T-41 Mescalero

At an aeroclub such as Sanicole, you’d expect to find a popular touring aircraft like the Cessna 172. Did you know that aircraft also had an impressive military career? In the International Sanicole Airshow static park, you will be able to discover a Cessna 172 wearing the colours of its military variant: the T-41 Mescalero.

Countless countries relied on the T-41 Mescalero for their initial pilot training. In Europe, for instance, Greece and Turkey retired their T-41s relatively recently. At Sanicole, you will be able to find an aircraft wearing the US Army colour scheme. For the Army, the aircraft played a key role in initial pilot screening and training, helping cadets transition into more advanced flight programs. The T-41 featured minor modifications from the civilian model, such as a more powerful engine in later variants and military avionics. Its simplicity, reliability, and low operating cost made it an ideal platform for basic flight instruction during the Vietnamese war era, so it is a very apt inclusion given our central theme this year. The US Army had over 255 T-41s in service which contributed significantly to their ability to train sufficient aircrew for their war effort.

Be sure to catch this interesting paint scheme in the static park on 13 & 14 September 2025 at Hechtel-Eksel.