The Fairchild PT-19 (company designation Fairchild M62) is an American
monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...
primary
trainer aircraft
A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate flight training of pilots and aircrews. The use of a dedicated trainer aircraft with additional safety features—such as tandem flight controls, forgiving flight characteristi ...
that served with the
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
,
RAF
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
and
RCAF
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environme ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Designed by
Fairchild Aircraft
Fairchild was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company based at various times in Farmingdale, New York; Hagerstown, Maryland; and San Antonio, Texas.
History
Early aircraft
The company was founded by Sherman Fairchild in 1 ...
, it was a contemporary of the
Kaydet biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
trainer, and was used by the USAAF during Primary Flying Training. As with other USAAF trainers of the period, the PT-19 had multiple designations based on the powerplant installed.
Design and development
The PT-19 series was developed from the Fairchild M-62 when the USAAC first ordered the aircraft in 1940 as part of its expansion program. The
cantilever
A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a canti ...
low-wing monoplane with
fixed landing gear and
tailwheel
Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the center of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms ...
design was based on a two-place, tandem-seat, open
cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft or spacecraft, from which a Pilot in command, pilot controls the aircraft.
The cockpit of an aircraft contains flight instruments on an instrument panel, and the ...
arrangement. The simple but rugged construction included a fabric-covered welded steel tube
fuselage
The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraft t ...
. The remainder of the aircraft used plywood construction, with a plywood-sheathed center section, outer wing panels and
tail assembly
The empennage ( or ), also known as the tail or tail assembly, is a structure at the rear of an aircraft that provides stability during flight, in a way similar to the feathers on an arrow.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third e ...
. The use of an
inline engine allowed for a narrow frontal area which was ideal for visibility while the widely set-apart fixed landing gear allowed for solid and stable ground handling.
![Fairchild Cornell Cockpit Port Side](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Fairchild_Cornell_Cockpit_Port_Side.JPG)
The M-62 first flew in May 1939 and won a fly-off competition later that year against 17 other designs for the new Army training airplane. Fairchild was awarded its first Army PT contract for an initial order on 22 September 1939.
The original production batch of 275 were powered by the
inline 175 hp
Ranger L-440-1 engine and designated the PT-19. In 1941, mass production began and 3,181 of the PT-19A model, powered by the 200 hp L-440-3, were made by
Fairchild Fairchild may refer to:
Organizations
* Fairchild Aerial Surveys, operated in cooperation with a subsidiary of Fairey Aviation Company
* Fairchild Camera and Instrument
* List of Sherman Fairchild companies, "Fairchild" companies
* Fairchild Fash ...
. An additional 477 were built by
Aeronca
Aeronca, contracted from Aeronautical Corporation of America, located in Middletown, Ohio, is a US manufacturer of engine components and airframe structures for commercial aviation and the defense industry, and a former aircraft manufacturer. Fr ...
and 44 by the St. Louis Aircraft Corporation. The PT-19B, of which 917 were built, was equipped for instrument flight training by attaching a collapsible hood to the front cockpit.
When a shortage of engines threatened production, the PT-23 model was introduced which was identical except for the 220 hp
Continental R-670
The Continental R-670 (factory designation W670) was a seven-cylinder four-cycle radial aircraft engine produced by Continental displacing 668 cubic inches (11 litres) and a dry weight of . Horsepower varied from 210 to 240 at 2,200 rpm. The eng ...
radial
Radial is a geometric term of location which may refer to:
Mathematics and Direction
* Vector (geometric)
In mathematics, physics, and engineering, a Euclidean vector or simply a vector (sometimes called a geometric vector or spatial vector) ...
powerplant. A total of 869 PT-23s were built as well as 256 of the PT-23A, which was the instrument flight-equipped version. The PT-23 was manufactured in the US by Fairchild, Aeronca,
St. Louis Aircraft Corporation
St. Louis Aircraft Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer founded in September 1917.
In 1915, the St. Louis Car Company had been approached by Thomas W. Benoist to build 1000 flying boats. A prototype was built, but the concept did n ...
and
Howard Aircraft Corporation
Howard Aircraft Corporation was a small United States aircraft manufacturer in the 1930s and 1940s. The factory was initially on the south side of Chicago Municipal Airport at 5301 W. 65th Street; during World War II a second plant was opened at D ...
and in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
by
Fleet Aircraft Corporation as well as Fabrica do Galeao in
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
(220 or 232 between 1944 and 1948).
During 1943, USAAF Training Command received a number of complaints about durability issues with the plywood wings of the PT-19 and the PT-23 when exposed to the high heat and/or humidity of training bases located in Texas and Florida.
Maintenance officers at the USAAF overhaul depots had been forced to order replacement of the wooden wing sections after only two to three months' active service because of wood rot and ply separation issues.
[Sessums, Col. J.W]
''Design and Engineering Problems of Aircraft Production''.
14 May 1946, pp. 6–8. Subsequent to this incident, the USAAF incorporated a demand for all-metal wing sections on all future fixed-wing training aircraft.
The final variant was the PT-26 which used the L-440-7 engine. The Canadian-built versions of these were designated the Cornell for use by the
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), or Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) often referred to as simply "The Plan", was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zea ...
which was centered in Canada.
Operational history
![Fairchild PT-23 Cornell N64138 EDW AFB 06](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Fairchild_PT-23_Cornell_N64138_EDW_AFB_06.05.90R_edited-3.jpg)
Compared to the earlier
biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
trainers, the Fairchild PT-19 provided a more advanced type of aircraft. Speeds were higher and wing loading more closely approximated that of combat aircraft, with flight characteristics demanding more precision and care. Its virtues were that it was inexpensive, simple to maintain and, most of all, virtually viceless. The PT-19 truly lived up to its nickname, the Cradle of Heroes. It was one of a handful of primary trainer designs that were the first stop on a cadet's way to becoming a combat pilot.
These planes were delivered to various bases all over the country by WASPs (Women's Airforce Service Pilots) between 1942-1944.
Thousands of the PT-19 series were rapidly integrated into the United States and Commonwealth training programs, serving throughout World War II and beyond. Even after their retirement in the late 1940s, a substantial number found their way onto the United States and other civil registers, being flown by private pilot owners.
Variants
![PT26Landing](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/PT26Landing.jpg)
;PT-19
:Initial production variant of the Model M62 powered by 175 hp L-440-1, 270 built.
;PT-19A
:As the PT-19 but powered by a 200 hp L-440-3 and detailed changes, redesignated T-19A in 1948, 3226 built.
;PT-19B
:Instrument training version of the PT-19A, 143 built and six conversions from PT-19A.
;XPT-23A
:A PT-19 re-engined with a 220 hp
R-670-5 radial engine.
;PT-23
:Production radial-engined version, 774 built.
;PT-23A
:Instrument training version of the PT-23, 256 built.
;PT-26
:PT-19A variant with enclosed cockpit for the Commonwealth Air Training Scheme, powered by a 200hp L-440-3, 670 built for the
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
as the Cornell I.
;PT-26A
:As PT-26 but with a 200hp L-440-7 engine, 807 built by Fleet as the Cornell II.
;PT-26B
:AS PT-26A with minor changes, 250 built as the Cornell III.
;Cornell I
:RCAF designation for the PT-26.
;Cornell II
:RCAF designation for the PT-26A.
;Cornell III
:RCAF designation for the PT-26B.
Operators
![Fairchild Cornell](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Fairchild_Cornell.jpg)
;
*
Brazilian Air Force
"Wings that protect the country"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march = Hino dos Aviadores
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 22 May (anniver ...
[Andrade 1979, p. 179]
;
*
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
[Andrade 1979, p. 239]
;
*
Chilean Air Force
"With full speed to the stars"
, colours = Indigo White
, colours_label =
, march = Alte Kameraden
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 21 March ...
[Bridgman 1951, p. 6a.]
![PT-26](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/PT-26.jpg)
;
;
*
Colombian Air Force
, "We are the Force"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march = Colombian Air Force Hymn
, mascot = Capitan Paz
, anniversaries = 8 November
, ...
[Bridgman 1948, p. 10a.]
;
*
Ecuadorian Air Force
The Ecuadorian Air Force ( es, Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana, FAE) is the Air arm of the Military of Ecuador and responsible for the protection of the Ecuadorian airspace.
Mission
To develop the military air wing, in order to execute institutional o ...
[Bridgman 1951, p. 7a.]
;
[Bridgman 1951, p. 17a.]
;
*
Guatemalan Air Force
The Guatemalan Air Force ( es, Fuerza Aérea Guatemalteca or ''FAG'') is a small air force composed mostly of U.S.-made aircraft throughout its history. The FAG is a subordinate to the Guatemalan Military and its commanding officer reports to th ...
;
*
Haiti Air Corps
The Haiti Air Corps (french: Corps d'Aviation d'Haiti (Corps d’Aviation de 1’Armee d’Haiti)) was the air force of Haiti from 1942 to 1994. The air corps was disbanded along with the rest of the armed forces after Operation Uphold Democracy, t ...
[''Flight'' 13 May 1955, p. 634.]
;
*
Honduran Air Force
The Honduras Air Force ( es, Fuerza Aérea Hondureña, sometimes abbreviated to FAH in English) is the air force of Honduras. As such it is the air power arm of the Honduras Armed Forces.
History
The first Honduras military flying took place ...
- PT-23
[Bridgman 1948, p. 14a.]
;
*
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...
;
*
Mexican Air Force
The Mexican Air Force (FAM; es, Fuerza Aérea Mexicana) is the primary aerial warfare service branch of the Mexican Armed Forces. It is a component of the Mexican Army and depends on the National Defense Secretariat (SEDENA). The objective of t ...
[''Flight'' 13 May 1955, p. 648.]
;
*
Nicaraguan Air Force
The Nicaraguan Air Force ( es, Fuerza Aérea Nicaragüense) is the air defense branch of the armed forces of Nicaragua. It continues the former Sandinista air units. Before 1979 the Nicaraguan National Guard had some air units ().
Air force
In 1 ...
[''Flight'' 13 May 1955, p. 652.]
;
*
Royal Norwegian Air Force
The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) ( no, Luftforsvaret, , The Air Defence) is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian Armed Forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peacetime establishment is approximatel ...
;
*
Paraguayan Air Arm
The Armed forces of Paraguay ( es, Fuerzas Armadas de Paraguay) consist of the Paraguayan army, navy (including naval aviation and marine corps) and air force.
The constitution of Paraguay establishes the president of Paraguay as the commander- ...
received a few Fairchild M-62s in 1940, followed by 15 Lend-Lease PT-19A in 1942-43.
[Fricker ''Air International'' May 1990, p. 257.] In the 1950s, 14 ex-Brazilian Air Force PT-19s (PT-3FG built under license in Brazil) were received. The last PT-19 was retired in 1972.
;
*
Peruvian Air Force
The Peruvian Air Force ( es, link=no, Fuerza Aérea del Perú, FAP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of air power. Additional missions include assistance in safeguardin ...
[''Flight'' 13 May 1955, p. 653.]
;
*
Philippines Air Force
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) ( tgl, Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas, , Army of the Air of the Philippines) ( es, Ejército Aérea del Filipinas, , Ejército de la Aérea de la Filipinas) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Armed Forc ...
[Bridgman 1951, p. 16a.]
;
*
South African Air Force
"Through hardships to the stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, equipment ...
;
*
Rhodesian Air Force
The Rhodesian Air Force (RhAF) was an air force based in Salisbury (now Harare) which represented several entities under various names between 1935 and 1980: originally serving the British self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia, it was the ...
;
*
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
;
*
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...
/
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
;
*
Uruguayan Air Force
The Uruguayan Air Force ( es, Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya, abbreviated FAU) is the air service branch of the Armed Forces of Uruguay. Originally created as part of the National Army of Uruguay, the Air Force was established as a separate branch on Dec ...
received 17 PT-19As and PT-19Bs under
Lend Lease
Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (), was a policy under which the United States supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and other Allied nations with food, oil, ...
in 1942, with 50 PT-26s being delivered in 1946–1947.
[''Air International'' August 1990, pp. 72–73.]
*
Uruguayan Navy
The National Navy of Uruguay () is a branch of the Armed Forces of Uruguay under the direction of the Ministry of National Defense and the commander in chief of the Navy (''Comandante en Jefe de la Armada'' or COMAR).
History Independence
Unde ...
[Steinemann ''Air International'' February 1992, p. 75.]
;
*
''Aviación Militar'' received 20 PT-19As under Lend Lease.
Surviving aircraft
, there were 98 airworthy aircraft worldwide.
*One example is found at the
Travis Air Force Base Aviation Museum
The Travis Air Force Base Aviation Museum (former names include Travis Air Museum, Jimmy Doolittle Air & Space Museum, and Travis Air Force Base Heritage Center) is an aviation museum located at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California. Th ...
,
Travis Air Force Base
Travis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), located three miles (5 km) east of the central business district of the city of Fairfield, in Solano County, Californi ...
,
Fairfield, California
Fairfield is a city in and the county seat of Solano County, California, in the North Bay sub-region of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is generally considered the midpoint between the cities of San Francisco and Sacramento, approximately fro ...
.
*Another is in storage at the
Reynolds-Alberta Museum
The Reynolds-Alberta Museum is an agricultural, industrial, and transportation museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada. The museum is situated on an property containing the main museum building, an aviation display hangar, and its storage facility. ...
in
Wetaskiwin, Alberta
Wetaskiwin ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. The city is located south of the provincial capital of Edmonton. The city name comes from the Cree word ''wītaskiwinihk'', meaning "the hills where peace was made".
Wetaskiwin is ...
.
*Fairchild PT-26A-FE Cornell II 'N58799' is flying in the Netherlands
*Fairchild PT-19A (283435) is flying in Alabama with the Birmingham Escadrille of the
Commemorative Air Force
The Commemorative Air Force (CAF), formerly known as the Confederate Air Force, is an American non-profit organization based in Dallas, Texas, that preserves and shows historical aircraft at airshows, primarily in the U.S. and Canada.
The CAF h ...
after a 22 year restoration started in 1986.
Specifications (PT-19A)
See also
Notes
Bibliography
* Andrade, John, ''U.S .Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909'' Midland Counties Publications, 1979, .
* Bridgman, Leonard. ''Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1948''. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd., 1948.
* Bridgman, Leonard. ''Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1951–52''. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd., 1951.
* Fricker, John. "Fuerza Aérea Paraguaya: Latin America's vest-pocket air force". ''Air International'', Vol. 38 No. 5, May 1990. pp. 255–261.
*
* Mondey, David. ''American Aircraft of World War II'' (Hamlyn Concise Guide). London: Bounty Books, 2006. .
*
* "Shoestring Top Cover...The Uruguayan Air Force". ''
Air International
''AIR International'' is a British aviation magazine covering current defence aerospace and civil aviation topics. It has been in publication since 1971 and is currently published by Key Publishing Ltd.
History and profile
The magazine was fir ...
'', Vol. 39 No. 2, August 1990. pp. 65–73.
* Steinemann, Peter. "Protector of the Plate". ''
Air International
''AIR International'' is a British aviation magazine covering current defence aerospace and civil aviation topics. It has been in publication since 1971 and is currently published by Key Publishing Ltd.
History and profile
The magazine was fir ...
'', Vol. 42, No. 2, February 1992. pp. 73–78. .
* Swanborough, F.G. and
Peter M. Bowers
Peter M. Bowers (May 15, 1918 – April 27, 2003) was an aeronautical engineer, airplane designer, and a journalist and historian specializing in the field of aviation. . ''United States Military Aircraft since 1909''. London: Putnam, 1963.
* Taylor, Michael J.H. ''Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation Vol. 3''. London: Studio Editions, 1989. .
* "Venezuela Refurbishes Her Aerial Sombrero". ''Air International'', Vol. 5 No. 3, September 1973. pp. 118–124, 150.
"The World's Air Forces" ''
Flight
Flight or flying is the process by which an object moves through a space without contacting any planetary surface, either within an atmosphere (i.e. air flight or aviation) or through the vacuum of outer space (i.e. spaceflight). This can be a ...
''. Vol. 67, No. 2416, 13 May 1955. pp. 615–668.
External links
Cavanaugh Flight Museum PT-19Golden Wings Flying Museum Fairchild PT-19A
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fairchild Pt-19
Low-wing aircraft
Single-engined tractor aircraft
1930s United States military trainer aircraft
World War II trainer aircraft of the United States
PT-19
The Fairchild PT-19 (company designation Fairchild M62) is an American monoplane primary trainer aircraft that served with the United States Army Air Forces, RAF and RCAF during World War II. Designed by Fairchild Aircraft, it was a contempora ...
Aircraft first flown in 1939