Cessna T-41A "Mescalero"

Cessna T-41A "Mescalero". . , The Cessna T-41 was derived from a standard Cessna Model 172 light aviation aircraft. Between 1965 and 1969 the USAF purchased 211 T-41A variants "off the shelf" for the preliminary flight screening of pilot candidates; another 52 T-41C variants were obtained in 1968-69 for use by the Air Force Academy. The T-41 also saw service in the U.S. Army, and large numbers were exported to friendly nations under the Military Assistance Program., This T-41A aircraft (AF Ser. 67-14977) was built in the spring of 1967 at Cessna's factory in Wichita, Kansas. Accepted by the USAF on 2 June 1968, it was initially assigned to the 3515th Pilot Training Wing (later redesignated as the 19th Flying Training Wing), then an Air Training Command organization stationed at Craig AFB, Selma, Alabama. In April 1973, it was transferred to the USAF Officer Training School (OTS) at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas, where it remained until August 1991, when it was reassigned to Lackland's 12th Flying Training Wing. Two years later, it was handed over to the Aero Club at Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Alabama. For the next twelve years, club members flew it for pleasure, and to gain experience in the air. Declared surplus in August 2005, the airplane was removed from the USAF inventory in January 2007. It was installed on Maxwell AFB's OTS campus in May, 2010 as a visual symbol of the School's heritage., Specifications , Length: 26 ft 11 in , Height: 8 ft 10 in , Span: 35 ft 8 in, Performance , Maximum Speed: 139 mph , Maximum Takeoff Weight: 2,300 lbs , Range: 720 miles , Service Ceiling: 13,100 ft, This aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force