Cessna AT-17 Bobcat

AT-17 / UC-78 Bobcat Model T-50

Cessna AT-17 Bobcat
Role	five-seat light transport
Manufacturer	Cessna Aircraft Company
First flight	March 26, 1939 (T-50)
Primary users	United States Army Air Forces Royal Canadian Air Force United States Navy
Number built	5,399

The Cessna AT-17 Bobcat was a twin-engined advanced trainer aircraft designed and made in the United States, and used during World War II to bridge the gap between single-engined trainers and twin-engined combat aircraft. The AT-17 was powered by two Jacobs R-755-9 radial piston engines. The commercial version was the Model T-50, from which the AT-17 was developed.

Design and development

A T-50 in flight

The AT-17 was a military version of the commercial Cessna T-50 light transport. The Cessna Airplane Company first produced the wood and tubular steel, fabric-covered T-50 in 1939 for the civilian market, as a lightweight and low-cost twin for personal use where larger aircraft such as the Beech 18 would be too expensive. A low-wing cantilever monoplane, it featured retractable main landing gear and wing trailing edge flaps, both electrically actuated. The wing structure was built up of laminated spruce spar beams with spruce and plywood ribs. The fixed tailwheel is non-steerable and full-swivelling. The prototype T-50 made its maiden flight on 26 March 1939.^[1]

In 1940, the United States Army Air Corps ordered them under the designation AT-8 as multi-engine advanced trainers.

Operational history

UC-78 in flight

Thirty-three AT-8s were built for the U.S. Army Air Corps, and production continued under the designation AT-17 reflecting a change in equipment and engine types. In 1942, the U.S Army Air Force ( the successor to the Air Corps from June 1941 ) adopted the Bobcat as a light personnel transport and those delivered after January 1, 1943 were designated UC-78s. By the end of World War II, Cessna had produced more than 4,600 Bobcats for the U.S. military, 67 of which were transferred to the United States Navy as JRC-1s. In addition, 822 Bobcats had been produced for the Royal Canadian Air Force as Crane Is, many of which were used in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.^[2] The aircraft did not last long in North American postwar military service. Few (if any) Bobcats were in service with the United States Air Force when it was formed in September, 1947. Surviving military aircraft were declared obsolete in 1949.^[3]

Dubbed the "Bamboo Bomber" by the pilots who flew them, it was one of the aircraft featured in the popular television series "Sky King" of the early-to-mid 50s. The aircraft was replaced in later episodes by the T-50's successor, the all-metal Cessna 310.

Postwar, surplus AT-17s and UC-78s could be converted by CAA-approved kits to civilian standard aircraft allowing their certification under the T-50s original Type Certificate (ATC- 722, issued 3-24-1940).^[4] They were used by small airlines, charter and "bush" operators and private pilots. Some were operated on floats. By the 1970s, the number of airworthy aircraft had dwindled as they were made obsolete by more modern types and by the maintenance required by their aging wood wing structures and fabric covering. Since then, several have been restored by antique airplane enthusiasts.

In August 2009, FAA records show 378 T-50s, 10 AT-17s and 30 UC-78s are listed on the FAA registration database.^[5]^[6]^[7]

In the postwar years, Bobcats continued in military service with Brazil and the Nationalist Chinese.

Variants

RCAF Cessna Crane as employed in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan on display at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum.

T-50: Company design number. Five-seat twin-engined commercial transport aircraft, fitted with Jacobs L-4MB radial piston engines.
AT-8: Military trainer version of the T-50 with two 295 hp (220-kW) Lycoming R-680-9 radial piston engines, 33 built.
AT-17: As the AT-8 but powered by 245 hp (183 kW) Jacobs R-755-9 (L-4) engines, 450 built some later converted to AT-17E.
AT-17A: As the AT-17 but with metal propellers and reduced weight, 223 built. 182 to Canada as Crane IAs and later conversion to AT-17Fs.
AT-17B: As the AT-17A but with equipment changes, 466 built. Subsequent aircraft were built as UC-78Bs.
AT-17C: As the AT-17A but different radio equipment, 60 built.
AT-17D: As the AT-C with equipment changes, 131 built.
AT-17E: AT-17 with gross weight limited to 5,300 lb (2,400 kg).

Cessna UC-78C

AT-17F: AT-17A with gross weight limited to 5,300 lb (2,400 kg).
AT-17G: AT-17B with gross weight limited to 5,300 lb (2,400 kg).
C-78: Military transport version for the United States Army Air Forces, redesignated UC-78 in 1943, 1354 built.
UC-78: C-78 redesignated in 1943; variable-pitch propellers.
UC-78A: 17 impressed civilian T-50s
UC-78B: Originally the AT-17B, wooden propellers and reduced weight, 1806 built.
UC-78C: Originally the AT-17D, same as UC-78B with equipment changes, 196 built and 131 AT-17Ds redesignated.
JRC-1: Navy light transport version of the UC-78 with two Jacobs -9 engines, 67 delivered.
Crane I: Royal Canadian Air Force designation for T-50s with minor equipment changes, 640 delivered as light transports.
Crane 1A: 182 AT-17As delivered to Canada under lend-lease.
P-7: An experimental variant of the T-50 with more powerful 300 hp (220 kW) Jacobs L-6MB engines, and plywood covered tailplane and wings, one aircraft only first flown June 2, 1941.

Operators

Brazil

Brazilian Air Force (operated 39 from 1943-1956)

Canada

Royal Canadian Air Force (operated 744 from 1941-1949)
Queen Charlotte Airlines

Costa Rica

Air Force of Costa Rica (operated one in 1948)

Ethiopia

Ethiopian Air Force (operated two from 1946-1965)

France

French Air Force & French Navy (operated eight from 1943-1951)

Guatemala

Guatemalan Air Force (received one in 1949)

Haiti

Haitian Air Force (operated four from 1943-1963)

Nicaragua

Nicaraguan Air Force (received two in 1947)

North Yemen

Yemeni Air Force (operated three from 1950-1958)

Republic of China

Republic of China Air Force (operated 15 from 1946-1950)

Peru

Peruvian Air Force (operated nine from 1945-1958)

Poland

LOT Polish Airlines (operated 14 from 1946-1950)

United States

Specifications (AT-17)

General characteristics

Crew: pilot+four
Length: 32 ft 9 in (9.98 m)
Wingspan: 41 ft 11 in (12.78 m)
Height: 9 ft 11 in (3.02 m)
Wing area: 295 sq ft (27.4 m²)
Empty weight: 3,500 lb (1,588 kg)
Gross weight: 5,700 lb (2,585 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 6,062 lb (2,750 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Jacobs R-755-9 seven-cylinder, air-cooled, radial piston engine, 245 hp (183 kW) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 169 kn; 314 km/h (195 mph)
Cruise speed: 152 kn; 282 km/h (175 mph)
Service ceiling: 22,000 ft (6,700 m)

References

Notes

↑ Wixley 1984, p.13.
↑ Phillips, Edward H: Cessna, A Master's Expression, Flying Books, 1985. ISBN 0911139044
↑ Swanborough, Gordon & Bowers, Peter M: United States Military Aircraft Since 1909, Putnam, 1989. ISBN 0-85177-816-X
↑ Juptner, Joseph P: U.S. Civil Aircraft Series, Vol 8, TAB Books, 1994. ISBN 0-8168-9178-8
↑ http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/AcftRef_Results.aspx?Mfrtxt=CESSNA&Modeltxt=T-50&PageNo=1
↑ http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/AcftRef_Results.aspx?Mfrtxt=CESSNA&Modeltxt=AT-17&PageNo=1
↑ http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/AcftRef_Results.aspx?Mfrtxt=CESSNA&Modeltxt=UC-78&PageNo=1

Bibliography

Mondey, David. American Aircraft of World War II (Hamlyn Concise Guide). London: Bounty Books, 2006. ISBN 978-0-7537-1461-4.
Wixley, Kenneth E. "Cessna Bobcat:A Production History". Aircraft Illustrated, January 1984, Vol 17 No 1, pp. 13–16. ISSN 0002-2675.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cessna T-50.

Cessna aircraft

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Multi-engine

P-7
P-10
T-50
303
310
318
320
327
330
335
336
337
340
401
402
404
406
407
411
414
421
425
435
441
620

Cessna Citation
family

Names:	I-I/SP II-II/SP-SII III-VI-VII V-Ultra-Encore X-X+ CJ series Columbus Excel-XLS-XLS+ Latitude Longitude Mustang M2 Sovereign Hemisphere

Models:	500 501 510 M2 525 550 551 552 560 560XL 650 670 680 680A 750 800 850

Helicopters

CH-1/CH-4

Gliders

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Military

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United States trainer aircraft designations, Army/Air Force and Tri-Service systems

Advanced Trainer
(1925-1948)

Basic Combat
(1936-1940)

Basic Trainer
(1930-1948)

Primary Trainer
(1924-1948)

Main sequence
(1948-present)

1948 redesignations	T-6 T-7 T-11 T-13A T-13B/D T-17 T-19

New designations	T-28 T-29 T-30 T-31 T-32 T-33 T-34 T-35 T-36 T-37 T-38 T-39 T-40 T-41 T-42 T-43 T-44 T-45 T-46 T-47 T-48 (I) T-48 (II) CT-49 T-50 T-51 T-52 T-53

Alternate sequences

1962 redesignations	T-1 T-2

1990-1996 sequence	T-1 T-2¹ T-3 T-4¹ T-5¹ T-6

¹ Not assigned

United States military transport aircraft designations, Army/Air Force and Tri-Service systems

Army/Air Force sequence (1925-1962)	C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4 C-5 C-6 C-7 C-8 C-9 C-10 C-11 C-12 C-13¹ C-14 C-15 C-16 C-17 C-18 C-19 C-20 C-21 C-22 C-23 C-24 C-25 C-26 C-27 C-28 C-29 C-30 C-31 C-32 C-33 C-34 C-35 C-36 C-37 C-38 C-39 C-40 C-41/A C-42 C-43 C-44 C-45 C-46 C-47/T C-48 C-49 C-50 C-51 C-52 C-53 C-54 C-55 C-56 C-57 C-58 C-59 C-60 C-61 C-62 C-63 C-64 C-65 C-66 C-67 C-68 C-69 C-70/A/B/C/D C-71 C-72 C-73 C-74 C-75 C-76 C-77/B-D C-78 C-79 C-80 C-81 C-82 C-83 C-84 C-85 C-86 C-87 C-88 C-89 C-90 C-91 C-92 C-93 C-94 C-95 C-96 C-97/KC-97 C-98 C-99 C-100 C-101 C-102 C-103 C-104 C-105 C-106 C-107 C-108 C-109 C-110 C-111 C-112 C-113 C-114 C-115 C-116 C-117 C-118 C-119 C-120 C-121/F C-122 C-123/A C-124 C-125 C-126 C-127 (I) C-127 (II) C-128 C-129 C-130/J C-131 C-132 C-133 C-134 C-135/KC-135 C-136 C-137 C-138¹ C-139¹ C-140 C-141 C-142

Tri-service sequence (1962-present)	C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4 C-5 C-6 C-7/B C-8 C-9 C-10 C-11 C-12 C-13¹ C-14 C-15 C-16¹ C-17 C-18 C-19 C-20A-D/F-H C-21 C-22 C-23 C-24 C-25 C-26 C-27/J C-28 C-29 C-30¹ C-31 C-32 C-33 C-34¹ C-35 C-36 C-37A/B C-38 C-39¹ C-40 C-41 C-42¹ C-43¹ C-44¹ C-45 C-46

Revived original sequence (2005-present)	C-143 C-144 C-145 C-146

Non-sequential designations	C-767 C-880

¹ Not assigned See also: AC-47 • AC-119 • AC-130 • DC-130 • EC-130 • HC-130 • KC-130 • LC-130 • MC-130 • WC-130 • CT-39 • CT-43

USN/USMC utility aircraft designations 1935–1955

Utility

Fokker	JA

Noorduyn	JA

Beechcraft	JB

Curtiss-Wright	JC

Douglas	JD

Bellanca	JE

Grumman	JF J2F J3F J4F

Stearman-Hammond	JH

Fairchild	JK J2K

Columbia	JL

Martin	JM

Lockheed	JO

Fairchild	JQ J2Q

Ford	JR

Waco	JW J2W

Utility transport

Beechcraft	JRB

Cessna	JRC

Grumman	JRF JR2F

Nash-Kelvinator	JRK

Martin	JRM JR2M

Sikorsky	JRS JR2S

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