Fairchild M62A
Cornell
CF-CVA (c/n
FV-728)
The Fairchild M62 was designed
as a military low wing monoplane trainer in 1939. Hitherto, most
USAAC trainers had been biplanes, but it was agreed
that monoplanes, with their higher wing loading
would provide would be Air Corps
pilots with more realistic flight attributes. The aircraft
was granted
a civilian Approved Type Certificate (ATC # 724)
although most of the production went into the military
as either PT-19s or
PT-26s. There was a radial engined variety (220 hp
Continental) known as the
PT-23. In addition to
Fairchild, production was also undertaken by Aeronca, St. Louis
Aircraft,
Howard Aircraft and by Fleet in
Canada. The nice photograph above by Leo J. Kohn shows a
Fleet
built ex RCAF Cornell
civilianized after the war. My shot below, was taken at Long
Beach in the
early 1970s and shows an M-62A-3
in pseudo military markings. This was the period when it was just
starting to be chic to paint ex-military machines in
'warbird' paint schemes. Consequently, all it has are the
stars and bars. Evidently the owner didn't realize at the
time that one needed to put unit markings
et al on it, and virtually hide
the civil registration.
Fairchild M-62A-3 Cornell
N58202
(c/n FV-639)