On this day in aviation history, 62 years ago (October 29, 1963), the Canadair CT-114 Tutor officially entered service with the Royal Canadian Air Force. Known internally by Canadair as the CL-41, the Tutor is a jet trainer that was developed for the RCAF. The development of the aircraft began as a private venture by Canadair, earning an order from the Canadian government a year after the aircraft’s flight testing began. The CT-114 is still flown in the service today by the RCAF’s 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, more commonly known as the Snowbirds.
In addition to the Canadian Armed Forces, the CL-41 was also flown by the Royal Malaysian Air Force in a ground-attack role. Classified as the CL-41G, this Tutor variant was known as the Tebuan (Hornet) while in service with the RMAF. A total of 20 CL-41Gs were built. Canadair’s CL-41A training variant is powered by an Orenda J85-CAN-40 turbojet engine, capable of producing 2,650 pounds of thrust. The Tutor has a crew of two, traditionally a student and an instructor. The aircraft’s maximum speed is 486 miles per hour, and its rate of climb is 4,220 feet per minute. CT-114s have a range of 820 nautical miles and a service ceiling of 44,500 feet. Two hardpoints under the fuselage provide a means for armament or external fuel tanks.
Canadair built 212 CL-41 Tutors between 1963 and 1966, and, aside from the Snowbirds, the aircraft has been retired in the Canadian Armed Forces since 2000. The CT-114 was ultimately replaced by the CT-155 Hawk and CT-156 Harvard training aircraft. A number of Tutors remain on display across Canada, serving as “gate guards” or museum pieces. Four variants of the CL-41 show in the FAA registry as being registered to individual owners within the United States – possibly airworthy or in restoration. The RCAF Snowbirds continue to fly this unique aircraft – as they have since 1971.
Since a Canadian Department of National Defence study in 2003, the topic of replacing the CT-114 as the Snowbirds demonstration platform has surfaced from time to time. The Tutor’s age is the main issue in the debates, considering the airframe fatigue and scarcity of replacement parts. The Canadian Government proposed the Tutor Life Extension Program, which had planned to extend the use of the Tutor fleet to 2030, working with contractor L3Harris to upgrade the aircraft’s avionics and other safety systems. No decision has been made yet, and until then, the Snowbirds will continue to fly the CT-114 in all its glory – while demonstrating the aircraft’s unique charm.
(Wikimedia Commons)
