Fairchild T-46

The Fairchild T-46 was an American light jet trainer aircraft of the 1980s, built by Fairchild Republic to replace the Cessna T-37 Tweet in the Air Force Next Generation Trainer program launched in 1981. Fairchild submitted a shoulder-winged twin-tail monoplane powered by two Garrett F109 turbofans, with side-by-side seating, a pressurised cockpit and ejection seats. It was announced the competition winner on 2 July 1982, the Air Force ordered two prototypes with options on 54 production aircraft, and 650 were planned by 1991. The aircraft first flew on 15 October 1985, six months later than planned, but costs had risen significantly and the type was cancelled in 1986 with only three aircraft produced.