The Consolidated O-17 Courier (company designation Model 2) was an observation and training aircraft used by the

United States National Guard The National Guard is a state-based military force that becomes part of the reserve components of the United States Army and the United States Air Force when activated for federal missions.Consolidated PT-3 The Consolidated Aircraft Company, Consolidated Model 2 was a training airplane used by the United States Army Air Corps, under the designation PT-3 and the United States Navy under the designation Consolidated NY, NY-1. Development Seeing the ...

series, the XO-17 was a converted PT-3 with such refinements as improved fuselage streamlining, oleo shock absorbers, wheel brakes, balanced elevators and increased fuel capacity. It was used almost exclusively as a cross-country flying, gunnery, photographic and radio trainer. The O-17 had a removable fairing (carrying a Scarff ring mounting for one .30 cal (7.62 mm) trainable

Browning machine gun Browning machine guns are a family of machine gun designs by John Browning, a prolific weapon designer. These include: *M1895 Colt–Browning machine gun, based on a design dating to 1889, was the first successful gas-operated machine gun to ent ...

}. 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 ...

purchased three generally similar aircraft, two Model 7 landplanes and one Model 8 floatplane, the latter with the same float gear as the NY series. The sole XO-17A was converted from the PT-3 as a demonstrator that failed to secure any orders. It was later fitted with the experimental

Packard DR-980 The Packard DR-980 is an American nine-cylinder air-cooled aircraft Diesel engine first certificated in 1930. The engine was unpopular despite its economy and reliability due to the unpleasant nature of its diesel exhaust fumes an ...

Diesel engine of 225 hp (168 kW). The Model 15 was also an O-17 type airframe fitted with a

Pratt & Whitney R-1340 The Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp is an aircraft engine of the reciprocating type that was widely used in American aircraft from the 1920s onward. It was the Pratt & Whitney aircraft company's first engine, and the first of the famed Wasp series ...

engine. It too failed to win any contracts.

Variants

;XO-17 (prototype) :

Consolidated PT-3 The Consolidated Aircraft Company, Consolidated Model 2 was a training airplane used by the United States Army Air Corps, under the designation PT-3 and the United States Navy under the designation Consolidated NY, NY-1. Development Seeing the ...

Conversion with a 225 hp (168 kW)

Wright R-790 The Wright R-790 Whirlwind was a series of nine-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by Wright Aeronautical Corporation, with a total displacement of about and around . These engines were the earliest members of the Wright Whir ...

-1 engine, streamlined fuselage, modified undercarriage, increased fuel capacity, provision for dual controls and a dorsal 0.3 in (7.62 mm) gun, one conversion. ;O-17 Model 2 Courier :Production version for United States National Guard use, 29 built. ;XO-17A (prototype) :One

converted with a Wright R-790-3 engine intended for export. ;Model 7 (RCAF landplane) :Royal Canadian Air Force, two built. ;Model 8 (RCAF floatplane) :Royal Canadian Air Force, one built. ;XPT-8 (demonstrator) :The airframe of the XO-17A prototype fitted with a

Diesel engine of 225 hp (168 kw), scrapped in 1932. ;XPT-8A :A single PT-3A (''29-115'') similarly converted with a

Diesel engine with Project Number 'P-564', but returned to PT-3A configuration. The airframe was subsequently lost in a fatal midair with a P-12C of the

17th Pursuit Squadron 17 (seventeen) is the natural number following 16 and preceding 18. It is a prime number. Seventeen is the sum of the first four prime numbers. In mathematics 17 is the seventh prime number, which makes seventeen the fourth super-prime, as s ...

2 miles W of

New Baltimore, Michigan New Baltimore is a city in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 12,117 at the 2020 census. New Baltimore is a northern suburb of Metro Detroit and is located along the northern shores of Lake St. Clair. History Ne ...

on 17 December 1931. ;Model 15 (demonstrator) :Conversion with a

engine.

Operators

; *

Consolidated_Courier_3-view_L'Air_April_15,1928

References

{{USAF trainer aircraft Consolidated O-17 O-17 Single-engined tractor aircraft Biplanes Aircraft first flown in 1927

Variants

Operators

See also

References