Our Aircraft’s History

Aeronca PT-19A-AE “Cornell” (Bureau #43-31365) ~ This Cornell was manufactured under contract from the Fairchild Aviation Corporation using their design. Our Aeronca was built at their facility, Aeronca Corporation, in Middletown, Ohio.

She was delivered to the US Army Air Forces (USAAF) on December 4, 1943 and assigned to the 51st Flying Training Detachment, Primary Training School, Air Training Command (ATC) in Van de Graff Field, Tuscaloosa, Alabama that month. Here is additional information: 

  • April 1944 – 2154th Air Base Unit, ATC, Fletcher Field, Clarksdale, Mississippi
  • September 1944 – Assigned to Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC), Lamesa, Texas; classified as excess
  • April 1945 – Dropped from Air Force inventory, assigned to RFC, Lamesa, Texas
  • June 1953 – Purchased by private owner, New Washington, Ohio and registered as N51798
  • February 1955 – Purchased by private owner, Shelby, Ohio
  • September 1957 – Purchased by private owner, Athens, Ohio
  • September 1960 – Purchased by private owner, Cleveland, Ohio
  • February 1963 – Purchased by private owner, Westlake, Ohio

The Cornell was then donated, from a donor in Chagrin Falls, to the MAPS Air Museum in March of 2002 and during subsequent years, was finished with her renovations in 2013. She is maintained by Crew Chief Clay Tober.

Specifications/Performance

  • Role: Trainer
  • Manufacturer: Aeronca (contract from Fairchild)
  • First flight: May 15, 1939
  • Introduction: 1940
  • Built: 7,700+
  • Crew: 2 (pilot, student)
  • Length: 28 ft
  • Wingspan: 36 ft
  • Height: 10 ft 6 in
  • Empty weight: 1,845 lb
  • Gross weight: 2,545 lb
  • Engine: 1 x Ranger L-440-3 6-cylinder inverted air-cooled in-line piston engine, 200 hp
  • Max speed: 132 mph
  • Range: 400 mi
  • Service ceiling: 15,300 ft

Armament, notable

  • none

 

Museum display notes: additional information to come

Designed to replace: Boeing-Stearman Model 75

Replaced by: PT-26 variant

 

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