Our Aircraft’s History

Cessna T-37B “Tweet” (White); (S/N 54-2732; MSN #40008) ~ Originally built as a T-37A-CE in April of 1956 by the Cessna Aircraft company in Wichita, Kansas. She was delivered to the US Air Force on April 30th; retained by Cessna for conversion to a JT-37A. 

  • December 1958 – 3306th Pilot Training Group, Air Training Command (ATC), Bainbridge Air Force Base (AFB), Georgia; Aircraft converted to T-37B
  • January 1961 – 3525th Pilot Training Wig, ATC, Williams AFB, Arizona
  • March 1967 – At Cessna Aircraft, Wichita, Kansas
  • August 1968 – Dropped from inventory by transfer to museum status.  Assigned by the US Air Force Museum to the Florida Military Aviation Museum, St. Petersburg, Florida
  • August 2003 – Fort Meade, Florida

MAPS Air Museum recovered and moved the T-37B in March of 2007. She is awaiting her turn in the Renovation building to be worked on by the Area 51 Crew.

Specifications/Performance

  • Role: Jet trainer
  • Manufacturer: Cessna
  • First flight: October 12, 1954
  • Introduction: 1957
  • Retired: 2009 (USAF)
  • Produced 1955-1975
  • Built: 1,269
  • Crew: 2 (pilot, trainer)
  • Length: 29 ft 3 in
  • Wingspan: 33 ft 9 in
  • Height: 9 ft 2 in
  • Empty weight: 4,056 lb
  • Max takeoff weight: 6,574 lb
  • Engines: 2 x Continental-Teledyne J69-T-25 turbjets, 1,025 lbf each
  • Max speed: 425 mph
  • Cruise speed: 360 mph
  • Range: 932 mi
  • Service ceiling: 38,700 ft

Armament, notable (T-37C weapons trainer)

  • .50 caliber machine gun (200 rounds)
  • 2 x 2.75 in folding fin rocket pods
  • 4 x practice bombs

Museum display notes: the intent is to paint and mark the T-37 as it was assigned with the 3306th Pilot Training Group, ATC, Bainbridge AFB, Georgia.

Designed to replace: Lockheed T-33 “Shooting Star”

Replaced by: Beechcraft T-6 “Texan II”