Radio Control Scale
Stan Alexander [[email protected]]
A look at many famous military trainers and why they make great models
During World War I, trainer-type aircraft were crude at best, as were most airplanes worldwide. However, the competitive technology and inventions that war creates brought fighters called “scout” aircraft and trainers to new heights in design and capability.
Before World War II the United States developed the BT series (Basic Trainer), PT series (Primary Trainer), and AT series (Advanced Trainer) for the US Army Air Corps. After trainee pilots completed most of these courses they were usually classified as bomber, transport, or pursuit candidates and received further training for their specialty.
Why do trainers (for the most part) make great scale models? It’s simple: as a group they are forgiving and generally have good flight characteristics. Most also have wide-track landing gear, thick airfoils, and gentle stall characteristics. Many trainers were as easy to land and take off as any modern light aircraft. Most were aerobatic to at least a certain degree, and many designs have been re-engined with additional horsepower to make them fully aerobatic or useful for other purposes such as crop dusting.
Primary trainers: Stearman, Fairchild, Vultee
The PT-13 and PT-17 series of primary trainers for the US Army and the US Navy came from a long line of Stearman biplanes produced in the 1930s. Boeing bought Stearman, and the PT-13 and PT-17 became Boeing products. These aircraft were not as forgiving as the PT-19 that Fairchild built, which had much wider main landing gear and more dihedral in the wing for stability.
The PT-19 was built in an inline inverted-engine version and a radial-powered version. Depending on who built the aircraft, how it was powered, and what equipment it featured, it was called the PT-19, PT-23, PT-26, or Fairchild 62. The inline-powered version used a Ranger 175-horsepower engine; the Continental radial produced about 220 horsepower. There have been numerous kits of the PT-19 and all its versions. Hangar 9 produced an ARF of this airplane a few years ago, and Dynaflite had an inexpensive 1/5-scale kit. With all the different color schemes available for the full-scale versions, it would be nice to see the PT-19 return as a kit.
For those who are a little more industrious, Wendell Hostetler has plans for a 26% version of the PT-19 with a wingspan of 114 inches and an approximate weight of 25 pounds. It’s a wonder that a company such as Balsa USA hasn’t released a wider series of military trainers; it does offer the Stearman and the J-3 Cub, which were used for many purposes in World War II.
Vultee built the BT-13, commonly known as the “vibrator.” It had a habit of making the glass canopy shake and the whole aircraft shudder when it was beginning to stall—an effective practical warning for trainees. After the war this aircraft type wasn’t widely used except by crop-dusting companies, who often swapped engines. The BT-13 makes a striking model at any scale competition and is a good flier and performer. The late Bert Baker produced a 96-inch-wingspan kit of the airplane; Yellow Aircraft was reported to have bought many of Baker’s old kits.
North American trainers: NA-16, AT-6/T-6/SNJ and later types
North American Aviation has a long history of building trainer aircraft. The first trainer bearing the North American name was the NA-16, a two-seat cockpit type with fixed gear and fabric fuselage sides that bore a resemblance to the later AT-6 (known as the SNJ in Navy service). One of the most famous World War II trainers was the AT-6/T-6, a popular subject at national and international competitions because it offers many detailing opportunities—cockpit and canopy detail, riveted fuselage surfaces, and options for flaps and retractable gear in scale models.
The AT-6 was powered by the Pratt & Whitney R-1340 (around 600 horsepower) in many versions; other variants used different radials or inline engines. Despite some modelers’ impressions, the AT-6 was not as fast as frontline fighters: cruise speed was about 180 mph, maximum around 200 mph, and landing speed could be as low as 65 mph.
Allied nations bought or license-built versions of the NA-16/AT-6 design. Sweden evaluated the NA-16 and built it as the Sk 14 (NA-16-4M). The NA-16 design often featured fixed gear with balloon tires to cushion rough-field landings and could be fitted with skis for winter operations. There is a NA-16-4M on display at the Swedish Air Force Museum.
The T-6 was even adapted into a light fighter variant (designated P-64), though it was not produced in large numbers. North American went on to produce other successful trainers such as the T-28 Trojan and jet trainers like the T-2 Buckeye, as well as the crew trainer T-39 Sabreliner. The Pica T-28 kit has been popular through the years, and Dave Platt’s T-28 plans are well regarded. The T-28’s dihedral, tricycle gear, retracts, flaps, and attractive color schemes make it a favorite for modelers.
The Beechcraft T-34 Mentor has also enjoyed much success as a model in various sizes; several manufacturers have produced kits and there are countless plans and kit-cutter versions available.
Bob Banka of Bob’s Aircraft Documentation offers several Foto-Paaks covering the trainers mentioned here in many color schemes, and Bob Holman Plans supplies several plan sets for the T-6 and other trainers.
Aircraft Museums
The Swedish Air Force Museum, located outside Linköping, Sweden, is an excellent stop for scale modelers. Many of the staff members are aeromodellers and are willing to help photograph the aircraft. The museum houses many different types and some rare survivors. Among the trainers and aircraft on display are:
- North American NA-16-4M (Sk 14)
- de Havilland Tiger Moth
- Fw 44 biplane
- Saab 91B Safir
- Me 108
- Albatros B.II
- Ju 86 transport (one of few remaining)
- Polikarpov I-16 “Rata” (Russian fighter)
For more information and hours, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_Air_Force_Museum
Scale Documentation
The Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny” was put into service during World War I to train US pilots at various fields here and in the United Kingdom. Designed by B.D. Thomas and Glenn Curtiss, more than 6,000 Jennys were eventually built.
The AeroDetail CD provides excellent detail shots of a museum Jenny airframe. Note the CD features a civil version (with “Burt City Aero Co.” on the rudder and “McWhorter Bros.” on the side), not the Kelly Field military airframe. The CD includes detailed photos of rigging, bungee-cord suspension on the main landing gear, wire wheels, cockpit instruments, tail surfaces (including exposed rockers), exhaust manifolds, engine, cowlings, and strut attachments under the lower wing panels. The speed indicator shows up to 120 mph on the high end—hard to imagine in a Jenny!
If you like turnbuckles, rigging, and lots of small details, the Jenny is a rewarding scale subject. Check out Model Activity Press, Ltd. for this and many other reference titles:
Model Activity Press, Ltd. 63–65 Woodside Rd. Amersham, Bucks, HP6 6AA Great Britain Phone: 011-1494-433453 Web: www.modelactivitypress.com (Note: they are eight hours ahead of US time zones.)
Sources
- Bob’s Aircraft Documentation
3114 Yukon Ave. Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (714) 979-8058 www.bobsairdoc.com
- Wendell Hostetler’s Plans
545 Jerome Dr. Orrville, OH 44667 (440) 682-8896 www.aero-sports.com/whplans
- Balsa USA
Box 164 Marinette, WI 54143 (906) 863-6421 www.balsausa.com
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
