1952656Retired
Canadair CT-114 Tutor Canada1960212Retired
Cessna T-37 Tweet United States19541,269Limited service
Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet France/ Germany1973480Operational
Douglas TA-4E/J Skyhawk United States1954547Operational
EADS Mako/HEAT France/ Germany/ Greece/ Italy/ SwedenNever0Cancelled
Fiat G.80 Italy19514Retired
FMA IA 63 Pampa Argentina198427Operational
Fokker S.14 Machtrainer Netherlands195121Retired
Folland Gnat United Kingdom1955105Retired
Fouga Magister France1952929Retired
Fouga Zéphyr France195932Retired
Fuji T-1 Japan195866Retired
Mitsubishi T-2 Japan197190Retired
Grumman F9F-8T/TF-9J Cougar United States1951400Retired
HAL HJT-16 Kiran India1964190Operational
HAL HJT-36 Sitara India20036Limited series production
HAL HJT 39 IndiaTBD0Proposed
HAL Supersonic Omni Role Trainer (SPORT) IndiaTBD0Proposed[1]
Hispano HA-200 Spain1955212Retired
Hongdu JL-8/Karakorum-8 People's Republic of China/ Pakistan1990500Operational
Guizhou JL-9 People's Republic of China200320Operational
Hongdu JL-10 People's Republic of China2006100Operational
IAR 99 Romania198528Operational
KAI T-50 Golden Eagle South Korea200282Operational
Kawasaki T-4 Japan1985208Operational
KB SAT SR-10 Russia20151In development
Leonardo M 346 Master Italy200468Operational
Lockheed T-33 United States19486,557Retired
Lockheed T2V SeaStar United States1953150Retired
McDonnell Douglas T-45 Goshawk United States1988221Operational
Mikoyan MiG-AT Russia19962Cancelled
Morane-Saulnier MS.760 Paris France1964165Retired
North American T-2 Buckeye United States19591,146Operational
Northrop T-38 Talon[2] United States1958529Operational
PZL I-22 Iryda Poland198517Retired
PZL TS-11 Iskra Poland1960424Limited Service
Saab 105 Sweden1963192Operational
Soko G-2 Galeb Yugoslavia1961248Limited service
Soko G-4 Super Galeb Yugoslavia197885Operational
SIAI-Marchetti S.211 Italy198160Operational
TAI Hurjet Turkey20220In development
Temco TT Pinto United States195615Retired
Yakovlev Yak-130 Russia1996100Operational

References

  1. "EXCLUSIVE: HAL All Set To Announce LCA-Based Jet Trainer". Livefist Defence. February 19, 2019. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  2. Factsheets : T-38 Talon : T-38 Talon Archived 2005-10-21 at the Wayback Machine
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.