Curtiss-Wright AT-9

AT-9 Jeep

AT-9A
Role	Advanced twin-engined trainer
Manufacturer	Curtiss-Wright Corporation
First flight	1941
Primary users	United States Army Air Forces United States Air Force
Produced	1941–1943
Number built	792 (including prototype and AT-9A variant)

The Curtiss-Wright AT-9 Jeep was a twin-engined advanced trainer aircraft used by the United States during World War II to bridge the gap between single-engined trainers and twin-engined combat aircraft. The AT-9 had a low-wing cantilever monoplane configuration, retractable landing gear and was powered by two Lycoming R-680-9 radial engines.

Development

Curtiss-Wright anticipated the requirement for this type of "high-performance" aircraft and designed the Curtiss-Wright CW-25, a twin-engined trainer, which possessed the takeoff and landing characteristics of a light bomber. Using the same basic design as the larger Cessna AT-17 Bobcat, the new CW-25 was designed to be simulate the demands of multi-engined operations. The design featured a small layout, grouping two Lycoming R-680-9 radial engines forward and using a retractable tailwheel landing gear to achieve the performance necessary to meet the requirements of an advanced trainer. The single CW-25 prototype acquired for evaluation had a welded steel-tube fuselage structure with the wings, fuselage and tail unit fabric-covered.^[1]

Operational history

Curtiss AT-9A under C-76 Caravan's wing at Curtiss-Wright in 1943.

The first prototype Model 25 flew in 1941 and the production version entered service as the AT-9 in 1942. Named the "Fledgling" by Curtiss-Wright, it commonly became known as the "Jeep" in the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF).^[2] The prototype CW-25 had a fabric-covered steel tube fuselage and fabric-covered wings and tail units, but production AT-9s were of stressed metal skin construction.^[1]

The AT-9 was purposely designed to be less stable and proved to be difficult to fly or land, which made it particularly suitable for teaching new pilots to cope with the demanding flight characteristics of a new generation of high-performance, multi-engined aircraft such as the Martin B-26 Marauder and Lockheed P-38 Lightning.^[1]

A total of 491 AT-9s were built before production ended and a new production run of 300 of the generally similar AT-9A commenced.^[1]

Because of its difficult flying characteristics the AT-9 was not offered for sale to civilians after the war, although many non-flying examples were given to ground schools for training purposes.

Variants

CW-25: Prototype with fabric covered fuselage and tail surfaces
AT-9: Production aircraft with stressed-skin covering and two Lycoming R-680-9 radial engines, 491 built.
AT-9A: AT-9 with Lycoming R-680-11 radial engines and revised hydraulic system, 300 built before production ended in February 1943.

Operators

United States

Survivors

Curtiss AT-9 at the National Museum of the United States Air Force

Two AT-9s survive today with one AT-9A on permanent display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. This aircraft required extensive restoration, and was the product of the museum staff incorporating two incomplete airframes together, along with parts fabricated on site. While the wreckage of an AT-9A recovered from a crash site in 2003 was turned over to the Pima Air & Space Museum for restoration, the aircraft is incomplete and will require a long and extensive restoration for display.

Specifications (AT-9)

Data from Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947^[3]

General characteristics

Crew: two - student and instructor
Length: 31 ft 8 in (9.65 m)
Wingspan: 40 ft 4 in (12.29 m)
Height: 9 ft 10 in (2.99 m)
Wing area: 233 ft² (21.7 m²)
Empty weight: 4,494 lb (2,011 kg)
Loaded weight: 6,060 lb (2,749 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Lycoming R-680-9 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 295 hp (220 kW) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 197 mph (171 knots, 317 km/h)
Cruise speed: 175 mph (152 knots, 282 km/h)
Range: 750 miles (652 nmi, 1,207 km)
Service ceiling: 19,000 ft (5,791 m)
Wing loading: 26 lb/ft² (125 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.10 hp/lb (0.16 kW/kg)
Climb to 10,000 ft (3,050 m): 8.6 min

References

Notes

1 2 3 4 Mondey 2006, p.70.
↑ Shanaberger, Kenneth W. "Curtiss-Wright AT-9 Fledgling/Jeep." KensAviation.com, 2008.
↑ Bowers 1979, p.471.

Bibliography

Bowers, Peter M. Curtiss Aircraft, 1907-1947. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-370-10029-8.
Mondey, David. American Aircraft of World War II (Hamlyn Concise Guide). London: Bounty Books, 2006. ISBN 978-0-7537-1461-4.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Curtiss AT-9 Jeep.

National Museum of the United States Air Force Fact Sheet

Aircraft produced by Curtiss and Curtiss-Wright

Manufacturer
designations

Early types	Golden Flier Reims Racer Hudson Flyer Gordon Bennett Monoplane Beachey Special

Model letters	C D E F FL G GS H HA J K L M MF N NC O JN R S T

Model numbers	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27¹ 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45¹ 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59A/59B 60 61 62 63 64 65¹ 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74¹ 75 76 77 78¹ 79 80¹ 81 82 83¹ 84 85 86 87 88 89¹ 90 91 92¹ 93¹ 94 95 96 97 98 99

"CA" series	CA-1

"CW" series	CW-1 CW-2 CW-3 CW-4 CW-5 CW-6 CW-7 CW-8 CW-9 CW-10 CW-11 CW-12 CW-14 CW-15 CW-16 CW-17 CW-18 CW-19 CW-20 CW-21 CW-22 CW-23 CW-24 CW-25 CW-27 CW-29 CW-32

"X" series	X-100 X-200

Operator & role

Civil

Experimental	No. 1 Model C Tanager

Racers & record	No. 2 Cox Racer

Airliners	Eagle Condor 18 Condor II Kingbird Thrush Commando

Utility	Model D Model E Model F Carrier Pigeon Falcon Robin Lark 6B CW-10 CW-12 CW-15 Sedan CW-16 CW-19W

Army

Ground attack	A-3 A-4 A-5 A-6 A-8 YA-10 A-12 YA-14 A-18 A-25 A-40 XA-43

Bombers	NBS-1 B-2 XNBS-4

Transports	XC-10 C-30 Condor C-46 Commando C-55 Commando C-76 C-113 Commando

Fighters	S 18 PN-1 PW-8 P-1 to P-6 XP-10 P-11 P-14² P-17 XP-18² XP-19² YP-20 XP-21 XP-22 XP-23 XP-31 P-36 P-37 P-40 XP-42 XP-46 XP-53 XP-55 YP-60 XP-62 XP-71 XP-87

Observation	O-1 O-11 O-12 O-13 O-16 O-18 XO-24² O-26 XO-30² O-39 O-40 O-52

Racers	R-6 R-8

Trainers	J L JN Fledgling AT-4 Hawk AT-5 Hawk BT-4 AT-9 Jeep

Experimental	X-19

Licensed	USAO-1 NBS-1/model 30

Navy

Bombers	CT BFC BF2C SBC SB2C XSB3C² XBTC XBT2C

Fighters	HA GS TS-1 FC F2C F3C F4C F5C¹ F6C F7C F8C F9C F10C F11C XF12C F13C XF14C XF15C

Observation/scout	CS/SC S2C XS3C S4C SC OC O2C O3C SOC SO2C SO3C

Trainers	N-9 N2C CW-16 SNC

Transports	RC R4C R5C

Maritime patrol	H-16 F5L HS-1L & HS-2L

Racers & record	NC CR R2C R3C

Export

Bombers	Canada CW-14 Osprey

Martime patrol	H-2, H-4, H-8 & H-16 F5L HS-2L

Fighters	CW-17² CW-21 Demon

Trainers	Canuck CW-14 Osprey CW-16 CW-22

¹ Designation skipped ² Not built

United States trainer aircraft designations, Army/Air Force and Tri-Service systems

Advanced Trainer
(1925-1948)

Basic Combat
(1936-1940)

Basic Trainer
(1930-1948)

Primary Trainer
(1924-1948)

Main sequence
(1948-present)

1948 redesignations	T-6 T-7 T-11 T-13A T-13B/D T-17 T-19

New designations	T-28 T-29 T-30 T-31 T-32 T-33 T-34 T-35 T-36 T-37 T-38 T-39 T-40 T-41 T-42 T-43 T-44 T-45 T-46 T-47 T-48 (I) T-48 (II) CT-49 T-50 T-51 T-52 T-53

Alternate sequences

1962 redesignations	T-1 T-2

1990-1996 sequence	T-1 T-2¹ T-3 T-4¹ T-5¹ T-6

¹ Not assigned

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