 |
 |
Fleet Aircraft Company built eleven Consolidated Model 21 aeroplanes for its parent company, Consolidated, in 1936 and 1937. Ten of these were exported to Mexico as basic trainers for the Mexican Air Force. The eleventh was produced in 1937 as a demonstrator for Fleet, which tried to interest the RCAF in this large biplane. Unfortunately, the days of the biplane were already numbered, and monoplanes were emerging from the world's aircraft factories in greater quantities.
This aircraft was used by Fleet's chief test pilot, the famous Tommy Williams, to test the parachutes made by Irvin Industries Canada (Fort Erie, Ontario) for the RCAF. Williams simply threw dummies out of the aeroplane. When the 21K became surplus to Fleet's requirements, Williams bought it and continued to fly it as a private aircraft. He did not give up his pilot's
license until he was the age of 82.
The Museum obtained the Fleet 21K from Falls Aviation Ltd., who had returned the aeroplane to its original two-seater configuration. It had originally been built as a Model 21M with a Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Jr. engine, but has been converted to a Model K with the Jacobs L-6MB engine.
|
|
 
|
|
|
