Fouga23 wrote:
What were they originally? They look like some kind of homebuild?
Fouga23
Look at the first photo again, take away the radial engine and the odd wings and what do you have. A Fairchild PT-26.
Back in the 1960's just before the emergence of purpose built agplanes like the Pawnee there were several small companies converting ex W.W.2 trainers into agricultural aircraft. I understand there were few restrictions as to the engine used and modifications made in the FAA's Agricultural Category.
Two companies specialised in the conversion of Fairchild primary trainers, Weatherley in California and D.D. Funk in Kansas. Both types appear generally similar but differ in many details.
Weatherley were particularly successful and continued new builds developed from the original WM-62 conversion until the late 1990's.
Funk built (I think) thirteen conversions from a variety of models of the PT-19/23/26 series. Front cockpit position held the spray tank/hopper, rear cockpit was protected from cables and roll over - and later enclosed, plus an entirely new all metal wing designed with spray dispensers. There were (at least) two versions, powered either by a 240 hp. Continental W-670 and known as the F-23A or a Jacobs R755 of 275 hp. (F-23B). The possible thirteenth aircraft may have been a later conversion built using Funk parts and was used as a test bed for a Ford engine.
Funk eventually went out of business and sold the rights to a company in Oklahoma who does appear to have built any further conversions.
By the late 1990's the Texas Air Museum at Hondo had several engine-less and derelict Funk F-23 airframes on their back lot. One had been rebuilt and painted in representative Japanese marking - presumably for use as the enemy in combat scenario. It really looked nothing like any combat type we would recognise but would readily be recognised as "different" by the spectators.
At a later stage three of the redundant airframes were more extensively modified to represent the "Sonia" type, acquiring PT-26 canopy, cowled radial and colour scheme. I understood the conversions were made as and when a customer came along and there may still be more airframes available.
As for converting back to a Fairchild PT I think it is safe to say the cost of fabricating new wooden wings and center sections, etc., would preclude that - and there are better potential projects out there already.
Tony Broadhurst
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