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The Fletcher FL-23 was an American two-seat liaison or observation aircraft designed and built by the California-based
Fletcher Aviation Corporation. It was entered into a competition and lost against the
Cessna 305A as a liaison or observation aircraft for the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
.
Development
The FL-23 prototype was designed and built as a private venture, it was a high-wing cantilever monoplane with an all-moving tailplane mounted at the top of the fin. It had a fixed tricycle landing gear and powered a 225-hp (168 kW)
Continental E225
The Continental O-470 engine is a family of carburetor, carbureted and fuel-injected flat six engine, six-cylinder, horizontally opposed, air-cooled aircraft engines that was developed especially for use in light aircraft by Teledyne Continent ...
piston engine. It had room for a pilot and observer in tandem; the observer had an unusual acrylic plastic enclosure to give an all-round visibility.
Operational history
The US Army issued the specification for a two-seat liaison and observation monoplane and the prototype was entered into the competition. During trials the aircraft was badly damaged in a flying accident when it lost its tail, and was withdrawn from the competition. The competition was won by the Cessna 305A which became the
L-19 Bird Dog
The Cessna L-19/O-1 Bird Dog is a liaison and observation aircraft. It was the first all-metal fixed-wing aircraft ordered for and by the United States Army following the Army Air Forces' separation from it in 1947. The Bird Dog had a lengthy ...
.
Specifications
See also
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fletcher Fl-23
FL-23
1950s United States military reconnaissance aircraft
High-wing aircraft
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1950
T-tail aircraft