Fairchild AT-21
Tue Jan 29, 2008 4:38 pm
Just read a little bit about this aircraft. It is one that I knew nothing about and had never heard of before. Are there any left out there? I think it's a cool looking plane. [img][img]http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh211/wilfster/Fairchild_AT-21.jpg[/img][/img]
Re: Fairchild AT-21
Tue Jan 29, 2008 6:13 pm
lestweforget wrote:Just read a little bit about this aircraft. It is one that I knew nothing about and had never heard of before. Are there any left out there? I think it's a cool looking plane. [img][img]http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh211/wilfster/Fairchild_AT-21.jpg[/img][/img]
Significant remains exist with a certain WIXer, who shall remain anonymous (Craig Cantwell), since he (*cough*) promised to post pics of this project (*cough*) about (*ahem*) THREE years ago (*cough*), but never came through.
Civil AT-21s
Tue Jan 29, 2008 8:06 pm
Craig's AT-21 is 42-48053, second one in a batch of 39 built by Bellanca. He did promise photos in June 2004 and again in October 2004. Yes, Craig, we remember and are still waiting. 
I'm not sure but I think his was rescued initially by another fellow at Saginaw Airport north of Ft. Worth in 1980.
I've seen a photo recently somewhere of a stripped down one sitting at Tulsa as late as 1953.
A Clyde Sturgell Jr., of Tuscola, Illinois had two AT-21s N64468 42-48440 (built by McDonnell), and N64469 that he registered with serial "19." I have no other info on those. I think one still is shown on the Civil Register.
There was "another one" on the register that was not an AT-21 at all. It was N96VC in Jefferson City, MO and was actually a modern day Merlin IIIB.
Some of the known civil examples with sketchy history include:
NX25663 photo AAHS Journal Summer 1988 page 160.
NX68367 (at least this one appeared on a photo list by Brian Baker).
XA-FUI photographed in San Diego area by Henry Arnold.
XB-XYZ Larkins had a nagative at one time of it.
Ten were on the U.S. Civil Register in July 1949 according to William T. Larkins. He has posted two photos on the web of an apparently black civil AT-21, N63432. There was another in the background of one of his photos that he felt was 42-48432. These were at Vail Field near Los Angeles (Montebello) in May 1946. See page 160 of the JOURNAL American Aviation Historical Society, Summer 1988 where Larkins sent a letter of some history of civil AT-21s and four photos.
My dad ferried two AT-21s for a civilian buyer in 1946 or 1947 and I have a photo of one of them taken at Prescott, AZ. No registration visible. I know he flew two unidentified "Fairchild" aircraft in 1947 from studying his logbooks. One was registered 48800 and was flown at Las Vegas on 10 February 1947. The other was registered 63120 and flown at Van Nuys, CA on 17 November 1947. Now, either or both of these could be Model 24s or PT-19/23/26's, I don't know. He flew some of each of those also. Most of the old N4880_ series numbers were Aeronca O-58/L-3s. I also found in some digging that some of the original N6312_ series registrations were BT-13s.
Skyways magazine March 1947 advertised an AT-21 with 40 hrs. total ferry time including two extra brand new engines all for $5,000 in Rochester, NY. (Better hurry...)
There's a published photo of 42-11698 sitting at the Ontario RFC begging for a buyer. It had the number "498" on the left cowling.
One of Larkins photos is of 42-11715, with number "406" on left cowling sitting in weeds at Wichita I think.
I'd be interested in knowing about any others (even small tidbit puzzle pieces) that saw Civil use.
I'm not sure but I think his was rescued initially by another fellow at Saginaw Airport north of Ft. Worth in 1980.
I've seen a photo recently somewhere of a stripped down one sitting at Tulsa as late as 1953.
A Clyde Sturgell Jr., of Tuscola, Illinois had two AT-21s N64468 42-48440 (built by McDonnell), and N64469 that he registered with serial "19." I have no other info on those. I think one still is shown on the Civil Register.
There was "another one" on the register that was not an AT-21 at all. It was N96VC in Jefferson City, MO and was actually a modern day Merlin IIIB.
Some of the known civil examples with sketchy history include:
NX25663 photo AAHS Journal Summer 1988 page 160.
NX68367 (at least this one appeared on a photo list by Brian Baker).
XA-FUI photographed in San Diego area by Henry Arnold.
XB-XYZ Larkins had a nagative at one time of it.
Ten were on the U.S. Civil Register in July 1949 according to William T. Larkins. He has posted two photos on the web of an apparently black civil AT-21, N63432. There was another in the background of one of his photos that he felt was 42-48432. These were at Vail Field near Los Angeles (Montebello) in May 1946. See page 160 of the JOURNAL American Aviation Historical Society, Summer 1988 where Larkins sent a letter of some history of civil AT-21s and four photos.
My dad ferried two AT-21s for a civilian buyer in 1946 or 1947 and I have a photo of one of them taken at Prescott, AZ. No registration visible. I know he flew two unidentified "Fairchild" aircraft in 1947 from studying his logbooks. One was registered 48800 and was flown at Las Vegas on 10 February 1947. The other was registered 63120 and flown at Van Nuys, CA on 17 November 1947. Now, either or both of these could be Model 24s or PT-19/23/26's, I don't know. He flew some of each of those also. Most of the old N4880_ series numbers were Aeronca O-58/L-3s. I also found in some digging that some of the original N6312_ series registrations were BT-13s.
Skyways magazine March 1947 advertised an AT-21 with 40 hrs. total ferry time including two extra brand new engines all for $5,000 in Rochester, NY. (Better hurry...)
There's a published photo of 42-11698 sitting at the Ontario RFC begging for a buyer. It had the number "498" on the left cowling.
One of Larkins photos is of 42-11715, with number "406" on left cowling sitting in weeds at Wichita I think.
I'd be interested in knowing about any others (even small tidbit puzzle pieces) that saw Civil use.
Tue Jan 29, 2008 8:15 pm
Neat stuff, Mr. Thompson.
I'm curious: Did your dad ever happen to mention what he thought about the V-770 Twin Ranger as a powerplant?
I'm curious: Did your dad ever happen to mention what he thought about the V-770 Twin Ranger as a powerplant?
Ranger V-770's
Tue Jan 29, 2008 8:35 pm
I know he liked the airplane but don't recall specific comments on the engines.
I do know that when a few different guys were planning Custom-built Unlimited Racers using V-770's in the early 70's that he thought they might be on to something.
There were the Jim Lowers-Richard Minges LM-1 that got a promising start and much early press (see Air Progress July and August 1971, and National Aeronautics July-Aug. 1974 ) but the loss of one of the partners in a tragic racing T-6 crash in 1971 ended the plans for race #66.
Jim Wilson had a similar Ranger V-770 design, "Snoopy II" in the works in the 1973-74 period (Model Aviation Aug. 87; Western Flyer Jan. & Aug. 1973) but this racer, #34, may have never got far beyond the drawing board. Even Critical Mass crew chief Jim Flanagan was rumored to be building a V-770 powered racer according to Air Progress August 1971, page 68.
I've always thought a carbon fiber XP-77 full-scale replica (still small)would be pretty doable a very neat thing for whoever had the ability. Both the Lowers-Minges and Wilson racer concepts looked a bit like an XP-77.
Lowell
I do know that when a few different guys were planning Custom-built Unlimited Racers using V-770's in the early 70's that he thought they might be on to something.
There were the Jim Lowers-Richard Minges LM-1 that got a promising start and much early press (see Air Progress July and August 1971, and National Aeronautics July-Aug. 1974 ) but the loss of one of the partners in a tragic racing T-6 crash in 1971 ended the plans for race #66.
Jim Wilson had a similar Ranger V-770 design, "Snoopy II" in the works in the 1973-74 period (Model Aviation Aug. 87; Western Flyer Jan. & Aug. 1973) but this racer, #34, may have never got far beyond the drawing board. Even Critical Mass crew chief Jim Flanagan was rumored to be building a V-770 powered racer according to Air Progress August 1971, page 68.
I've always thought a carbon fiber XP-77 full-scale replica (still small)would be pretty doable a very neat thing for whoever had the ability. Both the Lowers-Minges and Wilson racer concepts looked a bit like an XP-77.
Lowell
Tue Jan 29, 2008 9:02 pm
Yeah Yeah Yeah...I get the message 
I'll try tomorrow and get the weeds cut down and stuff moved so that I can make some pics of the nacelles. It will require moving a few things to do the same for the forward fuselage. As to the rest of the parts and the L-5, forget about it...All you can see from the front of the warehouse door is random stacking of aircraft parts and machines.
I bought the wife a new digital camera for Christmas, so now I don't have to drive the 70+ miles to the folks' place to download the camera.
It's kinda funny that this came up tonight. Dad and I were talking this afternoon about building some wing racks for the L-5 wings and gaining some operational space in the one warehouse.
Heck, if I didn't have to work for a paycheck, I'd have another 60+ hours a week to try and catch up on projects around the house so that I could play with the Fairchild and the L-5 a bit. We're hoping to get things worked out and move to a more favorable home/shop arrangement this year and let me have more project time.
I'll try tomorrow and get the weeds cut down and stuff moved so that I can make some pics of the nacelles. It will require moving a few things to do the same for the forward fuselage. As to the rest of the parts and the L-5, forget about it...All you can see from the front of the warehouse door is random stacking of aircraft parts and machines.
I bought the wife a new digital camera for Christmas, so now I don't have to drive the 70+ miles to the folks' place to download the camera.
It's kinda funny that this came up tonight. Dad and I were talking this afternoon about building some wing racks for the L-5 wings and gaining some operational space in the one warehouse.
Heck, if I didn't have to work for a paycheck, I'd have another 60+ hours a week to try and catch up on projects around the house so that I could play with the Fairchild and the L-5 a bit. We're hoping to get things worked out and move to a more favorable home/shop arrangement this year and let me have more project time.
Post pictures
Tue Jan 29, 2008 10:47 pm
We don't see enough Bellanca Warbirds around here. I have a fitting for the Martin JRM-1 with a yellow tag on it from Bellanca.
Sun Feb 03, 2008 8:33 am
Cvairwerks wrote:Yeah Yeah Yeah...I get the message
No whining in baseball or warbirds...Pictures..Pictures...Pictures...
Sat Apr 11, 2009 7:03 am
Bump. Any news?
Sat Apr 11, 2009 7:41 pm
Haven't accomplished a flippin thing on either aircraft. We got flooded out in May and moved to another town in September. Most of the little free time that I have, is spent trying to get that house rebuilt and on the market. I managed to get the nacelles moved in January right before I broke my foot and ankle at work. I took some pics of them while on the trailer then and some more tonight out in the back yard before I moved some stuff around. I'll remember to take the camera with me tomorrow when I go to the other house. Then I just need to find the cable to download the pics off the camera.
If we go on strike next weekend, I might get some time to get the forward fuselage moved and time during daylight to make some pics out at the warehouse where I have all the other stuff stored for now.
Until I get rid of at least one of our mortgages, there won't be much visable progress to show. I do have the manuals on the wobble pumps now and will be setting up to overhaul them. There are a few other fuel items that can be also done and put on the shelf as I can get work time.
I will post progress reports and pics as soon as I accomplish something worth talkiing about.
If we go on strike next weekend, I might get some time to get the forward fuselage moved and time during daylight to make some pics out at the warehouse where I have all the other stuff stored for now.
Until I get rid of at least one of our mortgages, there won't be much visable progress to show. I do have the manuals on the wobble pumps now and will be setting up to overhaul them. There are a few other fuel items that can be also done and put on the shelf as I can get work time.
I will post progress reports and pics as soon as I accomplish something worth talkiing about.
Fairchild AT-21
Sun Apr 12, 2009 12:21 pm
There was one at Northup Institute of Technology in Inglewood, CA during the 1950's for instructional purposes.
Sun Apr 12, 2009 1:06 pm
Sounds like you have been having a tough time of it. I wish you all the best .
Sun Apr 12, 2009 3:05 pm
Craig, is your AT-21 the one that was in Air Classics' "Warbird Report" many years ago with a picture of a rather crumbled fuselage sitting in tall grass, captioned as being recovered for restoration? Good luck with a tough task!
Didn't Spartan School of Aeronautics have a couple of them?
I know it was officially called "Gunner", but looking at the lead picture, I'd have nicknamed it "The Cardboard Hudson"...
Didn't Spartan School of Aeronautics have a couple of them?
I know it was officially called "Gunner", but looking at the lead picture, I'd have nicknamed it "The Cardboard Hudson"...
Sun Apr 12, 2009 3:56 pm
a beech 18 on steroids
Sun Apr 12, 2009 4:37 pm
Chris Brame wrote:Craig, is your AT-21 the one that was in Air Classics' "Warbird Report" many years ago with a picture of a rather crumbled fuselage sitting in tall grass, captioned as being recovered for restoration? Good luck with a tough task!
Didn't Spartan School of Aeronautics have a couple of them?
I know it was officially called "Gunner", but looking at the lead picture, I'd have nicknamed it "The Cardboard Hudson"...
\that would be a good name for the nose art!
