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.

The Fleetwings Model 37 was an Assault Drone with military designation BQ-1. It was plywood skinned and was powered by 2 x Franklin O-405-7 engines of 250 hp each. A 2000 lb bomb could be carried in a compartment just aft of the wing. In this photo, the 48 ft span wings with leading edge slots are well illustrated. A TV camera mounted in the aircraft allowed its guidance onto target from a mother-ship. On 17 July 1944 the aircraft was wrecked in an engine failure induced forced landing near Wright Field/OH, resulting in cancellation of the program.

Designated as an Assault Drone, the plywood skinned BQ-1 was powered by 2 x Franklin O-405-7 engines of 250 hp each. A 2000 lb bomb could be carried in the compartment seen here just aft of the wing. A TV camera mounted in the aircraft allowed its guidance onto target from a mother-ship. In this photo, test pilot William H. Engle is attempting to ferry the aircraft to Wright Field, Dayton/OH, but an oil leak from the LH engine forced a return to Lancaster/PA. The leaking oil can be seen on the landing gear and wheel fairings. On 17 July 1944 the aircraft was wrecked in an engine failure induced forced landing near Wright Field, resulting in cancellation of the program. Collection holder William Engle is the son of the test pilot

Pictured with the 434th Special Operations Wing (AFRES), this U-3A was transferred to the US Army Reserve by the end of the year. Retired to MASDC, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ in April 1972, the aircraft became part of the Grissom Air Museum collection at Grissom AFB, IN circa 1989.

Minuscule serial applied to fin. "F3A-1" was the designation for the Brewster-built F4U-1. Just over 700 were built before Brewster was forced out of business. Poor production techniques and shabby quality control meant that these aircraft were red-lined for speed and prohibited from aerobatics after several lost their wings. This was later traced to defective wing fittings.

The first prototype of the huge H-16 Transporter, first flown on 23 October 1953 on the power of two 1650-hp R-2180 Twin Wasp engines. It looks like the picture was taken at the Piasecki factory in Morton, towards Woodland Avenue. Photo by: Yale Joel / Life

Originally built for the USAAF as 42-55865. Bought by Kaiser Cargo Inc from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation in July 1945. Converted to civil by United Aero Services in May 1946 then ownership transferred to Kaiser Fleetwings Inc in November 1946. Final registration was N90LV then cancelled as such on 11 March 2013.

Shown over-nighting in the hangar while stationed at Pitcairn Field (NAS Willow Grove after after 1942) to undergo testing by the manufacturer. During full aft CG spin testing it entered a flat spin. Test pilot William H. Engle reported that he tried to recover for 25 revolutions then released the anti-spin parachute. The fix included enlargement of the vertical stabilizer and this was done prior to engine cooling tests at NACA Langley in November/December 1941. There the project ended due to U.S. entry into World War II. Collection holder William Engle is the son of Fleetwings test pilot William H. Engle.

This is the one and only example built and it was hoped to attract an order from the U.S. Army. Unfortunately engine cooling problems delayed testing to the point where the USA entry into World War II killed off the project. Here it is undergoing systems checks at Pitcairn Field (NAS Willow Grove after after 1942) which are being conducted by the manufacturer. Power was from a 130 h.p Franklin AC-298, 6-cylinder. NX29033 was registered to Kaiser-Fleetwings and was cancelled in 1965. Collection holder William Engle is the son of Fleetwings test pilot William H. Engle.

The second flying prototype of the S-56.

Bought by shipbuilder Henry Kaiser in 1943, the Fleetwings company in Bristol, Pennsylvania produced the Kaiser-Fleetwings BTK dive and torpedo bomber and also this two-seat helicopter. The sole example to be flown was tested from a lake in a park in Bristol in 1944 and 1945. Reportedly designed for anti-submarine work from the decks of Liberty cargo ships, the XH-10 was never tested by the military. XH-10 was a company designation, with the name Twirley Bird supposedly also given to the type.

Photo by Jim Tunney.

Photo by Jim Tunney.