Recognise This Aircraft?

[red750]

Here is a little quiz. What is this aircraft and what was its intended use? I have removed the serial no. and civil registration so that it is not too easy.

 

[ATTACH=full]1443[/ATTACH]

 

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[ATTACH]18290[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

[Guest aviatrix27]

Peter, you need to save it as a different name - I hit save as, and I'm pretty sure its name came up.

 

 

[red750]

Thanks for that, Kaye. I have saved under a generic name.

 

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[Guest David C]

No idea .. But it looks like as if it was cobbled up from bits and pieces in a mad rush of enthusiasm

 

Dave C

 

 

[TAA Student Pilot]

Fleet Fort, designed to train radio operators

 

 

[siznaudin]

Canadian - but it doesn't look particularly fleet of foot to me... :D

 

 

[red750]

Correct SP. Here is the info from Wikipedia:

 

The Fleet Model 60K Fort was the only aircraft designed and built by Canadians during the Second World War[1] and was also the first all-metal monoplane built by Fleet Aircraft of Canada (Fort Erie). It was intended to be an intermediate trainer employed for pilot training between the de Havilland Tiger Moth primary trainer and the North American Harvard advanced trainer. Although it served with the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, the Fort was redundant and was used to train wireless (radio) operators and had a relatively short operational career.

 

The Fort was originally designed as an advanced flying trainer and in 1940 orders were placed for 200 to be built for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.[1] The Fleet 60 was designed as a monoplane with a low elliptical wing and a raised rear cockpit. An unusual feature was the fixed undercarriage. Although fixed, the undercarriage was fitted with a retractable fairing. This feature was intended to familiarize student pilots with an undercarriage retraction mechanism but without causing external damage by a forgetful student.

 

Production was delayed, however, as the first Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) model was not flying until 18 April 1941. The availability of the Fairchild Cornell, (Canadian version of the Fairchild PT-19)and a change in what constituted an "advanced" trainer, led to the contract's being sharply cut back, and only 101 Forts were ultimately delivered to the RCAF between June 1941 and June 1942.

 

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[siznaudin]

And here's a link to the engine info... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobs_R-915#Applications

 

 

[dazza 38]

I thought that it was designed to be the ugliest aircraft ever built.:eek:

 

 

[willedoo]

I thought that it was designed to be the ugliest aircraft ever built.:eek:

Dazza, I recon we could dedicate a whole forum to ugly aircraft designs. I don't know who'd win though. The Soviets would definitely be in with a good chance. Britain might give them a run for their money, though. And then the French got a little bit weird at times as well.

Cheers, Willie.