The Fleet Model 1 (originally the Consolidated Model 14 Husky Junior) and its derivatives were a family of two-seat trainer and sports biplanes produced in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

in the 1920s and 1930s. They all shared the same basic design and varied mainly in their

powerplant Propulsion is the generation of force by any combination of pushing or pulling to modify the translational motion of an object, which is typically a rigid body (or an articulated rigid body) but may also concern a fluid. The term is derived from ...

Development

The Fleet Model 1 and its derivatives were all orthodox

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

s with staggered, single-bay wings of equal span and fixed tailskid undercarriage. Accommodation was provided for two in tandem, originally sharing a single open cockpit, but in most examples in separate open cockpits. The fuselage was made of welded steel tube with triangular-layout

Warren truss Warren Errol Truss, (born 8 October 1948) is a former Australian politician who served as the 16th Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development in the Abbott Government and the Turnbull Governm ...

construction pattern side structures typical of the time, and the wings had a wooden spar with duralumin ribs, the entire aircraft being fabric-covered. Despite a superficial resemblance to Consolidated's highly successful Trusty and

Husky Husky is a general term for a dog used in the polar regions, primarily and specifically for work as sled dogs. It refers to a traditional northern type, notable for its cold-weather tolerance and overall hardiness. Modern racing huskies that mai ...

designs (hence the "Husky Junior" nickname), the Model 14 was an all-new design. Originally created as a means for Consolidated to enter the civil market, the company abandoned this ambition shortly before the completion of the first prototype. The manufacturing rights were purchased by designer and Consolidated company president

Reuben Fleet Reuben Hollis Fleet (March 6, 1887 – October 29, 1975) was an American aviation pioneer, industrialist and army officer. Fleet founded and led several corporations, including Consolidated Aircraft. Birth and early career Fleet was born on Mar ...

to put into production under his new enterprise,

Fleet Aircraft Fleet Aircraft was a Canadian manufacturer of aircraft from 1928 to 1957. In 1928, the board of Consolidated Aircraft decided to drop their light trainer aircraft and sold the rights to Brewster Aircraft. Reuben H. Fleet founded Fleet Aircraft in ...

. It was an immediate success, and in the first year of production alone, over 300 machines were sold. Consolidated quickly responded by buying Fleet Aircraft and retaining it as a subsidiary while opening a second production line at

Fort Erie, Ontario Fort Erie is a town on the Niagara River in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. It is directly across the river from Buffalo, New York, and is the site of Old Fort Erie which played a prominent role in the War of 1812. Fort Erie is one of N ...

, Canada. The Canadian manufacturing was a great success, with some 600 examples built for the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

as the

Fleet Fawn In the 1930s, Fleet Aircraft manufactured a series of single-engined, two-seat training aircraft, based on US designs. The Fleet Model 7B and Model 7C, known respectively as Fawn I and Fawn II were purchased by the RCAF as primary trainers. After ...

(Model 7) and

Fleet Finch The Fleet Finch (Fleet Model 16) is a two-seat, tandem training biplane produced by Fleet Aircraft of Fort Erie, Ontario. There were a number of variants mainly based on engine variations. Over several years beginning in 1939, a total of 447 ...

(Model 16). A small number of U.S.-built machines were purchased by the U.S. military, including a batch evaluated by the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...

as the PT-16 but not bought in quantity. One initial prototype aircraft and six subsequent specialized production N2Y trainers were purchased by the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. These N2Y-1 aircraft were equipped with hooks to catch the trapeze on two

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

airships, the ''

USS Akron USS ''Akron'' (ZRS-4) was a helium-filled rigid airship of the U.S. Navy, the lead ship of her class, which operated between September 1931 and April 1933. It was the world's first purpose-built flying aircraft carrier, carrying F9C Sparrow ...

'' and the '' USS Macon.'' The N2Y-1

parasite aircraft A parasite aircraft is a component of a composite aircraft which is carried aloft and air launched by a larger carrier aircraft or mother ship to support the primary mission of the carrier. The carrier craft may or may not be able to later recov ...

were used to train pilots that would subsequently fly the longer distance single-seat F9C Sparrowhawks reconnaissance aircraft. The two-seater N2Y-1 also acted as service aircraft, flying passengers to the inroute airships. On July 6, 1930, future air racer and movie stunt pilot

Paul Mantz Albert Paul Mantz (August 2, 1903 – July 8, 1965) was a noted air racing pilot, movie stunt pilot and consultant from the late 1930s until his death in the mid-1960s. He gained fame on two stages: Hollywood and in air races. Early years Man ...

flew a Fleet Model 2 biplane through 46 consecutive outside loops, an international record which stood for almost 50 years. United States manufacturing rights were eventually sold to

Brewster Aeronautical Corporation The Brewster Aeronautical Corporation was an American defense contractor that operated from the 1930s until the end of World War II. History Originally a carriage builder, Brewster & Co.'s involvement in aviation began in the aftermath of W ...

, which intended to produce the Brewster B-1 based on the Canadian Model 16F.

Variants

Fleet_Model_11_photo_Le_Pontentiel_Aérien_Mondial_1936

* Consolidated Model 14 Husky Junior - prototypes (ca. five built) * Fleet Model 1 - initial production version with

Warner Scarab The Warner Scarab is an American seven-cylinder radial aircraft engine, that was manufactured by the Warner Aircraft Corporation of Detroit, Michigan in 1928 through to the early 1940s. In military service the engine was designated R-420. Vari ...

engine. Approximately 90 built, including one for US Navy for evaluation as XN2Y-1.Wegg 1990, pp. 56, 58. * Fleet 1 Special - One aircraft modified as testbed for

Menasco Pirate The Menasco Pirate series were four-cylinder, air-cooled, in-line, inverted aero-engines, built by the Menasco Motors Company of Burbank, California, for use in light general and sport aircraft during the 1930s and 1940s. The Menasco engines c ...

B-4.Wegg 1990, p. 56. * Fleet Model 2 - initial production version with

Kinner K-5 The Kinner K-5 was a popular engine for light general and sport aircraft developed by Winfield B. 'Bert' Kinner. With the boom in civilian aviation after Charles Lindbergh's transatlantic flight the K-5 sold well. The K-5 was a rough running but ...

engine. 203 built in US for civil market, with 13 built in US for Argentina and limited production in Canada. ** PT-6 - USAAC designation for Model 2 (16 built) ** N2Y-1 - USN version with trapeze hook for airship docking training (six built). One converted to floatplane as XN2Y-2 and then converted to

autogyro An autogyro (from Greek and , "self-turning"), also known as a ''gyroplane'', is a type of rotorcraft that uses an unpowered rotor in free autorotation to develop lift. Forward thrust is provided independently, by an engine-driven propeller. Whi ...

as XOZ-1. * Fleet Model 3 - based on Fleet 1 with

Wright J-6 The Wright Whirlwind was a family of air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by Wright Aeronautical (originally an independent company, later a division of Curtiss-Wright). The family began with nine-cylinder engines, and later expanded to inc ...

engine. Two built.Wegg 1990, pp. 56–57. * Fleet Model 4 - version with

Curtiss Challenger The Curtiss R-600 Challenger was a six-cylinder, double-row, air-cooled, radial engine for aircraft use built in the United States in the late 1920s. It developed . Design and development Curtiss started work on a small six-cylinder engine in Ma ...

engine. One built.Wegg 1990, p. 57. * Fleet Model 5 - version with Brownback C-400 engine. One built. * Fleet Model 5 - Designation reused for Kinner K-5 powered version of Fleet 10. Six built in US for China. Built in Canada as Fleet 10A. * Fleet Model 6 - Testbed for Continental A-7 radial engine. * Fleet Model 7 - version with

Kinner B-5 The Kinner B-5 was a popular five cylinder American radial engine for light general and sport aircraft of the 1930s. Design and development The B-5 was a development of the earlier K-5 with slightly greater power and dimensions. The main change ...

engine (48 built, plus several converted from Model 2 by Fleet in Canada) ** Fleet Model 7A ** Fleet Model 7B - Canadian production version ** Fleet Model 7C - Canadian production version with Armstrong Siddeley Civet engine ** Fleet Model 7G - Canadian production version with

de Havilland Gipsy The de Havilland Gipsy is a British air-cooled four-cylinder in-line aircraft engine designed by Frank Halford in 1927 to replace the ADC Cirrus in the de Havilland DH.60 Moth light biplane. Initially developed as an upright 5 litre (300 ...

III engine ** XPT-6 - One Model 7 acquired by the US Army Air Corps for service tests. Version with 100-hp Kinner R-370-1 (Kinner K5) engine ** YPT-6 - ten aircraft similar to the XPT-6, used by the US Army Air Corps for service tests and evaluation ** YPT-6A - modified version of the Model 7 fitted with an enlarged cockpit. Used by the US Army Air Corps for service tests and evaluation * Fleet Model 8 - three-seat version similar to Model 7 (seven built) * Fleet Model 9 - refined version of Model 8 (12 built) * Fleet Model 10 - refined version of Model 7 for export to Europe, replaced the 1928-origin "looped" portside main landing gear radius rod of the Models 2 & 7; with a center-hinged design for both mainwheels, using a V-form transverse

cabane strut In aeronautics, bracing comprises additional structural members which stiffen the functional airframe to give it rigidity and strength under load. Bracing may be applied both internally and externally, and may take the form of strut, which act in ...

to provide the hinge-point. ** Fleet Model 10A - version with 100 hp Kinner engine ** Fleet Model 10B - version with 125 hp Kinner engine ** Fleet Model 10D - version with 160 hp Kinner engine ** Fleet Model 10-32D - generally similar to the Model 10D, but with an increased 4-ft 0-in (1.22-m) wingspan ** Fleet Model 10E - version with 125 hp Warner engine ** Fleet Model 10F - version with 145 hp Warner engine ** Fleet Model 10G - version with

de Havilland Gypsy Major The de Havilland Gipsy Major or Gipsy IIIA is a four-cylinder, air-cooled, inverted inline engine used in a variety of light aircraft produced in the 1930s, including the famous Tiger Moth biplane. Many Gipsy Major engines still power vintag ...

engine for governments of Portugal and Romania; ca. 70 built in

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

ICAR ICAR may refer to: * ''I Car'' or HR 4102, a star in the Carina constellation * ''i Car'' or HD 79447, a star in the Carina constellation * ''ι Car'' or Iota Carinae (HD 80404), a star in the Carina constellation *Indian Council of Agricultural Re ...

** Fleet Model 10H - version with

Menasco C-4 The Menasco Pirate series were four-cylinder, air-cooled, in-line, inverted aero-engines, built by the Menasco Motors Company of Burbank, California, for use in light general and sport aircraft during the 1930s and 1940s. The Menasco engines c ...

S engine * Fleet Model 11 - version with

Kinner R-5 The Kinner R-5 is an American five cylinder radial engine for light general and sport aircraft of the 1930s. Design and development The R-5 was a development of the earlier Kinner B-5, with slightly greater power and dimensions. The main chang ...

engine; some exported to Argentina, China and Mexico * Fleet Model 14 - Model 2 modified for participation in

Guggenheim Safe Aircraft Competition Daniel Guggenheim (July 9, 1856 – September 28, 1930) was an American mining magnate and philanthropist, and a son of Meyer and Barbara Guggenheim. By 1910 he directed the world's most important group of mining interests. He was forced out ...

but disqualified; ca. 300 license-built in Romania by IAR. * Fleet Model 16 -

- strengthened Canadian production version with sliding canopy, powered by a 130 hp de Havilland Gipsy Major engine (ca. 600 built) ** Fleet Model 16B - Fleet Finch Mk II - Strengthened Canadian production version, powered by a Kinner B5 engine ** Fleet Model 16D - similar to the Model 16B, but fitted with a Kinner B5 engine ** Fleet Model 16F - prototype for Brewster B-1 ** Fleet Model 16R - Fleet Finch Mk I - designation of the Fleet 16D built in Canada for the RCAF * Fleet Model 21 - armed version built in Canada for

Mexican Air Force The Mexican Air Force (FAM; es, Fuerza Aérea Mexicana) is the primary aerial warfare service branch of the Mexican Armed Forces. It is a component of the Mexican Army and depends on the National Defense Secretariat (SEDENA). The objective of t ...

(11 built) ** Fleet Model 21M - designation for a one-off demonstration aircraft ** Fleet Model 21K - redesignation of the Model 21M, after it was subsequently sold to a private buyer

Operators

; *

Argentine Naval Aviation ) Gulf War , anniversaries = , decorations = , battle_honours = , commander1 = President , commander1_label = Commander-in-Chief , commander2 ...

- 10 Model 11 (1931 - 1940) ; *

; *

Chinese Nationalist Air Force Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

- Fleet Model 11 ; *

; *

Royal Romanian Air Force The Air Force branch of the Royal Romanian forces in World War II was officially named the (ARR), or the Romanian Royal Aeronautics, though it is more commonly referred to in English histories as the (Royal Romanian Air Force, FARR), or simply ( ...

; *

Turkish Air Force The Turkish Air Force ( tr, ) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. The Turkish Air Force can trace its origins back to June 1911 when it was founded by the Ottoman Empire, however, the air force as it is known t ...

; *

Paraguayan Air Force The Armed forces of Paraguay ( es, Fuerzas Armadas de Paraguay) consist of the Paraguayan army, navy (including naval aviation and marine corps) and air force. The constitution of Paraguay establishes the president of Paraguay as the commander- ...

- Military Aviation School - 5 Fleet Model 2 bought in 1931

Surviving aircraft

;Israel * 200 – Model 1 airworthy at Paradive Aviation Gallery at Habonim Airstrip. It is registered as 4X-AAF, was manufactured in 1929, and is powered with a Kinner B-5 radial engine. ;Paraguay * E-15 – Model 2 airworthy with the Yvytu Flight Club. A veteran of the

Chaco War The Chaco War ( es, link=no, Guerra del Chaco, gn, Cháko ÑorairõPima Air & Space Museum The Pima Air & Space Museum, located in Tucson, Arizona, is one of the world's largest non-government funded aerospace museums. The museum features a display of nearly 300 aircraft spread out over 80 acres (320,000 m²) on a campus occ ...

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

. It is in the markings of Gilpen & Greenway Air Lines, Tucson, Arizona 1934. * 229 – Model 2 airworthy at the

Military Aviation Museum The Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is home to one of the world's largest collections of warbirds in flying condition. It includes examples from Germany, France, Italy, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, from ...

Virginia Beach, Virginia Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...

. It is registered as NC636M and is in the markings of United Air Services of Burbank, California. * 233 – Model 1 airworthy with David Trost of

Westchester, New York Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population o ...

Specifications (Model 2)

References

Citations

Bibliography

Aerofiles.com
* * * * *

External links

(Advertisement) – Aero Digest
{{Navboxes, list= {{Fleet Aircraft {{Consolidated aircraft {{Aircraft manufactured in Canada {{IAR Aircraft {{ICAR aircraft {{USAF trainer aircraft {{USN trainer aircraft {{USN observation aircraft 1920s United States sport aircraft 1920s United States civil trainer aircraft Consolidated aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft

Model 1 Model 1 may refer to: * Austin Model 1, a semi-empirical method for the quantum calculation of molecular electronic structure in computational chemistry * Boeing Model 1, a United States single-engine biplane seaplane aircraft * Breese-Dallas Model ...

Biplanes Aircraft first flown in 1928 Parasite aircraft