Fairchild T-46 Eaglet

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn) 05/18/2015 at 10:05 • Filed to: planelopnik, planelopnik history, planes you've (probably) never heard of

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From the Planes You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of Department of Planelopnik, we bring you the Fairchild T-46 Eaglet.

In 1981, the US Air Force launched its Next Generation Trainer (NGT) competition to find a replacement for the venerable !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , which was first introduced in 1957. Fairchild Aircraft’s entry into the competition, dubbed the T-46 Eaglet, was powered by two Garrett F109 turbofans and featured a shoulder-mounted wing, a twin tail similar to Fairchild’s !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and a dual cockpit with instructor and student seated side-by-side. The Eaglet was chosen as the winner of the competition on July 2, 1982, and the Air Force ordered 54 aircraft, with a total of 650 planned by 1991. Unfortunately for the Eaglet, and Fairchild, cost overruns doubled the price of the aircraft from $1.5 million to $3 million each and, under the constraints of the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! of 1987, the Air Force cancelled the T-46 after production of only three airplanes. With the cancellation, the storied history of Fairchild Aircraft came to an end, and the company closed its doors after 60 years of aircraft manufacturing. The T-37 Tweet was ultimately replaced by the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! turboprop trainer in 2001.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > ttyymmnn 05/18/2015 at 10:07

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Yes, I thought T-37 and A-10 as soon as I saw this.

ttyymmnn > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 05/18/2015 at 10:13

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During the design phase, Burt Rutan was asked to build a 62% scale version called the Model 73 NGT to prove the airworthiness of the Fairchild design. It was only a single seater, and probably would have been a neat little private jet to tool around in.

Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole > ttyymmnn 05/18/2015 at 10:24

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I had to ask the docent on the tour I took to the Boneyard many years ago WTF that was, as I had never seen one.

ttyymmnn > Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole 05/18/2015 at 10:28

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Of the three, that were built, one is at the AMARG facility, one is at the Air Force Flight Test Museum at Edwards AFB, and the third is awaiting restoration at the National Museum of the USAF, shown here with a couple of other unlucky losers.

Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole > ttyymmnn 05/18/2015 at 10:35

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I still think the Widow should’ve won that fly off. Sigh.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > ttyymmnn 05/18/2015 at 10:42

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When I was still too young to drive, Rutan released a kit plane, the Vari-Eze, if I remember correctly. I used to fantasize about building it and taxiing it around in the empty lot next door.

ttyymmnn > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 05/18/2015 at 10:49

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Keep an eye out for the VariEze in an upcoming Planelopnik history post...

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > ttyymmnn 05/18/2015 at 14:02

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I spy a YF-23 with its vertical tails missing.

user314 > ttyymmnn 05/18/2015 at 14:20

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It looks like the YA-9 and the A-10 had a baby.

DeLM > ttyymmnn 05/18/2015 at 19:07

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I always wished i won the lottery so i could go down to AZ and pick up a plane or two, I always thought it would be badass to resto mod old military planes into private jets. Like an ea-6 Prowler take some armour off, Faux weapons that are really storage, modern more efficient engines. carbon skins instead of aluminum... ahhhh to win the lotto. this little guy would be cool too, but too rare. :)

ttyymmnn > DeLM 05/18/2015 at 20:18

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Burt Rutan build a 62% scale version of the T-46. Maybe the plans are still available! I don’t know how one goes about getting hold of one of these relics. The AF has to sign off on it first, agreeing to let it go from their inventory. But that would be cool. Ungodly expensive, though.

DeLM > ttyymmnn 05/18/2015 at 23:30

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When I was in University, I spent a lot of time in the Aeronautical engineering dept.(even though I studied auto-design) their master’s program was getting old blue prints, pre ‘65, and reverse engineer them then re engineer them with modern materials and the final was fliying it in the sim. pretty cool stuff! most notably.. a carbon fiber mosquito with turbo props, it even had the crazy stubby props! idk if it flew or not, was too busy with my project.

DeLM > ttyymmnn 05/18/2015 at 23:32

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imagine getting a b-58 Hustler and resto modding it!!!! remake the Valkyrie even. Muahahahahaha

ttyymmnn > DeLM 05/19/2015 at 00:19

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I’ll have whatever you’re smoking. :D

ttyymmnn > DeLM 05/19/2015 at 00:32

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That sounds awesome. The design ethos of the Mosquito was to take the smallest, most aerodynamic plane possible and put the most powerful engines possible on it. The result was one of the greatest prop planes ever made, and the same design theory was used on its replacement, the English Electric Canberra. Sounds like a successful formula.

SalsaShark > ttyymmnn 05/26/2015 at 18:54

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Oh look, it’s Dead Sexy, Butt Ugly, and D’awwwww.

SalsaShark > ttyymmnn 05/26/2015 at 18:56

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Yep. As you point out in one of the subsequent posts, that was the recipe Grumman followed for the Bearcat, too.

When Neil Armstrong was ever asked what was his favorite aircraft to fly, he’d immediately answer “Bearcat.” Endorsements don’t come much better than that, for my money.

ttyymmnn > SalsaShark 05/26/2015 at 18:59

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The Bearcat is on my list of favorite WWII airplanes. I finally got to see one fly at an air show in Houston a few years ago. It was fantastic. What a glorious noise.

SalsaShark > ttyymmnn 05/26/2015 at 19:05

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Ahhh, I can’t even imagine. A Blue Angels routine with even 4 Bearcats must’ve been jaw dropping.

I love the continuity and evolution of the Grumman piston fighter family, from the Buffalo right through the Bearcat. You can almost line them up and see the state of the art advancing through each successive generation.

ttyymmnn > SalsaShark 05/26/2015 at 19:08

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Evolution is the norm. Revolutions are rare.