History:
35 years ago, a disassembled but complete Fairchild PT-19 (M62A) was trucked to Flabob and stored in a small hangar. Over the years, the owners paid rent faithfully; but lost interest and abandoned the aircraft. Eventually, the hangar doors jammed with dirt, and inches of dust hid the sleeping warbird. In 2007, the remaining living owner donated the aircraft to Flabob, the doors were pried open, and the hidden treasure was revealed.
The abandoned PT-19 was a natural for Don Newman, it would be his second, and a chance for him to regain a Fairchild. When he submitted his request to Homestead the project, the Wathen Foundation Trustees approved unanimously. Don set to work with gusto, first rebuilding the dusty old hangar that held the aircraft, then on to the tedious work of rebuilding a 70 year- old wooden airplane. Pops does everything with craftsman- like precision; soon the beautiful Fairchild emerged, restored exactly as it served at Garner Field, Uvalde, Texas in WWII. Pops says “I kinda got it down on the second airplane, took me a year less; I remembered valuable lessons from the first project.”
The first flight was on October 26th, all of Flabob was elated, but the biggest grin of all was on the face of Pops who took his beautiful one dollar “airplane in a barn” out of the shadows and into the sky.
Registration Number | Date of Manufacture |
N-48671 | 1941 |
Aircraft Role | Nickname |
Primary Trainer | Cradle of Heroes |
Aircraft Type: | Wingspan: |
Fairchild PT-19/PT-23/PT-26 | 36 feet |
Overall length: | Empty weight: |
27 feet 8.5 inches | 2022 pounds |
Gross weight: | Fuel capacity: |
2736 pounds | 400 miles |
Oil capacity | Engine type: |
4 Gal. | Single 200 hp Ranger L440 inverted inline piston engine, or 220 hp Continental W670 radial piston en |
Propeller type: | Max Speed |
122 mph | |
Rate of Climb | Cruise Speed |
95 mph | |
Service Ceiling | Number of Crew |
13,200 feet | Two Tandem |
Armament | Bomb Load |
None | None |
Number Built | Number Surviving |
7742 all variants | 100+ all variants |
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Restoration Images
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Links
http://eaach1.org/pt19pics.html
http://www.antiqueairfield.com/articles/show/1034-don-pops-newman-s-pt-19-first-flight
Printable QR Codes for: Acme Flyers Fairchild PT-19:
Please read before printing the Avery style labels
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