Canadair CT-114 Tutor

Origins The beginnings of the CL-41 Tutor can be found in a decision by Canadian aircraft manufacturer Canadair to develop its own indigenous trainer aircraft as a private venture. The design was the product of the company's in-house Preliminary Design department. Flight testing On 13 January 1960, the prototype performed its maiden flight, flown by project pilot Ian MacTavish. Originally, the first flight had been scheduled to take place in early 1959, but was delayed due to issues relating to engine development. This change of engine had required no redesign as the fuselage had been developed to accommodate a wide range of engines without structural modification being necessary; in addition to the JT12A-5 and J85, the Armstrong-Siddeley Viper ASV11, the Continental Gabizo, the Rolls-Royce RB.108, and the Fairchild J83-R-1 had been studied during the early stages of design work. During March 1960, an RCAF survey team performed a series of preliminary flight evaluations of the CL-41 prototype over the course of one week; prior to this, the team had evaluated various trainers from France, the United States, and the United Kingdom as well. According to aviation historian Bill Upton, those who flew the prototype universally praised the aircraft for its favourable handling and performance. The prototypes were subject to an extensive regime of tests, some of which falling outside the traditional scope of such activities. ==Design==

The CT-114 Tutor is a single-engine turbojet-powered trainer aircraft. It was purpose-designed for the training role, and possesses numerous favourable qualities, including a high level of reliability and favourable operating economics. The Tutor is furnished with manual flight controls, which incorporate spring tabs. It is intentionally aerodynamically stable in flight, a factor which traditionally has aided in the training of fresh pilots unfamiliar with the demands of flight. The Tutor features a side-by-side cockpit. During standard operations, the observing instructor was seated on the right-hand side and the student pilot on the left. Normally, only the left-hand side featured full flight controls. However, following experiences with the Snowbirds display team, a number of aircraft were reconfigured with extra controls so that they would be flyable from either position. The cabin, which is fitted with a rear-hinged canopy over both crew members, can be pressurized to a differential of 3 psi (20 kPa), the equivalent to an altitude of about 2,000 m, for pilot comfort. For aerial display purposes, the Tutor was readily capable of being fitted with a smoke generator, including a pair of under-fuselage pods to house the pressurized diesel fuel used; the use of red dye in the smoke was discontinued fairly quickly as it was found to be highly corrosive. Various other modifications would also be made to display aircraft; these could be routinely installed and uninstalled as airframes would regularly be exchanged between display and training flights. ==Operational history==

Overview at CFB Moose Jaw in early 1982 During September 1961, the Canadian government, having been impressed by the performance of the prototype and being keen to support local industry, placed a sizeable order for 190 examples of the production variant, referred to as the CL-41A, on behalf of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Upon its adoption, the aircraft received the Canadian unified aircraft designation of CT-114 Tutor. The majority of the type was stationed at CFB Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, in Western Canada; the Central Flying School at CFB Winnipeg, Manitoba, also made heavy use of the Tutor. During 2000, the majority of Tutors were retired, with type being succeeded as the RCAF's principal training aircraft by a combination of the newer British-built CT-155 Hawk and American-built CT-156 Harvard II until 2024. Aerobatics During 1967, a batch of ten Tutors were modified for use as a formation aerobatic aircraft by the RCAF (and later the unified Canadian Armed Forces) display team, the Golden Centennaires to celebrate Canada's centennial year. At the end of the 1967 season, the display team was disbanded, thus its aircraft returned to routine training duties. In 1971, a new formation team was formed at 2CFFTS (Two Canadian Armed Forces Flying Training School) at CFB Moose Jaw, and once again adopted the type. The following year, the name "Snowbirds" was chosen for the team; during 1978, the team received squadron status as 431 Air Demonstration Squadron. Since its formation, the Snowbirds display team has regularly performed at air shows and special events, including the annual flypast on Canada Day over the capital city, Ottawa. According to journalist Guy Norris, a defining trait of their aerobatics is the physically demanding formation flights performed, as well as locally developed manoeuvres such as the ‘Big Goose’. Unlike most display teams, the Snowbirds do not have a support aircraft; all spares and useful material could be carried by the aircraft themselves in storage areas located in the nose or the wing root. Those Tutors used by the Snowbirds feature several modifications distinguishing them from standard examples; these include a smoke generating system, a highly-recognisable paint scheme unique to the display team, and a highly tuned engine for greater responsiveness during low-level flying. Reportedly, display pilots would deliberately fly their aircraft using an above-average level of nose-down trim so that pushing the stick down would become unnecessary. The Snowbirds' aircraft would regularly be cycled with standard training aircraft, allowing the team to operate airframes with comparatively low accumulated flight hours. Overseas and proposed uses Canadair also developed an armament training and light attack variant, designated CL-41G. This model was powered by an uprated engine and fitted with underwing hard points, the latter of which allowed for the carriage of various external stores, including up to 4,000 lb (1814 kg) of weapons and drop tanks. During March 1966, the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) ordered a batch of twenty (serials M-22-01 to M22-11) examples of the CL-41G-5 Tebuan (which means Wasp in the Malay language) aircraft as counterinsurgency (COIN) aircraft. In 1967, the Tebuan entered service in Malaysia. The RMAF operated the type in excess of twenty years, the last Tebuan being withdrawn from service during June 1986, having been replaced by the Italian Aermacchi MB-339A. Following their retirement, the majority of the fleet was retained and placed into local storage for over a decade. One other experimental variant was developed, designated CL-41R, which was fitted with the nose of an F-104 Starfighter, as a proposed electronic systems trainer for future RCAF CF-104 pilots. A single airframe (CF-LTX-X) was constructed to demonstrate the concept, however, the R model did not attract any orders and thus never went into production.As of August 2019, the airframe was awaiting restoration at the Reynolds-Alberta Museum. ==Variants==

;CL-41 :Two prototypes, CF-LTW-X and CF-LTX-X used for company engineering and testing program ;CL-41A :A total of 190 trainers produced for RCAF and CF use as the CT-114. A number were modified with smoke generating systems and other modifications for the Snowbirds aerobatic team ;CL-41G :Unique version for the Royal Malayan Air Force (RMAF). A total of 20 ground-attack variants, known as the "Tebuan" in service with RMAF. ;CL-41R :One conversion of CF-LTX-X with a CF-104 nose grafted on to demonstrate the use of CF-104/F-104G radar and avionics; no production examples were built. ==Operators==

; • Royal Canadian Air Force (CT-114 Tutor) • Golden Centennaires display team 1967 • Canadian Armed Forces • 2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School 1964–1999 • 431 Air Demonstration Squadron ("Snowbirds" display team) 1971–present ; • Royal Malaysian Air Force (CL-41G Tebuan) • 6 Squadron 1967–1985 • 9 Squadron 1967–1985 • Training Division FTC 1966 or 1967– retired and replaced with A-4 PTM Skyhawks ==Aircraft on display==

, Manitoba, in Golden Centennaires livery • CT-114000 - Portage la Prairie/Southport Airport, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. • CT-114003 - Canadian Museum of Flight, Langley, British Columbia. • CT-114004 - Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba. • CT-114014 - Bagotville Cadet Training Center, CFB Bagotville, La Baie, Québec • CT-114015 - National Air Force Museum of Canada, Quinte West, Ontario. • CT-114021 - Western Development Museum, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. • CT-114036 - CFB Moose Jaw, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. • CT-114038 - Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, Mount Hope, Ontario. • CT-144075 - Shearwater Aviation Museum, Shearwater, Nova Scotia. • CT-114076 - Reynolds Museum, Wetaskiwin, Alberta. • CT-114078 - Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. • CT-114083 - Cold Lake, Alberta. • CT-114114 - Cold Lake Air Force Museum, Cold Lake, Alberta. • CT-114115 - Comox Visitor Information Centre, Comox, British Columbia. • CT-114153 - Base Borden Military Museum, Borden, Ontario. • CT-114187 - Millennium Park, Creston, British Columbia. ==Surviving aircraft==

Although the CL-41 Tutor has been retired from active training, 26 Tutors continue to fly with the Canadian Armed Forces Snowbirds and the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment at CFB Cold Lake or are in short-term storage. As of August 2011, there were three CL-41Gs and one CT-114 on the U.S. civil registry, while none were so registered in Canada. During 2001, a CL-41G was given to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, by actor John Travolta. ==Specifications (CL-41A – CT-114)==