Model Airplane News Cover for February, 1967
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Here is what the blurb about the cover has to say:

"...Bill King with his magnificent scale RC Fleet Model 1 biplane featured in the December, 1966 issue of MAN. For all those that are building the Fleet -- and there are plenty if our plan sales are any indication, here you have the plane in all its splendid colors. That it is durable and a fine flier can be seen from its good shape as this photo was taken after a full season of contest flying. Fine photograph by Rusty Nelson ..."

About the Model

The model is a replica of the Navy N2Y, one of several airplanes designed to be carried aboard the Navy's dirigibles Akron and Macon. (See our review of the August, 1932 issue of MAN for more on this) The model was designed from drawings by Willis Nye that appeared in the December 1935 issue of MAN

You may read Bill King's article about constructing the Fleet biplane by clicking to enlarge the photos below.

     

The Fleet Biplane decked out as the Navy N2Y
by Paul King
far right: December, 1935 Drawings by Willis Nye
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About the Full Size Airplane

Consolidated Model 14 "Fleet Biplane"
Model Airplane News Cover Art for October, 1958
by Jo Kotula
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Consolidated Aircraft of Buffalo N. Y. produced a successful Husky series of military training aircraft. They developed the "Fleet" in 1928 to target the civilian market. The biplane was named for Maj. Reuben Fleet who was a war hero and director of Consolidated Aircraft. Fleet Aircraft Inc. was set up as a subsidiary corporation headed by Larry Bell, who was later to become famous for the P-39 Airacobra and other military aircraft.

  

Consolidated Model 14 "Fleet Biplane"
Left picture: Top: Model 14 "Fleet" Bottom: PT3 "Husky"
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In order to attract the civilian buyer the plane was designed around a relatively inexpensive 110 hp engine especially for a machine that would only be used to teach flying. The engine initially chosen for the Fleet series, the Warner "Scarab", was probably the best of the new engines then appearing on the market in the 90-120 hp range and the Fleet found widespread acceptance very quickly as a civilian training machine. Formally the planes were known as the Consolidated Model 14.

Throughout the 1930s Fleets were common everywhere in the United States, but they were particularly popular on the coasts. In the east, for example, the Roosevelt Flying School of New York operated Fleets for many years. In Southern California, Fleets were available at almost every airport where, quite unlike today, a considerable number of impending bankrupts, called "fixed base operators," scratched a precarious living renting them out to "Sunday Flyers" and providing flying instruction (of a sort) in half-hour increments. The rental was almost always the same whether the owner-operator went along to provide "flying instruction" or not. His services came free. The charges for Fleets ranged from $6 to $8 per hour with the poorer Los Angeles area fields like Dycer or Culver City offering the lower prices.

Here is a video of a restored Consolidated Model 14 "Fleet Biplane":

Click Here for more information about the Consolidated Model 14 "Fleet Biplane".

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