Fairchild (1) M-62 Cornell
The Fairchild M-62, built for the US military as the PT-19, PT-23 and PT-26 Cornell, broke from contemporary primary-trainer practice by using a low-wing monoplane rather than a biplane, on the reasoning that pilots destined to fly monoplane fighters should start training in one. Developed at Fairchild's own expense, it beat 17 rival designs in a 1939 Wright Field competition and entered production in 1941 with a fabric-and-plywood airframe built around a welded steel-tube fuselage. Wartime demand outstripped Fairchild's capacity, so Aeronca, Howard and St. Louis Aircraft built it under licence, and it became the primary trainer for tens of thousands of Allied airmen under the Commonwealth Air Training Plan.
Did you know?
Unlike most of its era's primary trainers, the Cornell was a low-wing monoplane, so pilot-candidates started in the same monoplane that would carry them to war.
Specifications
| Length | 8.4 m (28 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 11.2 m (37 ft) |
| Height | 2.3 m (8 ft) |
| Persons on board | 2 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 2 t |
| Range | 400 NM (741 km) |
| Service ceiling | 13,000 ft (3,962 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 10,000 ft (3,048 m) |
| Rate of climb | 650 ft/min (3.3 m/s) |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
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