The Unfulfilled Promise of the Fairchild T-46

The modernized trainer developed for the U.S. Air Force in the 1980s was meant to replace the aging fleet of Cessna T-37 ’Tweets.’

Jason McDowell

Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 11:48 AM ET

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Essentially a modernized T-37 with pressurization, the Fairchild T-46 was positioned for success until its ultimate cancellation. [Courtesy: Edwards Air Force Base History Office]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Air Force launched the T-46 program in the 1980s to replace its aging T-37 "Tweet" primary trainer, ultimately selecting Fairchild's design.
Full-scale prototypes of the T-46 experienced significant technical issues, including high drag, stability problems, inadequate stall warnings, and being considerably overweight, despite an earlier successful scaled proof-of-concept.
The T-46 program was canceled in March 1987 due to a combination of these unresolved technical difficulties, Fairchild's internal financial and scheduling struggles, and broader U.S. Congressional cost-cutting measures.

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Since its introduction in 1957, the trusty Cessna T-37 “Tweet” had served the U.S. Air Force well.

It fulfilled primary trainer duties for more than 20 years and was modified to serve as a light ground attack aircraft in the form of the A-37 Dragonfly. However, as the 1980s approached, so did the end of the T-37’s projected life cycle, and military leaders determined a more modern replacement was needed.