The Curtiss AT-9 was designed to transition new pilots from single engine trainers to twin engine combat aircraft such as the B-26 and P-38. A relatively difficult plane to fly and especially hard to land the Fledgling served well in the early years of World War II. Nearly eight hundred AT-9s were built for the Army Air Force between 1941 and 1943. After 1943, there were enough B-25 and B-26 bombers available for some of them to be used as trainers and the AT-9 was phased out of service. Very few AT-9s entered the civil market after the war and none were used for long.
Wingspan
40 ft 4 in.
Length
31 ft 8 in.
Height
9 ft 10 in.
Weight
6,060 lbs (loaded)
Maximum Speed
197 MPH
Service Ceiling
19,000 ft
Range
750 miles
Engines
Two Lycoming R-680-13 radial engines with 280 horsepower each
Crew
2
Manufacturer Curtiss Aircraft Company
Markings Unrestored remains of original USAAF markings
Serial Number 42-56882
Designation AT-9A “Jeep”
Pima Air & Space Museum
Creating unlimited horizons in aerospace education through the preservation and presentation of the history of flight.