Cessna A-37 Dragonfly A-37, -37A and -37B ( Model 318E) (data for -37B) Origin C sna Aircraft Co. USA Type: Two-seat light strike aircraft Engines: Two 2.850Ib (1293kg) thr shaft tu Dimensions: including refuellin: Weights: Em st General Electric J86-17A single bojets pan (over tip tanks) 35f 104in (10-9 abe) 29t Bin (892m): height Bft 1 211 Ib (2817kg); loaded 14,000Ib (6350kg Performance: Maximum speed 507mph (816km/h) at 16.000ft (4875m); initial climb at gr ight 6,990ft (2130m)/min; service ceiling 41, 765ft (12.730m); range (maximum weapons) 460 miles (740km), (maximum fuel) 1,012 miles ( Armament: One wing pylon st 600!b 5.680lb History: First flight (XT-37) 12 October 1964; (YAT-37D) 22 October 1963, (A-37B) September 19) Users: {7 ) Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Chile. Colombia, WW many, Greece. Jordan. tan. Peru, Portugal, Thailand, Tur US Air Force Vietnam; (A-37) Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Ethiopia (delivery embargoed at time of writing), Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, Uruguay. US Air Force and National Guard, Vietnam (left by US forces) th (not in (2am) U-2B/A six-barrel Minigun 5 for up to 870lb (394kg), intermediate for for 500Ib (227kg); maximum ordnance load Development: The Cessna Model 318 was the first American jet trainer It entered production f 2 US Air Foree as the T-37A, powered by 920\b 7kg) thrust Continen J69 (licence-built Turboméca Mar engines and with side-by-side ejection ts. All A mod were si Below: The A-37B Dragonfly has been sold to numerous air forces, especially those of South America. These are aircraft of (left) the Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana, (upper right) the Fuerza Aérea de Chile and (lower right) the Fuerza Aerea Uruguayana.Three-view of A-37B Dragonfly, showing the almost grotesque array of possible stores. quently converted to the standard of the main production type. the T-37B. with J69-25 engines of 1,025lb (465kg) thrust Export versions were designated T-37C, with provision for underwing armament. Production of the T-37 was completed in 1975 with more than 1,300 delivered to the USAF and 14 other air forces. It was logical to fit the much more powerful J85 engine and restress the airframe to carry greater loads in arduaus combat duties. The work began in 1960 at the time of the upsurge of interest in Co-In (counter-insurgency) aircraft to fight “brushfire wars”. Deliveries of A-37A aircraft converted from T-37 trainers began in May 1967 and a squadron of 25 had flown 10,000 combat missions in Vietnam in an exten- sive evaluation by early 1968. The slightly more powerful A-37B is the definitive production version and by 1977 deliveries had exceeded 600. The A-37B is not pressurised, nor does it have ejection seats, but the dual pilots are protected by layered nylon flak curtains. The wealth of nav/com avionics and possible underwing stores is impressive and nearly all B models have a fixed nose refuelling probe Above: Yet another of the Latin American air arms to rely on the warlike Cessna is the Fuerza Aérea del Peru. A total of 36 are in service, all flown by Grupos 13 and 21 from the major FAP base at Chiclayo. Peru's difficulties in procuring later attack aircraft from Western sources caused it to select the Sukhoi Su-22, which when delivered lacked adequate nav/attack avionics.