Beechcraft CT-134 Musketeer

CT-134 Musketeer

CT-134As from 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School at CFB Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, 1982.
Role	Basic trainer
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Beech Aircraft Corporation
Introduction	1971
Retired	1992
Primary user	Canadian Armed Forces
Number built	48
Developed from	Beechcraft Musketeer

The Beechcraft CT-134 Musketeer was a military training derivative of the Musketeer built by Beechcraft for the Canadian Forces. The CT-134 was a single engine, low-wing, four-seat light aircraft with fixed landing gear and a limited aerobatic capability.

Design and development

In the early 1960s the Royal Canadian Air Force’s standard elementary training aircraft was the de Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk. Flight instruction was completed by student pilots on the DHC-1 before they progressed to the then-brand-new Canadair CT-114 Tutor jet trainer. A decision was made by RCAF HQ to remove the DHC-1s from service and not replace them, as it was felt that the CT-114 was easy enough to fly that initial training was not needed. The CT-114 quickly developed a wash-out rate of near 95% amongst student jet pilots and it was clear that an elementary trainer was needed. Due to the RCAF’s previous customer relationship with Beechcraft while operating that company's Expeditor twin-engine aircraft, a hasty purchase of twenty-four B23 Musketeers was made in 1971.^[1] The first CT-134 arrived at CFB Portage la Prairie on March 23, 1971.^[2]

The new trainers were designated CT-134 Musketeer in the then Canadian Armed Forces. The aircraft purchased were standard Model B23s equipped with the O-360-A4G engine of 180 bhp (130 kW), modified by the addition of a cowling strake, horizontal stabilizer strake and ventral fin to improve spin recovery performance. They were initially serial numbered as 13401-13424, but were re-numbered 134001-134024 to avoid confusion with other CF aircraft serial numbers.^[1]

The initial batch of CT-134s was replaced in late 1981 with a purchase of twenty-four more aircraft. These were 1982 model Beechcraft C23 Sundowners and were designated by the CF as CT-134A Musketeer II. These were numbered 134025-134048.^[1]

The CT-134 was approved for limited aerobatics, including loops, rolls, chandelles and lazy eights^[3]

Operational history

Both batches of Musketeers served with 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School and the Canadian Forces Flying Instructor School at CFB Portage la Prairie Manitoba and the Canadian Forces Central Flying School in Winnipeg until they were replaced by Slingsby Fireflys operated under contract by Bombardier Aerospace in 1992. During their 21 years of service the CT-134 and CT-134A fleet at 3 CFFTS trained about 5000 Canadian military pilot graduates.

In operational service the CT-134 suffered very few accidents. One of the few serious accidents occurred on 23 March 1990 when Musketeer 134229 had an engine failure on take-off from Erickson Municipal Airport at Erickson, Manitoba while giving familiarization flights to Royal Canadian Air Cadets. The accident was caused by fuel starvation and the aircraft was written off.^[4]

Maintenance of the CT-134 fleet was primarily carried out by the CFB Portage la Prairie Base Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Organization, with Depot Level Inspection and Repair (DLIR) being conducted by Field Aviation at Calgary International Airport in Calgary, Alberta.^[4]

Upon retirement the CT-134s and CT-134As were not sold for flying use due to the structural problems they all suffered from years of aerobatics.^[5] Instead they were donated to museums or used for air force and civil maintenance training. Some CT-134s still serve as monuments at a few current and former Canadian Forces Bases as well as Royal Canadian Legion halls, a distinction held by very few light aircraft in this class.,^[1]

In Canadian military service the aircraft was referred to by student and instructor pilots by the nickname Muskrat.^[1]

Variants

CT-134: Military version of the B23 Musketeer, powered by a Lycoming O-360-A4G powerplant of 180 hp,^[3] 24 built.
CT-134A: Military version of the C23 Sundowner, powered by a Lycoming O-360-A4K powerplant of 180 hp^[6] 24 built.

Military operators

Canada

Canadian Armed Forces/Canadian Forces
- 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School
- Canadian Forces Central Flying School
- Canadian Forces Flying Instructor School

Specifications

Data from C-12-134-000/MC-000 Operating Checklist Musketeer CT 134, CFTMPC, 10 Jul 79

General characteristics

Crew: Student and instructor
Capacity: 2 passengers
Length: 25 ft 8.5 in (7.85 m)
Wingspan: 32 ft 9 in (10.00 m)
Height: 8 ft 2.4 in (2.50 m)
Wing area: 146 ft² (13.6 m²)
Airfoil: NACA 63A415^[7]
Empty weight: 1,560 lb (707 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 2,450 lb (normal) / 2,150 lb (aerobatic) (1,110 kg/ 974 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming O-360-A4G air-cooled, 4-cylinder piston engine, 180 hp (136 kW)

Performance

Never exceed speed: 152 knots (283 km/h)
Maximum speed: 124 knots (231 km/h)
Range: 675 miles (1,257 km)
Service ceiling: 13,000 ft (3,962 m)
Rate of climb: 880 ft/min (268 m/min)
Wing loading: 16.8 lb/ft² (82 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 13.6 lb/hp (8.2 kg/kW)

References

1 2 3 4 5 Air Force Public Affairs / Department of National Defence (2004-04-06). "Beech CT-134 Musketeer". Retrieved 2007-09-17.
↑ Milberry, Larry: Sixty Years - The RCAF and Air Command 1924-1984, page 384. McGraw Hill Ryerson Canav Books, 1984. ISBN 0-07-549484-1
1 2 DAOT: C-12-134-000/MC-000 Canadian Forces Technical Order Operating Checklist Musketeer CT 134,, CFTMPC, 10 Jul 79
1 2 Milberry, Larry: Aircom: Canada's Air Force, pages 82-83. Canav Books, 1991. ISBN 0-921022-05-0
↑ AEROWARE / RCAF.com (n.d.). "Beech CT-134 MUSKETEER". Retrieved 2008-04-01.
↑ DAOT: C-12-134-A00/MC-000 Canadian Forces Technical Order Operating Checklist Musketeer CT 134A,, CFTMPC, 06 Jan 83
↑ Lednicer, David (October 2007). "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". Archived from the original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-28.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Beechcraft Musketeer.

Canadian Forces Official CT-134 Musketeer history page

Beechcraft, Raytheon Aircraft and Hawker Beechcraft aircraft models

Beechcraft designation	16 17 18 19 23 24 25 26 28 33 34 35 36 38 40 45 46 50 55 56 58 60 65 70 73 76 77 80 85 87 88 90 95 99 100 101 120 200 300 350 390 400 1074 1079 1300 1900 2000

Military	XA-38 AT-7 AT-10 AT-11 C-43 C-45 C-6 C-12 F-2 L-23 T-1 T-6 T-34 XT-36 T-42 T-44 U-8 U-21 GB JB-1 JRB SNB CT-128 CT-134 CT-145 CT-156

Drone	QU-22 AQM-37 MQM-61A MQM-107

Hawker business jet line	Hawker 200 Hawker 400XP Hawker 750 / 800 / 800XP / 850XP / 900XP series Hawker 1000 Hawker 4000

Canadian Forces post-1968 unified aircraft designations

100–119	CF-100 CF-101 102–103 skipped CF-104 CF-105 CC-106 CP-107 CC-108 CC-109 CSR-110 CF-111 CH-112 CH-113 CT-114 CC-115 CF-116 CC-117 CH-118 CO-119 CO-119(2)

120–139	CT-120 CP-121 CP-122 CSR-123/CC-123 CH-124 CH-125 CH-126 CH-127 CT-128 CC-129 CC-130 CX-131 CC-132 CT-133 CT-134 CH-135 CH-136 CC-137 CC-138 CH-139

140–159	CP-140 CC-141 CT-142 CH-143 CC-144/CE-144 CT-145 CH-146 CH-147 CH-148 CH-149 CC-150 151–154 skipped CT-155 CT-156 157–159 skipped CU-160

160–	CU-161 CU-162 CU-163 164–166 skipped CU-167 CU-168 169 skipped CU-170 171–176 skipped CC-177 CH-178 179–187 skipped CF-188

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