Jet trainer

Czechoslovak Aero L-39 Albatros in the Slovak Air Force (in 1993)

A jet trainer is a jet aircraft for use as a trainer, whether for basic or advanced flight training. Jet trainers are either custom designs or modifications of existing aircraft. With the introduction of military jet-powered aircraft towards the end of the World War II it became a requirement to train pilots in the handling of such aircraft.

History

1940s two-seat Gloster Meteor

The first generation of trainers in the 1940s were modified from existing designs like the Gloster Meteor and Lockheed T-33 but with these were followed by custom training aircraft like the Aero L-29 Delfín and the BAC Jet Provost.

As training developed different air forces used jet trainers for different phases of training. Although most air forces continued to use piston or later turboprop aircraft for basic training, a number of jet trainers like the Cessna T-37 Tweet appeared for the early stages of pilot training. Pilots who were picked to fly fighter or strike aircraft then went on to fly more advanced training aircraft like the Hawker Siddeley Gnat.

A U.S. Northrop T-38 Talon

As the early jet-trainers became obsolete then further generations have appeared, the British using the single-engine BAe Hawk while the French ordered the Alpha Jet. In the Warsaw Pact the Aero L-39 Albatros became the standard jet trainer.

As the jet trainer developed it was also used for weapon training, which led to some trainers being modified as light strike aircraft; for example, the Cessna T-37 Tweet was developed into the Cessna A-37 Dragonfly.

List of jet trainers

Aircraft Name	Country of origin	Year 1st flight	No. built	Status
Aermacchi MB-326	Italy	1957	800	Limited service
Aermacchi MB-339	Italy	1976	230	Active in production
Aero L-29 Delfín	Czechoslovakia	1959	3,500	At least a few in service with the Mali Air Force
Aero L-39 Albatros	Czechoslovakia	1968	2,800	Operational
Aero L-59 Super Albatros	Czechoslovakia	1986	60	Operational
AIDC AT-3	Taiwan	1980	63	Operational
Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master	Italy	2004	67	Operational
BAC Jet Provost	United Kingdom	1954	741	Retired
BAe Hawk	United Kingdom	1974	1,000	Operational
Boeing T-X	United States	2016	2	Development
CASA C-101	Spain	1977	166	Operational
Canadair CT-114 Tutor	Canada	1960	212	Retired
Cessna T-37 Tweet	United States	1954	1,269	Limited service
KB SAT SR-10	Russia	2015	1	under development
Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet	France/Germany	1973	480	Operational
Douglas TA-4F/J Skyhawk	United States	1954	2,960	Operational
EADS Mako/HEAT	Multinational	Never	0	Cancelled
Fiat G.80	Italy	1951	4	Retired
FMA IA 63 Pampa	Argentina	1984	27	Operational
Fokker S.14 Machtrainer	Netherlands	1955	21	Retired
Folland Gnat	United Kingdom	1955	449	Retired
Fouga Magister	France	1952	929	Retired
Fouga Zéphyr	France	1959	32	Retired
Fuji T-1	Japan	1958	66	Retired
Guizhou JL-9	China	2003	20	Operational
Grumman F9F-8T/TF-9J Cougar	United States	1951	1,392	Retired
HAL HJT-16 Kiran	India	1964	190	Operational
HAL HJT-36 Sitara	India	2003	4	Limited series production
Hispano HA-200	Spain	1955	212	Retired
Hongdu JL-8/Karakorum-8	China/Pakistan	1990	500	Operational
Hongdu L-15	China	1990	3	Flight testing, limited series production
IAR 99	Romania	1985	20	Operational
KAI T-50 Golden Eagle	South Korea	2002	82	Operational
Kawasaki T-4	Japan	1998	208	Operational
Lockheed T-33	United States	1948	6,557	Retired
Lockheed T2V SeaStar	United States	1953	150	Retired
McDonnell Douglas T-45 Goshawk	United States	1988	221	Operational
Mikoyan MiG-AT	Russia	1996	2	Cancelled
Morane-Saulnier MS.760 Paris	France	1964	165	Retired
North American T-2 Buckeye	United States	1959	1,146	Operational
Northrop T-38 Talon	United States	1958	529	Operational
PZL I-22 Iryda	Poland	1985	17	Retired
PZL TS-11 Iskra	Poland	1960	424	Limited Service
RFB Fantrainer	Germany	1978	50	Retired
Saab 105	Sweden	1963	192	Operational
Soko G-2 Galeb	Yugoslavia	1961	248	Limited service
Soko G-4 Super Galeb	Yugoslavia	1978	85	Operational
SIAI-Marchetti S.211	Italy	1981	60	Operational
Temco TT Pinto	United States	1956	15	Retired
Yakovlev Yak-130	Russia	1996	100	Operational