The story
Built in Hamilton, New Zealand, the CT-4 descends from the Victa Airtourer by way of the four-seat Aircruiser, and it became the aircraft a generation of Australian, New Zealand and Thai military pilots learned on. It is fully aerobatic, sits instructor and student side by side under a bubble canopy, and the later CT-4E swapped the original 210-horsepower Continental for a 300-horsepower Lycoming. Australia's basic trainers gave way to the PC-21 in 2019 and New Zealand's to the T-6 in 2014, but the Royal Thai Air Force has flown the type since 1973 and ordered five new ones in 2026, which restarted the production line after fourteen years.
Australian crews called it the Plastic Parrot for its gaudy green-and-yellow scheme and how light it felt after the Winjeel it replaced. It is actually all-aluminium.
Quick answers
How do you identify a CT-4 Airtrainer?
Low wing, fixed gear, big bubble canopy, and a tail that looks a size too large. Military trainer paint, often a bright orange or yellow scheme. Almost always within a few miles of a training base; in Australia the ex-air force ones now train Singaporean cadets at Jandakot.
What does a CT-4 Airtrainer sound like?
A flat piston drone with a sharper edge on the 300-hp CT-4E; aerobatic passes bring a propeller snarl.
How fast is the CT-4 Airtrainer?
Top speed is 208 kts (CT-4E).
How many passengers does the CT-4 Airtrainer carry?
Up to 2. A typical layout is Instructor and student side by side, with an optional third seat behind.
How far can the CT-4 Airtrainer fly?
Range is about 520 nmi.
How big is the CT-4 Airtrainer?
It is 23 ft 5 in (CT-4E) long and 26 ft 0 in across the wings.
When did the CT-4 Airtrainer first fly?
Its first flight was in 1972.
How many CT-4 Airtrainers have been built?
About 155, with new production for Thailand from 2026 built.
How rare is a CT-4 Airtrainer in Bogey?
UNCOMMON. Not rare, but not every day either. Worth looking up for. Your first CT-4 Airtrainer catch is worth 50 points.
