Several photos from the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Ryan PT-22A Recruit

The PT-22A was a military trainer used mainly by the U.S. Army Air Corps and its successor, the Army Air Forces (AAF). It was the first low-wing monoplane used for primary pilot training, and it made for a smoother transition to more demanding low-wing fighter planes during World War II. The AAF accepted 1,023 PT-22s. Ryan also built PT-22s for the Navy and as part of Lend/Lease contracts with China and other Allies.

This Recruit was originally the third of 25 built under contract a s afloatplane trainer for use in the Netherlands East Indies, but the sale fell through after that colony surrendered to Japanese forces in 1942. It was used as an AAF trainer until declared surplus late in the war. After 1944 it had nearly two dozen owners, who cared for and preserved the aircraft and flew it in air shows or for pleasure.

gift of John M. Damgard

Wingspan: 9.1 m (30 ft 1 in) Length: 6.8 m (22 ft 5 in) Height: 2.1 m (6 ft 10 in) Weight, gross: 844 kg (1,860 lb) Weight, empty: 595 kg (1,313 lb) Engine: Kinner R-540-1, 5-cylinder radial, 160 hp Crew: 2, student pilot and instructor Manufacturer: Ryan Aeronautical Co., Sandiego, Calif., 1942