The Albree Pigeon-Fraser was the first
pursuit aircraft project for the
United States Government
The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fede ...
.
Development
George Albree was awarded the first US pursuit aircraft contract in 1917. The aircraft was designed with a flat bottom
airfoil
An airfoil (American English) or aerofoil (British English) is the cross-sectional shape of an object whose motion through a gas is capable of generating significant lift, such as a wing, a sail, or the blades of propeller, rotor, or turbine.
...
and the aft fuselage was hinged to act like an elevator.
Operational history
The first aircraft flew in December 1917, however it crashed on its first flight, killing the pilot. The second aircraft never flew and was destroyed during structural testing. The third aircraft was not completed before the program was cancelled for being "too old-fashioned, unreliable, and slow".
Survivor
The incomplete third aircraft was put into storage and in 1961 was acquired by the
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome
The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome is a living museum in Rhinebeck, New York. It owns many examples of airworthy aircraft of the Pioneer Era, World War I and the Golden Age of Aviation between the World Wars, and multiple examples of roadworthy antiqu ...
where it is currently on display.
Specifications
References
*
*{{cite book, last1=Green, first1=William, first2=Gordon, last2=Swanborough, title=The Complete Book of Fighters, year=1994, publisher=Smithmark Publishers, isbn=0-8317-3939-8
1910s United States experimental aircraft
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Aircraft first flown in 1917
High-wing aircraft