Fleetwings designations

[Stargazer2006]

As strange as it seems, we do not have a topic for Fleetwings aircraft, so this is it.

Fleetwings Inc., Bristol, Pennsylvania.
Early designations had an F- prefix, which was later dropped:

F-101 Four-seat high-wing cabin monoplane with Wright R-760 engine (1931). One built.
F-3 No data. Designation found once but not confirmed.
F-401 = F-4 / F-4-Q2 Seabird. Four-seat high-wing cabin monoplane amphibian with 225hp Jacobs L-5 engine (1936). One built.
F-501 = F-5 Seabird. All stainless-steel 4-place amphibian with 285hp Jacobs L-5 or 300hp L-6 engine (1936). Five built.
F-6 Seabird. Single-engined five-seat flying boat version of F-5 amphibian aircraft. Not built.

Fleetwings Division of Kaiser Cargo Inc./Kaiser Fleetwings Inc./Kaiser Metal Products, Bristol, Pennsylvania.
Further designations were only numeral, and in chronological order:

Model 23 Army XBT-12. Two-seat low-wing monoplane Army basic trainer with 450hp P&W R-985 engine; first all-stainless steel military airplane (1939). 1 prototype built.
Model 23 Sophomore (Army BT-12). Two-seat low-wing monoplane Army basic trainer (1942). 24 built.
Model 33 Two-seat low-wing trainer with 130hp Franklin 6AC engine, Alclad construction; open tandem cockpits (1941). 1 built.
Model 36 Army XPQ-12. Ercoupe-like plywood target plane with 190hp Lycoming O-435 engine, manned capability (1941). One built.
Model 36 Army YPQ-12-FL. Pre-production batch. First one also found as YPQ-12A (1941). Eight built, possibly all updated to PQ-12A standard later on.
Model 36 Army XPQ-12A. Variant with modified nose gear and perhaps other modifications (1941). One built.
Model 36B Army YPQ-12A and PQ-12A. Production version (1942). 30 built.
Model 37 Army XBQ-1. Mid-wing plywood target monoplane with two 225hp inline engine, provision for a pilot (1943). One built.
Model 37 Army XBQ-2/A. Improved version with two 280hp radial engines, jettisonable landing gear, and 2,000 lb. bomb load (1943). One built.
Model 39 Army XA-39. Attack aircraft for USAAF MX-217. Some sources talk of an alternate twin-engine design (1942). Not built, mock-up only.
Model ?? "All-Wing Airplane", "Tailless Airplane", "Kaiser flying wing". . Flying wing cargo plane project (1943-46). Not built.
Model ?? Navy XBF-1. "Kaiser Flying Wing" 200-ton bomber derivative for U. S. Navy (1944). Not built.
Model ?? XH-10T Twirleybird = Cargoes/Kaiser H-10. Prototype helicopter to provide cargo ships with anti-sub protection, initially developed for the British Government (1944). One built (a second one claimed but unlikely).
Model ?? Apparently the same helicopter design submitted for U.S. Navy Rescue & Utility Class (1945). Not built.
Model 44 Navy XBK-1. Projected light bomber, replaced by XBTK-1 (1944). Not built.
Model ?? Navy XBTK-1. Single-seat torpedo bomber with one 2100hp P&W R-2800 radial engine (1945). Five built.
Model 46/A U. S. Navy dive bomber proposal. Not built.
Model 47 Twin-engined naval fighter proposal. Dubbed "The Two Squirt Thin Twin". Not built.
Model 51 Kaiser-Craft. All-metal private plane project with 200hp General Motors GM-250 engine, side-by-side seating for four (circa 1950). Not built.
KD-161 Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) turbine proposal for joint military competition, developed with Doman in the late 1950s. Not built.


NOTES:
- Kaiser was only a financial backer, who had his hand in other aviation ventures, not listed here. This list is only concerned with Fleetwings-related types.
- The Spangenberg Index mentions the Twirleybird as the "Model 52", which doesn't make a lot of sense given where it fits in the chronology. I guess it could be a typo for "Model 42".
- I have only given the basic details for each type. More anecdotes, photos, serials and construction numbers soon on my website.

 

[Maveric]

Any drawings or pics from the Fleetwings F.101 and F.6?

 

[Stargazer2006]

Any drawings or pics from the Fleetwings F.101 and F.6?

No image of the F-6.

 

[hesham]

Great work my dear Skyblazer,

and I can add;

Model ? All-wing night fighter Project,intended to compete Dougals F3D

Correction;

Model-47 was a twin engined dive bomber Project,not naval fighter

 

[Maveric]

Thanks Stephane!

 

[hesham]

From Aircraft Yearbook 1938;

A strange design came after F-5,it was called F-20 ?,it was a Project.

 

[PhanDad]

Stargazer2006 thanks for making this post.

A XBTK-1 Pic:



From Dad's Logbook 6A: April 2, 1945 Fleetwings XBTK-1 Navy 44313 P&W 2800 Taxi Run (first time XBTK-1 mentioned in his Logbook).

The XBTK-1 ended my Dad's testing career; his lungs were severely damaged during a dive test (as best I remember) on June 13, 1946. I still have the spin chute that saved his life:

 

[hesham]

Thank you PhanDad,

and welcome aboard,what was the designation model number of XBTK-1 ?.

 

[PhanDad]

Can't help with the designation model number for the XBTK-1.

But I do have a question about the "Model 51 Kaiser-Craft" listed above. Was this a "newer" version of the Kaiser-Hammond Model Y2? In the attached article, the engine in the Y2 was stated to be a 220HP Lycoming.

Y2 article:


From the April 1946 issue of Aircraft Equipment News:


I believe my Dad tested the Y2, but I don't have any logbooks as evidence. Note in the article above, the "?" and underline, I imagine the flaps weren't electrically operated. He did keep the nameplate from the Y2 which I have in my possession:

 

[hesham]

Good news,thanks,

but for Kaiser-Craft,please see;

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