Cessna AT-17

infobox Aircraft
name = AT-17 / UC-78 Bobcat Model T-50



caption = Cessna AT-17 Bobcat
type = five-seat light transport
manufacturer = Cessna Aircraft Company
designer =
first flight = 1939
introduction =
retired =
status =
primary user = United States Army Air Forces
more users = Royal Canadian Air Force United States Air Force United States Navy
produced =
number built = 5,400+
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles =

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-engine trainers and twin-engine 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.

Development

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. A low-wing cantilever monoplane, it featured retractable main landing gear and wing trailing-edge flaps, both electrically actuated. The fixed tailwheel is non-steerable and full-swivelling. In 1940, the US Army Air Corps ordered them under the designation AT-8 as multi-engine advanced trainers.

Thirty-three AT-8s were built for the Air Corps, and production continued under the designation AT-17 reflecting a change in equipment and engine types. In 1942, the Air Corps 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 Air Corps, 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 1s, many of which were used in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.Phillips, Edward H: "Cessna, A Master's Expression", Flying Books, 1985. ISBN 0-91139-04-4]

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 1940s and '50s. In the post-war years, Bobcats continued in service with Brazil and the Nationalist Chinese.

Variants

;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 Jacobs R-775-9 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 5300lb.;AT-17F : AT-17A with gross weight limited to 5300lb.;AT-17G : AT-17B with gross weight limited to 5300lb.;C-78 : Military transport version for the United States Army Air Force, 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 R-775-9 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.

Operators

;BRA;CAN
* Royal Canadian Air Force;China as ROC;ROC;POL
* LOT Polish Airlines operated 14 UC-78 in 1946-1950;USA
* United States Army Air Corps/United States Army Air Forces
* United States Air Force
* United States Navy

pecifications (AT-17)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=
crew=five
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 32 ft 9 in
length alt= 9.98 m
span main= 41 ft 11 in
span alt= 12.78 m
height main= 9 ft 11 in
height alt= 3.02 m
area main= 295.0 ft²
area alt= 27.41 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 3,500 lb
empty weight alt= 1588 kg
loaded weight main= 5,700 lb
loaded weight alt= 2585 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 6,062 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 2,755 kg
more general=
engine (prop)= Jacobs R-755-9
type of prop=
number of props=2
power main= 245 hp
power alt= 183 kW
power original=
max speed main=195 mph
max speed alt= 314 km/h
cruise speed main= 175 mph
cruise speed alt=282 km/h
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 750 miles
range alt=1207 km
ceiling main= 22,000 ft
ceiling alt= 6705 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
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References

External links

* [http://www.lsfm.org/aircraft/bobcat.htm Lone Star Flight Museum]
* [http://www.wrightstuffsquadron.org/ Wright Stuff Squadron, Commemorative Air Force]