Flying Through Time: Pilot Report on the 1929 Fleet Model 1

The brainchild of Reuben Fleet who designed it while an executive at Consolidated Aircraft, (builder of the famous PBY flying boat and with a fascinating corporate history itself) the Fleet Model 1 was designed and built to attempt to bridge the company’s sales into the civilian market.   The Model 1 was a smaller version of a military trainer and met with fairly limited success in the United States.  Fleet purchased the rights to the plane and eventually built a factory in Canada, which led to the subsequent Fleet models becoming Canada's primary military trainer in the run-up to and during World War II.

There were a fairly large number of Fleet biplane models, mostly due to different engine types being used.  However, the major design elements were set when the model was introduced in 1929.  The Fleet is smaller than many biplanes of its era and is about the same size as the well-known Great Lakes biplane.  One of its distinguishing features is a one-piece upper wing without a separate center section which was the common means of building biplanes.  This was done to save weight.  Also unusual in the Fleet was a horizontal stabilizer shaped as an airfoil in a period in which most empennages were flat surfaces..

Like a number of airplanes designed in the late 1920s and early 1930's the Fleet originally had some difficulty reliably getting out of spins.  The general solution, as with the Waco F2 and F3 models was to enlarge the vertical fin and/or rudder.  Unlike Waco who recalled the F3 for retrofit most of the early Fleet's, like NC607M, had larger fins installed in the field which led to several slightly different tail designs which you can see when you look at photos. One other notable construction difference in the Fleet is the use of stamped metal ribs and the use of screws to attach wing fabric to them. 

The Model 1 was originally built with a 110-horsepower Warner Scarab engine.  The subsequent Model 2 came with a Kinner K5.  My plane left the factory as a Model 2 but was converted in the early 1930s to Warner power and the model designation was changed.  Today it's powered by a Warner 145 Scarab which is essentially identical to the 110 but with more power.  Both engines are "greaser" with no overhead rocker box oiling so they must be greased by hand every few hours.  I find this easy to do and charming in bringing the plane back nearly 100 years in technology.  It does make a mess to clean up after flying though! 

A consequence of the larger horsepower of my engine is twofold.  The first is that it’s placarded to not be flown beyond 1725 RPM which limits power to 110 horsepower and the second is a consequence of the first in that the airplane is underpowered, especially when compared to planes like Waco’s, Travel Airs, and others of the period.  More on that later. 

Preflight

Radial engines vibrate and since the plane is put together with bolts and screws, they tend to work themselves loose.  So, one of the most important things to do in pre-flighting any old radial-powered plane is to keep a screwdriver in your pocket and extra screws handy.  Generally, though the preflight is a typical walk around and close inspection.  The one thing you have to do without fail is check for the hydraulic lock.  Oil can pool in lower cylinders while at rest and prevent the pistons in the lower cylinders from having full travel room.  Ignoring this will result in engine damage or destruction if ignored.

The first step is to double-check that the mags, master switch, and ignition are all turned off!  Turning the prop, even a little, with a hot ignition will likely ruin your day!  After that, the prop is pulled through until each cylinder has gone through a compression stroke.  I always make twice as many complete revolutions of the prop as there are cylinders.  In the Fleet with its relatively small engine (under 500 cubic inches), that's an easy task.

Settling In

The plane is so light that pulling it out of the hangar is easily done by hand without a tug.  It’s a small airplane and people used to be smaller in the 1920’s than at least I am today so getting up on the wing and into the cockpit requires care.  Once I've got my feet on the pilot seat, I move my feet to the floor taking care to keep them on the wood as the floor has gaps.  Then it's a careful shimmy down into the hole with the combing squeezing my shoulders.  It's a tight fit for a six-footer but the rudder pedals are comfortable, and the heel brakes are excellent, easy to use, designed out of the way but easy to reach.  It's not a cockpit that you want to fly in for hours on end but with only 24 gallons of gas in the single tank, you need to be landing after about two hours anyway.

Like the Great Lakes, the panel is very close to your face.  I find that I need to wear sunglasses with bifocals to be able to see the instruments clearly.  The stick is comfortable and easy movement through its whole range is not a problem.  You'd think this wouldn't even require comment but some sticks of this era of planes require mashing of knees or thighs to get full movement.  Not so here!

Starting

After twisting, turning, and fumbling to get the shoulder harness and seat belt fastened in the tight cockpit it’s time to fire up the little Warner.  In my plane, the plunger-style Lunkenheimer primer doesn’t work.  And neither does the “spark” control which allows the ignition timing to be advanced or retarded on start-up and running.  Great, two fewer things to think about!

Now, there are some idiosyncrasies to remember before we flip the switch.  The first is that the start switch is buried behind the panel somewhere.  I don’t know why this is, but it took me at least 10 minutes to find the first time.  The second is that the mag switch is not what you’re used to seeing.  It’s a little box contraption with a lever you throw forward to turn on and is located in front of your right knee under the panel and on the side of the fuselage.  Remembering all of these unusual things, along with having three hands, will come in handy in a minute.

Before trying to start the gas needs to be turned on and this is easily done by turning a bright red teardrop handle.  Now, with the left hand on the throttle and right hand up under the panel yell "Clear Prop!" and begin vigorously stroking the throttle while flipping the starter switch..

As the little prop starts spinning it’s time to take your left hand off the throttle and reach across the tiny cockpit down between your legs to the mag switch on the right side of the plane and throw it forward.  It’s awkward but not as hard as it seems.  When the engine catches there’s a puff of smoke and the plane lurches forward (because I forgot to stand on the brakes!). 

After that, the engine needs to idle at about 800 RPMs for a couple of minutes before reducing to idle at about 500 RPMs.  Now, it's really important to remember that you have a lot of oil to warm up before taxi.  In the Fleet, it's about 3 gallons and takes a few minutes.  This isn't the time to hurry.  But it's also not the time to fire up radios to get the ATIS either.  That's because there is no electrical system and the radio, transponder, and starter are all operated by a fairly small battery.  You need to be thoughtful and judicious about power use. 

Taxi

After the engine is nice and warm it’s time to turn on the radios, get the ATIS, and head for the runway.  The first thing you notice is that visibility forward isn’t great but it’s better than in bigger biplanes.  S turns are necessary, but they don’t have to be as wide and sweeping as in a Waco for example.  As you advance the throttle the plane moves forward without much power because even with two on board and a full tank of gas it rolls easily on the tundra tires my plane is equipped with.

Tapping the brakes is unsatisfactory and they don't seem to work well.  I note that I may need to bleed again but at the same time, I'm a bit relieved because power brakes and biplanes are a dangerous combination. 

The Fleet has a steerable tail wheel making taxing easy as we putt putt toward the runway.  As we trundle along, I notice that the first streaks of grease from the rocker boxes are beginning to show on the wings. 

Run Up

This is straightforward except the brakes won't hold more than 1200 RPMs or so.  You have to practically stand on them with your heels while simultaneously leaning and reaching forward to push these little buttons on the side of the mag switch box to cut out the first one, then the other mag.  Of course, this puts your face right in the panel making it just about impossible to see the tach clearly.  So, listening carefully to the engine is important.

Checking the carb heat is easy but I can’t mess around as my legs start getting tired from the isometric exercise from standing on the brake pedals.  Thankfully, we’re good to go.  So, let’s go!

Take Off

Lined up, stick back, ailerons into the ten-knot crosswind the toy-like throttle is advanced and we begin to accelerate.  Stick relaxed the tail comes up without any fuss or effort that is sometimes required in bigger planes.  You need a little right rudder as it does but not too much.  There's not a lot of prop torque and the rudder feels pretty light. 

As the plane comes off the ground, I look at the speedometer and it’s bouncing around between 55 and 65 or so.   Nosing over in ground effect it seems to take longer than I’m used to for the plane to accelerate.  There’s not a lot of power.  So, a slow, careful climb begins as we accelerate to 80 mph.  You can climb more steeply but I hadn’t stalled the plane yet and was just feeling things out.  Better to climb slowly anyway as the runway is long and visibility is better.

Airwork

We climbed at a leisurely 500 feet a minute or so I’d guess away from the traffic pattern.  I say, guess as there is no vertical speed indicator.  As we climbed, I made some gentle S turns to see ahead and feel out the controls, which are “soft” by which I mean a bit less effective than I’m used to.  The Fleet only has ailerons on the lower wings which is likely part of that. 

Leveling off I make clearing turns and note that there is a lot of adverse yaw which is expected.  I also note that stick forces are really light in roll and pitch and the rudder almost toy like it's so light.  You don't need a lot of strength to fly this thing! 

Rolling into some steep turns left and right the plane stays right where I put it with the altimeter on 3,500 as if I’d nailed the needle to the face of the instrument.  The little metal ball in the tiny turn and bank stays where it’s supposed to and around, we go.  The wings aren’t huge, but they are big for such a light airplane and the gusty wind moves us around quite a bit.  It’s not uncomfortable but gusts do upset the bank, and I need to use my fingertips not to overcontrol.

Rolling out of my second steep turn I pulled the throttle to idle and began pitching up and slowing down.  As we were approaching 40 mph on my airspeed indicator, my front seater said “50” and I thought I felt a bob in the nose. Relaxing back pressure, I wondered, "Did it stall?"

Pitching back up I tried again.  This time I didn’t do anything for a second after I felt the bobble at about 40 mph and yes, it stalled.  But it was so soft and benign it was amazing. So, my friend in the front seat took the controls for some slow flight and turns before stalling the plane.  Again, that happened at 40-45 mph on my airspeed indicator and 50 mph on his. 

Landing

I wanted to do my first landings on grass because it's easier and safer, especially with the crosswind we had.  So, we headed over to El Reno which has a 200-foot wide, 4,000-foot long, grass runway.  Unfortunately, when we got there the runway had a big X on it and was closed due to recent heavy rains.  Oh well, back to Wiley Post.

As we cruised along, I noticed that the airplane cruises, even heavy, at about 90 mph at around 1,600-1,700 rpm.  I reveled in the soft putt-putting of the engine.  It's not particularly loud.  I have short stacks on each cylinder, but they have "bayonet" fittings on them.  Bayonets are a long (about 10 inches) tapering cylinder with a hole at the end but also a slit running along the length of the tube.  These things not only look cool, but they sound wonderful!

As we got close the ATIS was advertising winds at 110 degrees and 14 knots for runway 17.  That’s a 13-knot crosswind and this is going to be my first landing!  My first thought was "How much gas have I got?"  Not to go somewhere else as there isn't any other grass that won't be soaked but because the winds were forecast to die down later in the afternoon.  Well, that is three hours from now and I’ve only got another hour and a half of fuel.  Plus, I’m freezing!

Slowing to about 75-80 mph I entered the downwind on the 45 and we took what seemed a very long time to get around the pattern.  Carb heat on, mixture rich, and the gear hopefully still attached to the plane we headed down and around.  I use a circling approach to keep the runway in sight at all times and this time I took the downwind farther out than usual as I wanted a long final to really get a sense of the wind and how the airplane would act. 

I flew most of the final with the power out.  On short final, we got a wind check, and the wind had dropped to 9 knots at 100.  Well, that’s still a 9-knot cross wind which is certainly doable but wouldn’t have been my first choice for my first landing!  As we crossed the threshold at 60 mph, I knew I was a tad fast, but I wanted a bit of margin as the winds were still a little gusty.

I told myself “Just hold it off, hold it off, hold it off” and then I realized we were on the ground! The hydraulics in the landing gear and the balloon tires really soak up any landing energy well.  Tracking right down the runway the landing had taken a lot of right rudder to keep the nose straight but not too much aileron.  There was some left so, while a 14-15 knot crosswind would have been sportier, it was certainly doable.

Summary

The Fleet was built as a trainer and was designed on purpose to be fairly docile.  It is.  My friend Ron Price who has flown one for at least a couple of decades says, "It's the Cessna 150 of the 1930s" and I think that's a pretty apt description.  It's easy to fly but with its adverse yaw and controls that take a fair amount of movement to have effect, it requires you to demonstrate that you know what you're doing.

It's underpowered.  It’s slow.  It’s tight and cramped.  It’s delightful!