# FAIRCHILD AT-21 GUNNER BOMBER CREW TRAINER PROMOTIONAL FILM 87594

Made during WWII, this promotional film from Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation showcases the AT-21 Gunner, an ill-fated design that failed to perform its original mission -- to train bomber crews for combat service. The film starts out by mentioning the success of the Fairchild C-82 Packet cargo aircraft, and briefly shows that airplane at the 1:30 mark, before starting to focus on the Gunner. The film was directed by Robert Elwyn and produced by Gordon Knox and his Princeton Film Center. The film details the building of the plane using modern techniques including veneer sheets of wood as shown at 5:20 , which are later coated with rubber and glue that is then autoclaved at 6:10 . The process, known as Duramold, is identical to that used with the famed H-4 Hercules "Spruce Goose" aircraft. Duramold is a composite material process developed by Virginius E. Clark. Birch plies are impregnated with phenolic resin, such as Haskelite and laminated together in a mold under heat (280 °F, 138 °C) and pressure for use as a lightweight structural material. Similar to plywood, Duramold and other lightweight composite materials were considered critical during periods of material shortage in World War II, replacing scarce materials like aluminum alloys and steel. Metal working on the Ranger 12 engines is also shown, with many modern procedures utilized. At 13:30 , aluminum fins are shown bonded to steel cylinder fins using the Alfin Process. The Fairchild AT-21 was an American…

- Kind: Film
- Genres: Industrial and advertising
- Archive: [Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/87594TheAT21)
- Licence or status: none stated by the archive
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/ia/87594TheAT21?play=1)