The Consolidated Model 2 was a training airplane used by the United States Army Air Corps, under the designation PT-3 and the United States Navy under the designation NY-1.
Seeing the success of the Navy’s NY-1 modification of a PT-1 airframe, the USAAC came to the conclusion that a radial engine was indeed ideal for a trainer.
It was reliable and offered a good power-to-weight ratio.
Therefore, one PT-1 airframe was completed as XPT-2 with a 220 hp (164 kW) Wright J-5 Whirlwind radial engine.
The XPT-3 was almost identical to the XPT-2 except for the tail, revised wing panels and different shape. 130 production PT-3 aircraft were ordered in September 1927, with one being completed as the XO-17.
These were followed by 120 PT-3A aircraft with minor changes.
The XPT-3 became the XPT-5 when fitted with the Curtiss Challenger R-600 two-row six-cylinder radial engine, but was soon converted to PT-3 standard.
The PT-3 aircraft were superseded by the Boeing PT-13 Stearman starting in 1937, but a number were still operational with the Spartan Flying School in Tulsa Oklahoma into the middle of World War II.
Variants
XPT-2
One PT-1 airframe with a 220 hp (160 kW) Wright J-5 (R-790) radial engine,
Wingspan 34 ft 7 in (10.5 m), length 28 ft 4 in (8.6 m), gross weight 2,427 lb (1100 kg)
XPT-3
One PT-1 airframe with revised wing panels (Clark “Y” wings) and a different vertical tail, wingspan 34 ft 6 in (10.5 m), length 28 ft 3 in (8.6 m), gross weight 2,439 lb (1106 kg)
PT-3
130 ordered, one completed as the XO-17 prototype, gross weight 2,481 lb (1125 kg)
PT-3A
120 ordered with minor updates, Wright J-5, gross weight 2,432 lb (1103 kg)
XPT-5
The airframe of the XPT-3 was temporarily fitted with the Curtiss Challenger R-600-1 two-row six-cylinder radial engine in 1929, later converted to PT-3 standard
