American postwar aircraft
Cessna A-37 Dragonfly
The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly was designed in the early 1950s as a result of the U.S. Air
Force's desire for an easily-flown turbojet trainer. In 1953, Cessna was awarded the
contract for their Model 318 aircraft, which was later redesignated as the XT-37 (later
T-37 Tweet). It was found that the
Dragonfly had excellent handling and service qualities, and was pressed into
counter-insurgence and attack roles by various countries, including the Republic of South
Vietnam. The attack version utilized a nose-mounted 7.62mm mini-gun and weaponry mounted
on eight underwing hardpoints. In 1996 The National Warplane Museum was lucky to acquire
two A-37s, which still bear Vietnam-era camoflauge and Vietnamese graffiti.
General characteristics |
Primary function |
Light attack aircraft, CAS (Close Air Support) |
Power plant |
Two turbojet engines |
Thrust |
2x 930 kp |
2x 9.12 kN |
Length |
29 ft |
8.84 m |
Wingspan |
33 ft |
10.06 m |
Heught |
9 ft |
2.74 m |
Max. speed |
426 mph |
685 km/h |
Ceiling |
46,400 ft |
14,142 m |
Max. takeoff weight |
1,316 lb |
597 kg |
Range |
1,323 miles |
2,130 km |
Crew |
Two |
Armament |
2x bomb (113 kg) or 4x AIM-9 Sidewinder |
Jirka Wagner
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