History:
Basic flight training in the United States prior
to World War II was generally provided in light
biplanes, which tended to be slow, stable and
tolerant of fledgling pilots. Thus, the majority
of U.S. Army Air Corps primary training in 1940
was still being done in biplanes like the
Boeing-Stearman PT-13/17 series. However, given
the increasingly high-performance nature of the
world's combat aircraft, the Army reasoned that
the primary training was too easy, giving the
beginner a false sense of mastery that could, on
the next leg up, slow down his learning, or even
cause him to fail, when he was prematurely thrust
into more demanding aircraft. Experienced
instructors wanted the primary trainer to be a
monoplane, with higher wing loading that demanded
more careful flying. Such reasoning led the USAAC
to evaluate the Fairchild M62 two-seat monoplane
in 1939.
With a wing loading factor roughly 43 percent
higher than the Boeing-Stearman PT-13, the
Fairchild had a higher stalling speed and required
a good deal more care at low speed, making it
exactly what the Army was looking for, a trainer
that would more nearly resemble the fighter
aircraft the trainees would eventually fly.
Following its evaluation, USAAC ordered 270 of the
craft, with two open cockpits, as the PT-19
"Cornell," powered by a Ranger L-440 six-cylinder,
inverted, air-cooled inline engine of 175
horsepower.
When the Army placed massive orders for primary
trainers, Fairchild increased the plane's power
with an upgraded, 200 hp Ranger engine, and the
plane became the PT-19A. To meet the
increasing demand, the PT-19A was also built by
the Aeronca and St. Louis aircraft companies, with
a total of more than 3,700 built.
More than 900 of a blind-flying version, the
PT-19B, were also built. With its
instruments for blind flying, the PT-19B could be
fitted with a hood over the front cockpit to
simulate blind flying conditions. Fairchild built
774 of the B models, with Aeronca building another
143.
When a shortage of Ranger engines developed,
Fairchild installed a Continental R-670 radial
engine of 220 hp on the PT-19 airframe, that
variant being designated PT-23.
While the less-streamlined engine cowling reduced
the plane's performance slightly, for the training
role the loss was not significant.
The final version of the PT-19 series, an enclosed
version designated the PT-26, was
designed for the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1942
with a canopy over the two cockpits. 670 of the
PT-26s were provided to the RCAF through
Lend-Lease and, in a variation on the Lend-Lease
theme, the U.S. Army Air Force ordered 1,057
PT-26s from the Canadian manufacturer, Fleet
Aircraft, Ltd. All PT-26s were equipped with the
200 hp Ranger engine.
A total of 7,742 Cornells were manufactured for
the AAF, 4,889 of them PT-19s, with additional
Cornells being furnished to Canada, Norway,
Brazil, Ecuador and Chile. [History by Kevin
Murphy]Nicknames: "Cradle of the Air
Force"
Specifications (PT-26A):
Engine: One 200-hp Ranger L-440 six-cylinder
inverted inline piston engine
Weight: Empty 2,022 lbs., Max Takeoff 2,736 lbs.
Wing Span: 36ft. 0in.
Length: 27ft. 8.5in.
Height: 7ft. 7.5in.
Performance:
Maximum Speed: 122 mph
Ceiling: 13,200 ft.
Range: 400 miles
Armament: None
Number Built: 7,742
Number Still Airworthy: At least 100 (all
variants).
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