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I was thinking this first one was a Ryan of some kind... dead wrong. They're both Fairchild  "Cornell" trainers, built after 1941 to meet the requirement for a monoplane trainer for military pilots who would fly the hot fighters of the day.

This is the PT-23, a later variant with a Continental radial on the nose. These things are big, sturdy beasts, but with 200 to 220 horses pulling them, they could do better than a Stearman- about 130 mph.

It seemed to do the trick, providing a taste of the handling of monoplane fighters without being too much of a handful for beginners. So many fighter pilots earned their wings in Cornells that someone nicknamed the type "the cradle of heroes".

These were both visitors, and they left abruptly without making any flybys... so no in-flight pics.










Here's an earlier Ranger-powered PT-19, in the more typical "trainer yellow".
     
     



     


I'm guessing this is a RCAF scheme, but what's with the tri-color flag on the tail?



Next- part 5: various Piper aircraft

First time I've seen a PT-23. Beautiful.

Here's an earlier Ranger-powered PT-19, in the more typical "trainer yellow".

That answers my question about the Stampe in your other thread. The cowling looks exactly the same.

I'm guessing this is a RCAF scheme, but what's with the tri-color flag on the tail?

You mean the fin flash. RCAF markings were the same as RAF until 1946. This one probably represents a PT-26 Cornell* used to train RAF pilots in Canada under the Commonwealth Air Training Plan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_Air_Training_Plan

*PS. The one in your photo appears to be a PT-26 which is the "cold-weather" version of the PT-19 with an enclosed cockpit. Some of these were manufactured in Canada by Fleet Aircraft Co. http://www.warplane.com/pages/aircraft_cornell.html

I'm guessing this is a RCAF scheme, but what's with the tri-color flag on the tail?

As Doug says RAF insignia.

Cornell's are probably my favourite American training aircraft (other than the Harvard/Texan). Ryan's Pt-22 put me off their designs!

Beautiful classics!!