Fleetwings

Fleetwings, later Kaiser-Fleetwings, was an American aircraft company of the 1930s and 1940s.

History

Fleetwings started in 1926 (under a different name) as a business based on a patented mechanical timing device, which proved particularly suited to controlling automated welding equipment. After developing the additional capacity to offer welding services, it pursued research and technology specifically related to the welding of stainless steel. In 1929, the company reorganized as Fleetwings, Inc., in Garden City, NY, to develop stainless-steel aircraft structures. The company progressed to manufacturing components for other aircraft manufacturers, including ribs and control surfaces for the Ireland "Privateer" amphibian, and ribs, flaps and tail surfaces for Grover Loening Aircraft Company, and moved to a larger location in a hangar on lower Roosevelt Field, Long Island. In 1934, it purchased the former Keystone Aircraft facility on the Delaware River in Bristol, PA, and moved its operations there. The corporate structure of Fleetwings, Inc., was dominated by the de Ganahl family. In the mid-1930s, its Board of Directors included Carl de Ganahl, Charles F. de Ganahl, Chloe de Ganahl, Joe de Ganahl and Frank de Ganahl. During the company's history, Carl, Cecil and Frank de Ganahl each served as President at various times.

Fleetwings 33

The Fleetwings Model 33 was a 1940s American primary trainer prototype airplane built by Fleetwings.

Development

During 1940, the Fleetwings company designed and built a two-seat primary trainer, the Model 33. Although the company were experts with stainless-steel construction the aircraft was built from light-alloy. It was a cantilever low-wing monoplane with a conventional tail unit and fixed tailwheel landing gear, powered by Franklin 6AC piston engine. The instructor and pupil were accommodated in two tandem open cockpits. Only the prototype was built.

Specifications (Model 33)

Data from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing

General characteristics

Performance

Fleetwings BT-12 Sophomore

The Fleetwings BT-12 Sophomore, also known by the company designation Model 23, was a 1940s all-metal basic training monoplane built by Fleetwings for the United States Army Air Forces. Only 24 production examples of the type were built before the contract was cancelled.

Design and development

With the outbreak of the Second World War, the United States Army Air Corps (later U.S. Army Air Forces) was ill-prepared for a major war. In an effort to obtain as many aircraft as possible the USAAF contracted Fleetwings, a specialist fabricator of sheet stainless steel, to produce a basic training monoplane. A prototype Model 23 was ordered as the XBT-12 during 1939.

The XBT-12 was an all-metal low-wing cantilever monoplane with a fixed tailwheel landing gear and powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-985 engine. The aircraft had two identical tandem cockpits for instructor and pupil covered by a continuous canopy. It was the first military aircraft to be constructed primarily from welded stainless steel.