Cessna AT-17 Bobcat

what is it?

The Cessna AT-17 Bobcat or Cessna Crane is a twin-engine advanced trainer aircraft designed and made in the United States, and used during World War II to bridge the gap between single-engine trainers and larger multi-engine combat aircraft. The commercial version was the Model T-50, from which the military versions were developed. Additional versions and names include the AT-8 trainer, UC-78 transport and bomber, and the Crane Mk.I in Canadian service.

🔎How to recognise it: 2 piston engines with propellers · 12.8 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 314 km/htop speed
• size 2,750 kgmax take-off weight
• built 5,422made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 87 years ago, in 1939.
• 🏎️Top speed is 2.4× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 12.8 m: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1939-03-26

introduced

1939

status

retired

number built

5,422

role

trainer, five-seat light transport and utility aircraft

makers

Cessna

engines

2× Jacobs R-755-9

length

10 m

wingspan

12.8 m

height

3 m

max take-off weight

2,750 kg

top speed

314 km/h

cruise speed

282 km/h

range

—

ceiling

6,706 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.