Curtiss-Wright AT-9 Jeep Color Photographs

The Curtiss-Wright AT-9 was an advanced twin-engined trainer used by the USAAF during WWII. It was officially named the “Fledgling”, but was generally known as the “Jeep”.

The Jeep was powered by two Lycoming R-680-9 radial engines, each producing 295 hp (220 kW). 491 AT-9s were built. Production then shifted to the AT-9A, of which 300 were built. The main difference between the two variants was the introduction of the Lycoming R-680-11 engine, but the two were externally virtually indistinguishable. (NASM, Hans Groenhoff collection)

The Jeep was demanding to fly and was less stable than most trainers. The increased demands on the student pilots were intentional, to better prepare them for the higher-performance twin-engine types then in service such as the B-26 Marauder. (NASM, Hans Groenhoff collection)

The type was intended to transition student pilots from single-engine trainers to twins. Here is an AT-9 with T-6 Texans in the background.

While a sleek and attractive aircraft, the AT-9 was not offered for sale to civilians after the war due to the reduced stability margins compared to other trainers.

A successful design, the Jeep remains a relatively obscure type and is little known today.  One surviving example has been restored and is on display at the National Museum on the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.  Dora Wings produces an injection-molded kit in 1/48 scale, while Pavla produces one in 1/72.