Curtiss-Wright AT-9 Jeep
Curtiss-Wright · United States · first flew 1941 · light aircraft
The Curtiss-Wright AT-9 Jeep was an American twin-engined advanced trainer used in the Second World War to bridge the gap between single-engined trainers and twin-engined combat aircraft.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 9.65 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Low-wing cantilever monoplane
- Two Lycoming R-680-9 radial engines grouped forward
- Retractable tailwheel landing gear
A small low-wing twin with two radial engines and retractable landing gear.
Specifications
- The Curtiss-Wright AT-9 Jeep has a length of 9.65 m (32 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 12.29 m (40 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 317 km/h (197 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Curtiss-Wright designed the CW-25, a twin-engined trainer with the take-off and landing characteristics of a light bomber, using the same basic design as the larger Cessna AT-17 Bobcat. The prototype flew in 1941 and the production AT-9 entered service in 1942.
Variants
Curtiss-Wright named it Fledgling. The prototype had a fabric-covered steel tube fuselage, while production aircraft were of stressed metal skin construction.
Where you'll see it
It became known as the Jeep with the US Army Air Forces. It was purposely designed to be less stable, so it was difficult to fly or land, which made it suited to teaching pilots to cope with multi-engine operations.
Related aircraft
- Curtiss P-60
- Curtiss C-46 Commando
- Curtiss O-52 Owl
- Curtiss-Wright CW-22
- Aeronca L-3
- Airspeed AS.45 Cambridge
- Antonov A-7
- Beechcraft AT-10 Wichita
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