Consolidated PT-1

Consolidated PT-1
PT-1 of the second construction lot with a round hull back
Type:	Double Decker - training aircraft
Design country:	United States
Manufacturer:	Consolidated Aircraft Corp.
First flight:	Summer 1924 (TW-8, 23-1253)
Commissioning:	1924
Number of pieces:	220

The Consolidated PT-1 (internal designation: Model 1, nickname: Trusty) is a biplane - trainer aircraft of the US manufacturer Consolidated Aircraft Corp. The PT-1, together with the variant PT-3, formed the most important component of the beginner training of the United States Army Air Service (USAAS) and the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) that followed in 1926 from 1925 to the mid-1930s .

history

The basis for the development of the PT-1 was the Consolidated TW-3 with two seats next to each other. However, this arrangement offered only limited visibility during training, so that Consolidated received official approval at the end of 1923 to redesign the hull and deliver a new prototype. Under the provisional designation TW-8, the prototype came to McCook Field in June 1924 . The fuselage now had a narrower cross-section and was lengthened by 1.55 m compared to the TW-3 because of the two seats arranged one behind the other.

After successful testing, Consolidated received a number of orders in 1924 and 1925 to build 220 series aircraft under the new designation PT-1. In the first construction lot, the upper fuselage area behind the rear cockpit was still flat, while the 170 machines in the second construction lot had an attached, rounded back of the fuselage. On these machines, the engine cowling was also removed from the start to ensure better downward visibility and better maintenance access. A PT-1 (27-149) was equipped with a Wright J-5 radial engine and tested in the fall of 1927 at Wright Field , the former McCook Field, under the designation XPT-2 and led to the PT-3 .

While the procurement of the TA-3 and TW-3 served to increase the number of available training aircraft, the procurement of the PT-1 in large numbers in 1924 and 1925 meant an exchange of the entire stock of aircraft used for beginner training. When the new PT-3 were put into service in 1928 and 1929, the PT-1 was largely decommissioned and transferred to the National Guard , where it replaced the Jennys in training in 18 different squadrons .

The PT-1 also received a civil type certificate (Approved Type Certificate ATC # 79) in November 1928. However, there was no intention to offer the machine on the civil market; rather, the issuing of an ATC number was seen as an honorable distinction from the manufacturer and as confirmation of the guaranteed properties.

construction

The hull structure of the single-handled biplane consisted of welded steel tubes, with additional wooden elements in the upper part forming a rounded hull back. The hull was covered with fabric. The wings had solid wood ribs and composite wood ribs. The wings were also covered with fabric. Two fuel tanks were located in the middle part of the upper wing and had a total capacity of 151 L. The fixed undercarriage, made of round, uncovered steel tubes, had a split axle and a grinding spur. The ailerons at the top and bottom of each wing half were connected in pairs with steel tubes that acted as tie rods. All rudders were aerodynamically balanced.

Technical specifications

Parameter	Data
crew	2
length	8.44 m
span	10.60 m
Wing depth	1.42 m
height	3.00 m
Wing area	27.78 m²
payload	324 kg
Empty mass	819 kg
Max. Takeoff mass	1143 kg
Marching speed	126 km / h
Top speed	147 km / h
Landing speed	75 km / h
Service ceiling	4270 m
Range	560 km
Engines	1 × Wright-Hisso E (Hispano-Suiza) eight-cylinder V-engine with 180 PS (134 kW)

Preserved copies

• 26-233 in the National Museum of the United States Air Force , Dayton (Ohio)
• 27-250 at the San Diego Air and Space Museum , San Diego, California

See also

• List of aircraft types

literature

• Joseph P. Juptner: US Civil Aircraft Series Volume 1 , Aero Publishers, 1962, no ISBN, p. 197 f.
• John M. Andrade: US Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909 , Midland Counties Publ., 1979, ISBN 0-904597-22-9 , p. 157
• John Wegg: General Dynamics Aircraft and their Predecessors , Putnam Aeronautical, 1990, ISBN 0-85177-833-X , pp. 50-53
• ER Johnson: American Military Training Aircraft , McFarland and Co., 2015, ISBN 978-0-7864-7094-5 , pp. 53-58

Web links

Commons : Consolidated PT-1  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ JP Juptner, 1962, p. 197
2. ↑ JP Juptner, 1962, p. 198