Training Plane Landing at Ranch


Those who pay more than cursory attention to the airplanes may have noticed that the training plane that Steve Britt lands at the ranch looks very different than the other biplanes. It is.

There are three types of trainers featured in the film. The Stearman (Boeing) PT-13/PT-17 is the blue and yellow biplane with a radial engine. It is the primary (initial) training plane used to train new pilots. When the acquire basic flying skill, solo and are ready for something more powerful they move on to the Vultee BT-13, the blue and yellow low wing monoplane with fixed landing gear and a radial engine. Even though it has only one wing, it has as much wing area as the PT-13 Kaydet. It also has a little more than twice as much horsepower so it is faster and more maneuverable. When they have mastered that they move on to the advanced trainer, the North American AT-6. It is a silver low wing monoplane with retractable landing gear. More horsepower again, about fifty percent more than the BT-13, it is now up to 600 horsepower. More wing area, but the wing is longer and narrower. It is more elegant with less drag so that the airplane is about ten percent faster with a top speed slightly over 200 mph. More speed, longer range, and more maneuverability.

When the trainees have passed through all three successfully they move on to type training, fighters, bombers, or transports.

Back to the start of the post. The plane that Steve Britt lands at the ranch is a Curtiss P-6E Hawk. It was a top grade pursuit plane (fighter) in 1934, but by the time that the movie is set is would have been obsolete in that role. It has more horsepower (700) than any of the trainers I discussed above, about the same wing area, but less weight. Note that it has only one seat. There might have been a few of these parked at a training base so that the instructors could retain proficiency on a 'hot' bird. After all, Jimmy Doolittle was able to wrangle a personal P-40 out of General Arnold when Jimmy was still a lieutenant colonel.

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