Starboard view of the Fleetster prototype at the time of its first flight. Photo from: San Diego Air & Space Museum

The photo shows that the Fleetster prototype was delivered to NYRBA Line as a floatplane. It had an accident in Miami on 16 March 1930, a week after this picture was taken. Photo from: San Diego Air & Space Museum

The Fleetster prototype in its first guise. Photo dated one day after first flight. Photo from: San Diego Air & Space Museum

The Fleetster prototype in a demonstrator livery, with an NX reg. This should be a later shot than our photo of NC657M. Apparently the plane was returned to the manufacturer after the demise of NYRBA Line in September 1930. Photo from: Consolidated / Gerald Balzer collection

The Fleetster was designed for use within South America by NYRBA Line, a forgotten competitor to Pan Am in which Consolidated's Reuben Fleet held an interest. The Fleetster would fly through the night with evening mail to catch up with the diurnal NYRBA flying boat at its night stop. Pan Am's powerful backers deprived NYRBA of a US Post Office contract. NYRBA could not survive and NC657M was returned to the factory. The factory airfield was north of Buffalo. Photo from: Consolidated / Gerald Balzer collection