Canadair CT-114 Tutor

  • A Canadian-built and -designed two-seater jet used for pilot training by the RCAF and Canadian Forces from 1963 until 2000; side-by-side seating, reliability and durability made it ideal for training
  • First aircraft designed by Canadair that was not adapted from other aircraft
  • Flown by the Golden Centennaires at Expo 67, a world fair held in Montreal to celebrate Canada’s centenary
  • Best known as the aircraft used in air demonstrations by the Canadian Forces’ aerobatic team, the Snowbirds
Period
1960-1969
Uses
Aerobatics
First Flight
January 13, 1960
Display Status
In Reserve Hangar

Background History

The first aircraft designed from scratch by Canadair, the CT-114 Tutor was developed in the second half of the 1950s in the hope that the Royal Canadian Air Force would buy it to replace its piston-powered trainers. A prototype flew for the first time in January 1960, more than a year and a half before the RCAF signed a production contract with Canadair for 190 aircraft. Twenty additional machines were delivered to the Malaysian air force.

Once in service, the Tutor proved to be both rugged and reliable. It served with distinction with the RCAF and the Canadian Forces for almost four decades. This two-seat jet trainer gained recognition throughout the world at the aircraft of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds air demonstration squadron.

Museum Example

Registration #
114108 (Canadian Forces)
Manufacturer
Canadair Ltd., Canada
Manufacture Date
1963
Construction #
Unknown
Acquisition Date
1999
Provenance
Transfer from Canadian Forces
Museum Catalogue #
1999.0263.001

Built in 1963, this Tutor served as an RCAF training aircraft for a number of years. It was later transferred to the Snowbirds and used for air demonstrations. The number 10 on the vertical tail represents this Tutor’s formation number. Usually seven or nine aircraft make up Snowbird formations — using ten or eleven is very rare. The option of including this Tutor would only have arisen when such a large formation was needed. The Canadian Forces donated the aircraft to the Museum in 1999.

Technical Specifications

 
Wing Span 11. 1 m (36 ft 6 in)
Length 9.75 m (32 ft)
Height 2.8 m (9 ft 3 in)
Weight, Empty 2,220 kg (4,895 lb)
Weight, Gross 3,532 kg (7,788 lb)
Cruising Speed Unknown
Max Speed 800 km/h (498 mph)
Rate of Climb Unknown
Service Ceiling 13,100 m (43,000 ft)
Range 1,002 km (623 mi)
Power Plant One Orenda (General Electric) J85-CAN-40 turbojet, 1,338 kg (2,950 lb) static thrust