Watercooler Review: The Curtiss-Wright AT-9

[Scott Rose]

The Curtiss-Wright AT-9
The Other Jeep
By Dan Hagedorn

I acquired this book because I realized that while I knew of the AT-9, I didn’t know much about it. Well this book rectifies that situation nicely.

The book is well put together and has numerous pictures and illustrations of the AT-9. It includes history of the type, markings, unit info, and assigned airfield information, so basically, everything you could possibly want to know about this attractive aircraft.

If you like training aircraft, twins, or warbirds in general, this book is a must have for your library.

And if that wasn’t enough, the author is a fellow WIXer, so show some community love and add this book to your collection.

AMAZON Link <- Use this link to help the author and help the site!

This book examines the genesis of the AT-9 design, its competitors and, eventually, comrades-in-arms, with whom AT-9s were always literally the best and the brightest, and looks at the fielding of the aircraft to the 24 initial stations as well as an astonishing number of unusual and special assignments – including assignment to line, tactical units.

After producing 791 aircraft between September 1941 and January 31, 1943, and assigning every single one of them, and having served actively and continuously through to VJ-Day, exactly one complete AT-9 survives, and this solitary example is actually a composite of several aircraft.

[WIX_Archive]

From the archive (originally posted by Mark Allen)

Last edited by Mark Allen M on Thu Jul 25, 2019 6:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[JohnB]

I enjoyed the book. There is only so much information, official and anecdotal, out there on the aircraft so a lot of pages are devoted to the based where the AT-9s were based. The author's B-18/B-23 book is similar, listing was seems like every combat patrol of the type.
The photos are adequate, and include a few period color shots and a couple of color profiles.

One thing I did learn is they were seen as a transition trainer for pilots going into the P-38, in fact a few P-38 units had them as proficiency and instrument trainets (where they no doubt served as hacks as well).

I enjoyed the comments by ex-pilots, too bad at this late date there aren't more or comments and history from the design staff.

He does mention that George Gobel, a 1950-70s TV comedian instructed in the type in Oklahoma. I remember seeing him on the Tonight Show answering Johnny Carson's question about what he did in the war and he replied he never left Oklahoma. "But", he deadpanned, "The Japanese never made it past Tulsa".

The book goes a long way got rehabilitate the image of the ship from the usual "waste of time, money and metal", but there is still some work to do. The brand new (released this week) book by flight test engineer Bill Norton American Aircraft Development of the second world war, Research, Experimentation and Modification 1939-1945 (the fifth volume in his excellent series) in its sole mention of the type repeats the conventional wisdom...based on reputation more than facts, I surmise.

The book doesn't have much good to say about the AT-9s competitors; the Beech AT-10 (A type even rarer than the Curtiss) and especially more numerous Cessna AT-8/17 UC-78 series. Come on were that that bad or did Kansas have more pull in Washington?
My dad trained in the Cessnas and didn't have anything bad to say about the type, but he did watch some Saturday morning episodes of Sky King with me.

The book is a welcome addition to histories of obscure American types.
If the author (or anyone else!) has the time, there are some more I'd like to see.

Last edited by JohnB on Thu Jul 25, 2019 10:24 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[JohnB]

Great photos, they should have been in the book.

[Courier Sportster]

photo labeled smith 442-- what's the squared-off one? wooden version? mock-up?

[tulsaboy]

That is just such a sexy airplane. Shame there aren't a few around. It would be neat to see fly.
kevin

[Chris Brame]

photo labeled smith 442-- what's the squared-off one? wooden version? mock-up?

Prototype; it had a steel-tube fabric-covered fuselage.

Anyone have shots of AT-9s in postwar RFC lots/scrapyards?

[tulsaboy]

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g204/ ... aae44e.jpg

Chris, isn't this a Jeep? If so, the date on the photo notes that it was taken in 1951 at Spartan. (and if someone can embed this into the thread, feel free)
kevin

[airnutz]

Yup Tulsa, another Jeep. It's unfortunate a few AT-9's weren't extent by the time the Warbird hobby kicked off. What a sweet little hot rod! Eric Downing said a few years back he'd shore like to add one to the barn. I guess back in the day there wasn't much need for a two seat twin with no further capacity. More's the pity Jim 'awkins, more's the pity...

[steve dickey]

Does anyone know if anybody made one in 1/48th, only seem to see 1/72nd.
Thanks.

[JohnB]

photo labeled smith 442-- what's the squared-off one? wooden version? mock-up?

That's the fabric covered proof of concept ship.
Not really a prototype...since it has a different fuselage structure.

[JohnB]

Yup Tulsa, another Jeep. It's unfortunate a few AT-9's weren't extent by the time the Warbird hobby kicked off. What a sweet little hot rod! I guess back in the day there wasn't much need for a two seat twin with no further capacity. More's the pity Jim 'awkins, more's the pity...

Actually, they did have two jump seats in back, though without windows it wouldn't be a great place to ride.

The lack of any in the civil fleet shows what a lack of ATC will do, a bad reputation, and even in the old days, guys were still mindful of the price of gas. After all, for about the same fuel burn you could be flying a Cessna with has more seats and an ATC.

The Curtiss was about 25 mph faster in cruise, but that's to be expected with larger engines.

[Scott Rose]

55 Images restored

[Chris Brame]

Chris, isn't this a Jeep? If so, the date on the photo notes that it was taken in 1951 at Spartan. (and if someone can embed this into the thread, feel free)
Kevin

Done.