Fairchild
PT-19 Primary Flight Trainer Aircraft in World War 2
One
More MissionA Journey from Childhood to War Page 10
Fairchild PT-19 aviones de entrenamiento de
vuelo primario en 2 Guerra Mundial
The
Fairchild PT-19 Aircraft series was developed from the
Fairchild M-62 when the USAAF first ordered the aircraft, just before World War
2 in 1940, as part of its training expansion program. The low-wing monoplane
with fixed landing gear design was based on a two-place, tandem seating, open
cockpit arrangement. The simple but rugged construction included a
fabric-covered welded steel tube fuselage with plywood-covered wood center
section, outer wing panels and tail assembly. The use of an inline engine
allowed for a very narrow frontal area which was ideal for visibility while the
widely set-apart fixed landing gear allowed for solid and stable ground
handling.
The Fairchild PT-19 provided a more advanced type of training
aircraft. Its speeds were higher, its wing loading was more like combat aircraft
with the flight characteristics demanding more precision and care. The PT-19 it
was inexpensive, simple to maintain and most of all it was very reliable, the
PT-19 truly lived up to its nickname - the "Cradle of Heroes." It was one of a
handful of primary trainer designs that were the first stop on a cadet's way to
becoming a combat pilot. Thousands of the PT-19 series were rapidly integrated
into the US and Commonwealth training programs, serving throughout World War 2
and beyond.
A PT-19, What
is that? Someone asked as we eagerly looked at photographs
showing several rows of PT-19's parked in front of a control tower waiting
to fulfill our dreams of flying into the wild blue yonder (words from the
official Air Corps song). I had completed pre-flight training August 30, 1943 and the next day, September
1, 1943, was sent to the Primary Training Center located in Uvalde, Texas,
about 80 miles west of San Antonio. Garner Air Field Primary Training
Center then, and still does consist of a few buildings, a small air field
with gravel taxi strips and two runways. It was a small training
air base located in a tiny town in a desert populated with horned toads,
jackrabbits, and a few single high school girls. Most girls either
married or left town upon graduation. Uvalde was also the home of
former vice-president John Nance Garner and the training base, Garner Airfield,
was named in his honor. Since he seemed to own most of the land in
Uvalde, I wondered if he might have also owned the airfield. We had
eagerly waited the moment that we would step into an airplane, receive
instructions, and learn to fly. That time had finally arrived.
Jesse Pettey
To
Order this Book One
More Mission: A Journey from Childhood to War by Jesse Pettey
I really enjoyed reading about this young boy's life in east
Texas during the Depression. Gives one a good idea of what life was really like
back then. The small town boy then grows up to go fight in a world war as a
bomber pilot. Interesting accounts of each mission he flew over Europe. A
well-written book.
By
Hughes J Glantzberg
With a special interest in World War 2 and the 461st
Bombardment Group in particular, I found this book excellent. Most of the men
who fought during WWII were in their late teens and early 20s. It's amazing to
be able to read about their activities.
By
Joseph Donnelly
I highly recommend this book for readers of any age. However
it was particularly interesting to me as a fellow member of the same squadron
and group. We were both on many of the same missions and his recollections
matched my own. An excellent contrast of what bomb raids were like in those days
with 700-800 bombers compared to more precision bombing done today with far, far
fewer planes. The first half of the book describes life in the 20's, 30's and
40's in Texas. Although my experiences were in NJ many were similar and for
those not living in those times a glimpse of what it was like.
Book
Description
The Consolidated B-24
Liberator first saw combat in June of 1942, making a daring raid into
Nazi-occupied Romania to bomb the oil fields at Ploesti. Nearly 18,500
Liberators were built during the war years, making it by far the most-produced
American combat aircraft. It served in many roles beyond heavy bomber,
transport, and anti-submarine patrol, and flew in Africa, Europe, India, the
Atlantic, India and the Pacific Theatre. Originally printed by the United States
Army Air Force in 1942, the B-24 Liberator Pilot's
Flight Operating Manual taught pilots everything they needed to know before
entering the cockpit. Originally classified "Restricted", the manual was
declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable
facsimile has been reformatted, and color images appear as black and white. Care
has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.
1855327813B-24
Liberator Units of the Pacific War
Born out of an approach made by the US Army Air Corps to Consolidated
for a bomber with superior performance to the B-17, the Liberator
was built in record numbers as the Allies' most abundant heavy bomber.
From the first to see combat, the B-24D, to the ultimate Liberator,
the heavily modified PB4Y-2 Privateer, all navy versions are featured in
this, the first of four volumes on the B-24 family.
Book Description
Ever present in the Pacific from Pearl Harbor to VJ-Day, the B-24 Liberator
proved to be the staple heavy bomber of the campaign. From its ignominious
beginnings in the Allied rout in the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies, the
bomber weathered the Japanese storm with a handful of bomb groups, which played
a crucial role in checking the enemy's progress firstly in New Guinea, and then
actively participating in the 'island hopping' campaign through the south-west
Pacific.
B-17 nose art and name directory. This
volume details the Group, Squadron, serial number and photo availability
of over 9,000 WWII B-24 Liberators. Great for the historian, researcher
and model builder. 32 pages of vintage photos. 8½"x
11", 192 pgs., sfbd.
A must for B-24 Liberator Buffs! Wally has expanded his
format to include data on AF Wings and their component bomb groups for most of
the USAAF. His B-17 Nose Art Directory was concerned with the 8th, 15th, and
20th AFs. And rather than searching the total list for group aircraft he has
listed the a/c assigned to each group by group number. Definitely a source book
for important data (names, serial numbers, photo availability) on this aircraft.
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