Running costs for a Fairchild PT-19?

PRC?

 

How very cool. I did pick up the book; it's in storage right now along with everything else.

Yup. And still planning to get a trainer warbird at some point. It's just been an interesting ride since I first posted the thread.

 

Did you see the pictures I posted of the PT??

 

Yes I did. Beautiful plane, thanks for posting them.

How's your ownership experience been?

 

The 19 has been a real pleasure, only trouble to speak of has been the brakes and that was caused by my using the wrong fluid when servicing. It handles really nice and a bad landing has to be intentional,
I also have a Steen Skybolt and transition to it in landing is intense. The oil consumption (and/or leakage) is as I have always heard, approx. one quart per hour of running time.

 

Tillman,

Are you set on WWII or would Korea work? The L-17 Navion might be worth a look.

Regards,

Art S.

 

I think a Navion is a good practical choice as well, although I'm partial to earlier planes.

If you just want to have very inexpensive fun while you're saving your money... go to barnstormers.com and search "nieuport", and then search "ww1" for some replica Nieuport and Fokker LSA/UL planes. Cheap fun and real flying.

 

I don't know of a more practical or enjoyable aircraft than the Navion. They are very nice to fly, sturdy, stabile, and reliable. They aren't as fast as the Bonanza or as sexy but they are a great and solid airplane.

 

And no wood center section.
Not that there's anything wrong with that...

 

I am considering the purchase of a PT-26 as a historical tailwheel aircraft. I originally was considering a Chipmunk, but it may be a PT-26 is more practical and a little bigger. I was curious about the comments on this thread regarding the aircraft's durability and suitability for aerobatics. Clearly, originally it would have needed to perform aerobatics but these days the pt community seems to not use these aircraft this way, as opposed to the BT, PT-17, and Chipmunk community. Is there any reason for that or any reason why these aircraft should not be used for modest low-g aerobatics (e.g. rolls barrel rolls, loops, )?