__NOTOC__ The St. Louis YPT-15 was an American two-seat primary training biplane, built by the St. Louis Aircraft Corporation for use by the

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 ...

. 13 examples of the type were acquired, serving in the late 1930s.

Design and development

The PT-15 was a development of the " off-the-shelf" PT-1W for use by the

U.S. 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 ri ...

, ordered for stop-gap duty in the training of airmen in the build-up to

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 opposing ...

. The wings were fabric covered, but the fuselage was aluminum covered. A single

Wright R-760 The Wright R-760 Whirlwind was a series of seven-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by the Wright Aeronautical division of Curtiss-Wright. These engines had a displacement of 756 in³ (12.4 L) and power ratings of 225-3 ...

radial engine of provided power.Waters 1985, p.50.

Operational history

One prototype PT-1 crashed at Wright field trials on 23 May 1936 bearing the serial number of an older design, the St. Louis PT-35 All thirteen examples of the YPT-15 were locally assigned (as PT-15s) to Parks College

Civilian Pilot Training Program The Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) was a flight training program (1938–1944) sponsored by the United States government with the stated purpose of increasing the number of civilian pilots, though having a clear impact on military prepare ...

. The PT-15 was the only St. Louis design ever acquired by the Army Air Corps.

Variants

;XPT-15 (St. Louis Model PT-1, and PT-1W replacement prototype) :One Model PT-1W obtained for evaluation with a 235 hp Wright Whirlwind R-760ET. ;YPT-15 (St. Louis Model PT-2) :13 pre-production aircraft with changes to instrumentation, 285hp Wright Whirlwind R-760E-1, and larger rudder. Later designated PT-15. There is at least one YPT-15 still in existence. It is located at the

Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum The Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM) is located in Hood River, Oregon, United States, adjacent to the Ken Jernstedt Memorial Airport. WAAAM is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization committed to the preservation of, and educatio ...

Hood River, Oregon The city of Hood River is the seat of Hood River County, Oregon, United States. It is a port on the Columbia River, and is named for the nearby Hood River. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 8,313. It is the only city in Oregon whe ...

and is maintained in airworthy condition.

Specifications (PT-15)

References

;Notes ;Citations ;Bibliography * *

Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft The ''Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft'' was a weekly partwork magazine by Aerospace Publishing (an imprint of Orbis Publishing) which was published in the United Kingdom (and sold in other countries too) during the early 1980s. The magazi ...

, Aerospace Publishing/Orbis Publishing * *

External links