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Extract from the FAA registration file for PT-19 N49244.
"... Principal of the Butte Public High School, Butte, Motana has purchase from the Surplus Property Division of the United States Government, a PT-19 (Fairchild) airplane, number 40-2496, for education purposes......... Dated this 9th day of October, 1945, at Butte, Montana"
The file also contains a sales receipt dated October 11, 1945 for M-62A (ARMY PT-19), #49244, 40-2496, between an authorized representative of the Butte Public High School and the Reconstruction Finance Corporation for $100.00.
The CAA registration #49244 was cancelled at the owner's request on November 19th, 1945. Naturally, no application for a certificate of airworthiness had been made. In fact the only document in the airworthiness file is a Ferry Permit, dated Oct 11, 1945, to cover the ferrying of Fairchild PT-19, #49244, 40-2496 from the RFC agency at Helena, Montana to Butte, Montana.
The AAF Record Card for PT-19 40-2496 reports it was assigned to Park Air College, East St. Louis. on August 29,1940. During 40-2496's service at East Louis training Air Corps primary cadets it was wrecked and repaired three times.
After the civil contract primary program closed and therefore no longer required by the USAAF, PT-19 40-2496 was transferred from 2529 BAS, Moore Field, TX to the R.F.C. on October 11, 1944. The last dated entry (April 7, 1945) shows it still with the RFC awaiting sale at Morrison's Flying Services of Helena, Montana.
Some of the Park Air College PT-19s were fitted with canopies which appear to be the same as those fit to the PT-26 series. There is nothing on the AAF cards to indicate which were so equipped and heresay is that the College, paid for these extras and their engineers fitted the canopies. You will note that East St. Louis is further north than most of the AAF' civil contract primary flying schools.
There is nothing to say whether 40-2496 was one of the canopied examples, or whether it was so equipped when briefly became a candidate for the civil registration NC49244. A photo exists of four canopied PT-19s on the ramp, presumably at East St.Louis. 40-2497 is one of those four.
Which bring me to the Cincinnatti & Hamilton County Public Library of the Aviation Shop PT-26. I think this may be another canopied PT-19.
My reasoning: the engine side cowling shows the holes, etc., for the starting handle - which discounts being either a Fleet-built PT-26A or PT-26B which had electric starters.
There is no sign of the wind-driven generator (under the forward fuselage) which should be visible in this view if this was an unmodified Fairchild-built PT-26.
M-62A
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