Recently bought by this collection holder's father from an owner in New Orleans. A nice addition to the Silver Star Air Service fleet. Colors were Navy blue and white. No subsequent history known.

The Deluxe version was equipped with trailing edge wing flaps and wheel fairings, as seen here and an "improved" cowling. The cowling shown is certainly different to others of the type to be seen on the Internet which all have helmets for cylinder clearance. This one was built in 1934 and first flown by the collection holder's father in April 1936. It was bought for his Silver Star Air Service operation later that year. The totem pole emblem on the side was from the previous owner. Last known of with Mission On Wings in Minnesota then cancelled by the FAA - date unknown.

The example shown here in the "weeds" was one of two of the type operated by a pilot school run by William H. Engle and trading as Silver Star Aircraft Service. (Note: Fairchild took over the Challenger series and retroactively gave the model number KR-31 to the C-2, despite not building any.)

One of 15 built in 1930 and based here with Silver Star Air Service at this time. Engine type was a Wright Whirlwind of 220 hp. Cancelled by the FAA as destroyed on 28 October 1947.

Here the 1st prototype is flying again after being grounded for installation of an upgraded P&W R-2800-34W engine plus other modifications. In this view the exhaust pump engine cooling outlet is clearly seen. The USN were delighted with its diving characteristics, but stall and spin recovery was a problem. The delay caused by design changes resulted in other models taking over its role, consequently the contract was terminated on 3 September 1946. Five completed aircraft went to meet their fate at NAES Phillidelphia and were eventually "stricken from inventory". Dates where known: prototypes 44313 (unknown); 44314 (March 1948). Production aircraft: 90484 & 90485 (unknown); 90486 (April 1948).

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.

The first evidence for this grass airfield is from 1927. This photo was taken in 1928 and the biplane is believed to be a Kreider-Reisner Challenger C-2 aircraft with a Kinner D-5 engine. It carries no visible markings. (This may be because, at the time, The State of Pennsylvania had jurisdiction over things aeronautical and issued aircraft license numbers in the format P-### .) In 1945, John Van Sant bought the Silver Star Airport and renamed it to the Old Star Airport. The airport closed about 1973 and the Oxford Valley Shopping Mall was built, obliterating its existence.

This is the first evidence found for the airfield although it looks to have been in existence for a while judging by the track marks in the grass. The building in the far right hand corner is a two-bay hangar (see Photo ID 684841). A pilot school run by William H. Engle and trading as Silver Star Aircraft Service operated from here starting in 1930. In 1945, John Van Sant bought the Silver Star Airport and renamed it to the Old Star Airport. The airport closed about 1973 and the Oxford Valley Shopping Mall was built, obliterating its existence.

First record of this airfield is from a 1930 Aviation Map when it was called Keystone Aircraft Field. Fleetwings Aircraft bought Keystone Aircraft and moved here in 1941. The airfield was then known as Fleetwings Field. Fleetwings was bought by Kaiser Industries in 1943 and the airfield was renamed again to Kaiser Field. The photo shows the transformation from grass airfield to an airport with paved runways 19 & 23 shown here under construction, with 29 just beginning; all paid for by the U.S. Navy. In the 1950s 3M bought the Kaiser factory which heralded a name change to 3M Airport. This situation continued with general aviation operations until 1980 when the airport was closed.

Acquired by American Airlines from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation on 7 December 1945 and modified as a flying test bed for airborne radar research. The print has a Kaiser-Fleetwings rubber stamp dated 'SEP 20 1946' on the back. That plus the inclusion of the company's Chief Engineer (R.W. Ayer) in the photo suggests their involvement in providing the strange-looking cupola. On 8 August 1947 the aircraft was wrecked when it stalled into the East River during a single engine missed approach at LaGuardia/NY.

The prototype Sea Bird on the ramp outside the Fleetwings seaplane factory. The FAA serial number is confirmed by the log book of pilot William H. Engle whose first flight in it was on 25 March 1937. That and all subsequent flights were recorded as on X16793. The skin is 0.010 thick stainless steel and it has been given a swirl finish to make it look attractive. The wing and empennage structures are also made from stainless steel with fabric covering. Engine is a Jacobs L-5 giving 285 hp. The three-section landing gear fairing disappeared from photos from 1938 on, however this aircraft was seen at Oshkosh 1992 with fairings, although possibly not originals. Texas based as N16793 in 2024. Photo from: Alan Reddig via Tim Martin

The first F-5 version which made its initial flight on 16 January 1938 with test pilot William H. Engle at the controls. The F-5 was a modified version of the F-4 with accommodation for five occupants (instead of four). Here it is parked on the Fleetwings seaplane ramp with both the nose mooring hatch and passenger access hatch open. Registration cancelled on 27 April 1948. Collection holder William Engle is the son of Fleetwings test pilot William H. Engle.

Registered CF-BGZ on 14 September 1937 ex NC16793 and here on the Fleetwings seaplane ramp prior to delivery. It was registered to Northern Ventures Ltd of Fort St James, BC initially. It was damaged in a landing accident on 7 March 1939 at Hamilton/ON and returned to the U.S. for repair in June 1939. Texas based as N16793 in 2024.

The BT-12 production line inside the Fleetwings plant showing ships #9 thru #14 of a 24 ship order with serials 42-3684 to 3707 allocated. Serials 42-3708 thru 3883, which would have brought the order up to 200, were cancelled when the military decided they preferred the Vultee BT-13. Construction involved the extensive use of stainless steel, including for skin panels. The fuselage structure was made from carbon steel tube with stainless skin panels attached using "Shake-proof Fasteners" (probably what is known as quarter-turn fasteners today). The novelty of the design probably put the military off as being too different for maintenance to cope with.

The Fleetwings Model 36 was a plywood skinned aerial target with the military designation PQ-12A. This particular aircraft was the prototype and it first flew on 5 December 1941 as NX37010 powered by a Franklin O-300-7 engine of 175 hp. Test pilot William H. Engle was at the controls. (Prototype serial 41-39057 for XPQ-12 not taken up.) On 18 Sept 1942, NX37010 was cancelled and military serial 41-39098 was applied for an XPQ-12A. Subsequent modifications included a simplified nose leg and wheel fairing and substitution of a Lycoming O-435-5 engine of 225 hp. The latter necessitated a larger cowling as seen on the photo of 41-39045. Collection holder William Engle is the son of Fleetwings test pilot William H. Engle.

Designated as an Assault Drone, the plywood skinned BQ-2A was powered by 2 x Lycoming R-680-13 engines of 300 hp each. A 2000 lb bomb could be carried in a compartment just aft of the wing. It shares the Fleetwings Model 37 number with the XBQ-1 and has the same airframe, however the fixed landing gear was jettisonable for better performance. A TV camera mounted in the LH wing leading edge allowed its guidance onto target from a mother-ship. First flight was on 21 August 1943. The design was deemed to be too expensive for operational use, so the program was cancelled in December 1943.