In September 1955, the first T-37A was completed and took its first flight later that year. The production T-37A was almost the same as the XT-37 with minor modifications to address the issues found in the flight-test program. The wide track and a steerable nose wheel made the XT-37 uncomplicated to operate on the ground. It is also equipped with ejection seats and a tricycle undercarriage with a wide track of 4.3 meters. It has a low and straight wing and powered by two Continental YJ69-T-9s engines which were mounted in the wing roots. On October 12, 1954, the first prototype designated as the XT-37 conducted its maiden flight. There is also a side-by-side seating configuration for the instructor and student. It also included the aircraft’s capability to handle twenty take-offs and landings in a span of two hours, flight handling features that could match those of the latest and innovative fighters, a service ceiling of 35,000 feet with enough high-altitude maneuverability to entirely familiarize students, and a 113-knots maximum traffic pattern speed to guarantee better handling characteristics during low speeds.

The design requirements composed of a lightweight aircraft with an empty weight of 1,814 kg in order to control the cost and intricacy of the trainer. In late 1952, the United States Air Force issued a request for proposal for a Trainer Experimental program, which was for a two-seat trainer that would introduce USAF students to jet aircraft.

Fuel tank capacity military jet