St. Louis YPT-15

YPT-15

Role	Primary trainer
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	St. Louis Aircraft Corporation
Introduction	1940
Primary user	United States Army Air Forces
Number built	14
Developed from	St. Louis PT-1W

The St. Louis YPT-15 was an American two-seat primary training biplane, built by the St. Louis Aircraft Corporation for use by the United States Army Air Corps. 13 examples of the type were acquired, serving in the late 1930s.

Design and development

The PT-15 was a development of the "off-the-shelf" PT-1W for use by the U.S. Army Air Corps, ordered for stop-gap duty in the training of airmen in the build-up to World War II. The wings were fabric covered, but the fuselage was aluminum covered. A single Wright R-760 radial engine of 220 horsepower (160 kW) provided power.^[1]

Operational history

One prototype PT-1 crashed at Wright field trials on 23 May 1936 bearing the serial number of an older design, the St. Louis PT-35^[2] All thirteen examples of the YPT-15 were locally assigned (as PT-15s) to Parks College Civilian Pilot Training Program.^[3]^[4] The PT-15 was the only St. Louis design ever acquired by the Army Air Corps.^[1]

Variants

XPT-15 (St. Louis Model PT-1,and PT-1W replacement prototype): One Model PT-1W obtained for evaluation with a 235 hp Wright Whrilwind R-760ET.^[5]
YPT-15 (St. Louis Model PT-2): 13 pre-production aircraft with changes to instrumentation, 285hp Wright Whirlwind R-760E-1, and larger rudder. Later designated PT-15.^[5]

Specifications (PT-15)

Data from ^[6]

General characteristics

Crew: 2 (instructor and student in tandem)
Length: 26 ft 5 in (8.05 m)
Wingspan: 33 ft 10 in (10.31 m)
Height: 9 ft 5 in (2.87 m)
Wing area: 279.9 sq ft (26.00 m²)
Empty weight: 2,059 lb (934 kg)
Gross weight: 2,766 lb (1,255 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Wright R-760-1 Whirlwind^[5]^[7]^[8]^{[N 1]} 7-cylinder air cooled radial, 225 hp (168 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 130 mph (209 km/h; 113 kn)
Cruise speed: 116 mph (101 kn; 187 km/h) at 75% power
Range: 350 mi (304 nmi; 563 km)
Service ceiling: 15,000 ft (4,572 m)
Rate of climb: 1,000 ft/min (5.1 m/s) initial

References

Notes

↑ Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1942 has the engine type as a 225 hp 7- cylinder Whirlwind R-460-ET but this type number appears to be an error; the other sources give the type used here

Citations

1 2 Waters 1985, p.50.
↑ David W Ostrowski. "The St. Louis Aircraft Company". Skyways: 54.
↑ "The Aviation Enterprises of Oliver Parks,". Gateway News. November 1990.
↑ "Accident Report Parks Air College". Retrieved 1 March 2012.
1 2 3 Andrade, John (1979). U.S.Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Midland Counties Publications. p. 158. ISBN 0-904597-22-9.
↑ Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1942 page 215c
↑ Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft
↑ Fahey page 36

Bibliography

Fahey, James C (1946). US Army Aircraft. New York: Ships & Aircraft Ltd.
Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft, Aerospace Publishing/Orbis Publishing
Bridgman, Leonard (1942). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1942. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co.
Waters, Andrew W. (1985). All the U.S. Air Force Airplanes, 1907-1983. New York: Hippocrene Books. ISBN 978-0870520310.

External links

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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