First Flight of Production Cessna T-37A "Tweety Bird" Jet Trainer - First of its Kind on Waymarking.com

In early 1953, the USAF announced that Cessna had been chosen to build a new turbine-engine training aircraft based on their Model 318 civilian aircraft. The prototype flew on October 12, 1954, with the first production aircraft flying approximately a year later in 1955. The T-37 was initially used as a basic trainer, the pilots transferring to these aircraft only after completing their primary training in T-34's. In November, 1959, T-37B's entered service with more powerful engines and improved Nav/Com systems. All surviving T-37A's were retrofitted to this standard. The final version was the T-37C which had provision for armament and wingtip fuel tanks. By the end of production in 1977, a total of 1,268 T-37's had been built.

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