| Aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Registration / Serial: | 44313 |
| Aircraft Original Type: | Fleetwings BTK-1 |
| Aircraft Generic Type: | Fleetwings BTK-1 |
| Aircraft Version: | Fleetwings XBTK-1 |
| C/n (msn): | [ 44313 ] |
| Operator Titles: | USA - Navy |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| City / Airport: | Bristol - Fleetwings Field (closed) |
| Region / Country: | Pennsylvania, United States |
| Airport Codes: | None |
| Photo Date: | April 1945 |
| Photo from: | William Engle Collection (via Tim Martin) |
| Photo ID: | 685096 |
| Photo Comment |
|---|
|
The Fleetwings (officially Kaiser-Fleetwings by now) Model 44 was a dive bomber designed for the US Navy to replace the Curtiss Helldiver. Here the prototype is returning from an early (possibly first) test flight which took place on 12 April 1945 piloted by William H. Engle. It is landing on one of the new paved runways at Fleetwings Field which the USN had built in support of the BTK-1 project. The engine was a P&W R-2800-22W giving 2400 hp and a novel design feature was an exhaust pump engine cooling system. This proved unsatisfactory and was eventually replaced with conventional cowl flaps. Collection holder William Engle is the son of Fleetwings test pilot William H. Engle. This photo was added on 8 May 2024, and has since been viewed 400 times. |