Consolidated O-17 Courier

The Consolidated O-17 Courier, company Model 2, was an observation and training aircraft used by the United States National Guard. It developed in parallel with the PT-3 series, and the XO-17 prototype was a converted PT-3 with improved fuselage streamlining, oleo shock absorbers, wheel brakes, balanced elevators and increased fuel capacity. It was used almost exclusively as a cross-country flying, gunnery, photographic and radio trainer, and a removable fairing carried a Scarff ring mounting for one .30 caliber trainable Browning machine gun. Twenty-nine production Couriers were built. The Royal Canadian Air Force bought three generally similar aircraft, two Model 7 landplanes and one Model 8 floatplane, and one converted PT-3 as the XO-17A tried a Packard diesel engine in a demonstrator that attracted no orders.