AT-21 Gunner

Infobox Aircraft
name = AT-21 Gunner
type = Trainer
manufacturer = Fairchild

---

caption = Fairchild AT-21, USAF Photo
designer = Armand Thiebolt
first flight = 1943
introduced = 1943
retired =1944
status =
primary user = United States Army Air Corps
more users = United States Army Air Force
produced =
number built = 175
unit cost =
developed from = Fairchild XAT-13, XAT-14, XAT-14A
variants with their own articles =

The Fairchild AT-21 was an American World War II specialized bomber crew trainer, intended to train crews in the use of power gun turrets or a gun on a flexible mount, as well as learn to function as a member of a crew. It had a brief career as a training aircraft before modified bombers took over this role. [ Mondey 2006, p. 130.]

Design and development

The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) laid out a specification for a specialized bomber trainer, ordering two prototypes from Fairchild Aircraft. The XAT-13 powered by two 450 hp (336 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1 radial engines, emerged as a "scaled down" bomber with a single machine gun in the glazed nose and a top turret with twin machine guns and fitted with tricycle landing gear. [ Taylor 1989, p. 506.] The concept was to have a single type that was able to duplicate the bomber crew positions from piloting, navigation, bomb aiming/dropping to aerial gunnery.Eden and Moeng, 2002, p. 641.]

The second prototype, designated the XAT-14 was similar in layout but was powered by two 520 hp (388 kW) Ranger V-770-6 inline engines. A further refinement to suit the aircraft for bombardier training with the nose gun and turret removed, led to a new designation, the XAT-14A. Both prototypes featured an unusual construction, being built from "Duramold" plastic-bonded plywood.Swanborough and Bowers 1976, p. 256.] At the end of the testing period, the USAAC ordered the inline version as the AT-21 Gunner, specialized for gunnery training. The "AT-21" had a crew of five, pilot, co-pilot/gunnery instructor and three pupils.

Fairchild Aircraft Company built one aircraft in Hagerstown and 106 aircraft at their Burlington, North Carolina plant in 1943 and 1944, while Bellanca Aircraft built 39 at New Castle, Delaware, and McDonnell built 30 aircraft at their St. Louis plant, both companies were enlisted to speed production and delivery to training units.

Operational history

The AT-21 proved to be unsuitable for use as a trainer due to vibration and oscillation tendencies as well as an inherent instability caused by the short distance between the rudders and the gull wing resulting in unacceptable yaw even when slight rudder movements were made. [ Mondey 2006, p. 131.]

Not deemed suitable for its original purpose, The AT-21 was evaluated as an advanced pilot trainer. This did not work out well due to poor single engine performance and multiple gear problems. The aircraft was withdrawn from service in 1944 and was replaced by training examples of the actual aircraft in which the gunners would eventually serve. Many of the AT-21s were then relegated to target-tow duties.Swanborough and Bowers, 1976, p. 257.]

A small number of AT-21s survived as civilian examples, with one (s/n 42-48053 owned by Craig Cantwell) still in existence in North Texas as a "basket case" awaiting restoration. [ [http://aeroweb.brooklyn.cuny.edu/specs/fairchil/at-21.htm Fairchild AT-21] ]

Variants

;XAT-13:Twin-engined bomber crew trainer powered by two 450 hp (336 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1 engines, one built, serial number 41-19500;XAT-14:AT-13 variant with two 520 hp ( 388 kW) Ranger V-770-6 engines, one built, later converted to XAT-14A, serial number 41-19503;XAT-14A:XAT-14 modified as a bombardier trainer with dorsal turret and nose gun removed.;AT-21:Production version of the XAT-14A with two 520 hp (388 kW) Ranger V-770-11 or -15 engines, 164 built.;XBQ-3:Guided bomb version, AT-21 modified with 4000 lb explosive charge in fuselage.

Operators

;USA
*US Army Air Corps
*US Army Air Forces

pecifications (AT-21)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?= plane
jet or prop?= prop
ref="The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft"
crew= 5
capacity=
length main= 38 ft
length alt= 11.58 m
span main= 52 ft 8 in
span alt= 16.05 m
height main= 13 ft 1.25 in
height alt= 4 m
area main= 378 ft²
area alt= 35.12 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 8,654 lb
empty weight alt= 3,925 kg
loaded weight main= 12,500 lb
loaded weight alt= 5,668 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 11,288 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 5,129 kg
more general=
engine (jet)=
type of jet=
number of jets=
thrust main=
thrust alt=
thrust original=
afterburning thrust main=
afterburning thrust alt=
engine (prop)= Ranger V-770-11/15
type of prop= 12 cylinder inverted-vee air-cooled piston engine
number of props= 2
power main= 520 hp
power alt= 388 kW
power original=
max speed main= 195.5 knots
max speed alt= 225 mph, 362 km/h
cruise speed main= 170 knots
cruise speed alt= 196 mph, (315 km/h)
never exceed speed main= knots
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 790.7 nm
range alt= 910 mi, 1,464 km
ceiling main= 22,151 ft
ceiling alt= 6,750 m
climb rate main= 930 ft/min
climb rate alt= 283 m/min
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
* one 0.3 in (7.62 mm) Browning trainable machine-gun in the nose
* two 0.3 in (7.62 mm) Browning machine guns in a power operated dorsal turret
avionics=

References

;Notes;Bibliography
* Andrade, John M. "U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Hinckley, England: Midland Counties Publications, 1979, ISBN 0-904597-22-9.
* Eden, Paul and Moeng, Soph, eds. "The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft". London: Amber Books Ltd., 2002. ISBN 0-7607-3432-1.
* Mondey, David. "American Aircraft of World War II" (Hamlyn Concise Guide). London: Bounty Books, 2006. ISBN 978-0-7537-1461-4.
* Swanborough, F. G. and Bowers, Peter M."United States Military Aircraft Since 1909". New York: Putnam, 1964. ISBN 0-85177-816-X.
* Taylor, Michael J.H. "Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation Vol. 3". London: Studio Editions, 1989. ISBN 0-517-10316-8.

External links

* [http://aeroweb.brooklyn.cuny.edu/specs/fairchil/at-21.htm Fairchild AT-21]
* [http://avia.russian.ee/air/usa/fair_at-21.php Fairchild AT-21 Gunner 1940]

ee also

aircontent
related=

lists=
List of military aircraft of the United States
see also=