VINTAGE FLYING MACHINES
FLYING MUSEUM
Fairchild PT-26
Our Fairchild PT-26 was built. The PT-26 is also known as the M62A and the British
Cornell. The open cockpit version of this plane is called a PT-19. This primary trainer
was the first plane our WWII pilots flew before moving on to Basic trainers, Advanced
Trainers and single seat fighters or bombers.
The PT-26 is primarily wood construction with wood veneer and fabric covering. The PT-
26 was primarily used by the Canadians since it has an enclosed cockpit. The inverted
6 cylinder Ranger 440 engine has 200HP and a sleek looking profile. This plane was
also built with a radial engine and called a PT-23. The PT-26 has a top speed of
187MPH and burns an average of 12 gallons per hour at a cruise speed of 107PH. Stall
speed is a low 61 MPH.
Fleet Aircraft of Canada Ltd of Canada manufactured 1,600 PT-26A Cornell IIs. VFM's
PT-26A was built in 1943 with serial number FT-727 as model M-62A-3, the equivalent
version to the USAAF's PT-26A trainer. It is painted in its original Royal Canadian Air
Force colors.