1930 Fleet Model 1

The 1930 Fleet Model 1 is a classic two-seat sport biplane with an open cockpit.  Aviation Pioneer Reuben H. Fleet developed the plane in the late 1920s. It was durable and forgiving, making it a good trainer, and it became one of the most iconic popular aircraft of its time.

Rueben Fleet designed the plane while working for Consolidated Aircraft Corporation, but they decided not to put it into production.  Rueben purchased the plans and started his own company, Fleet Aircraft, to produce it.

The plane was going to be built for the civilian market, but the military became interested in it.  The U.S. Navy used a version designated the N2Y-1 equipped with overhead hooks and was suspended from large airships where they could be deployed.  They were also used as primary military trainers before World War II.

The construction included a welded steel-tube fuselage and a fabric-covered wooden wing spar with duralumin ribs. The plane was smaller than many biplanes of the time.  It was usually powered by a 5-cylinder radial engine producing 110 to 145 horsepower. This provided a cruising speed of 88 to 90 mph and a top speed of 113 mph. The plane was a popular aircraft for airshows because it was agile and handled well, making it useful for aerobatics and barnstorming. 

The model we exhibit is from the late 1930s and was used in the early 1940s for the Civil Air Patrol.  This plane was completely restored and donated to our museum by Mr. Richard Parr of Pittsboro, N.C.