Reuben H.Fleet launched in 1923 in Buffalo, N.Y. the Consolidated Aircraft Co. Consolidated built flying boats for the U.S. Navy. The creation of the civil Model 14 “Husky”trainer led to the creation of the Fleet Aircraft Division in 1929.
Originally created as a means for Consolidated to enter the civil market, the company abandoned this ambition shortly before the completion of the first prototype. The manufacturing rights were purchased by the designer and Consolidated company president Reuben Fleet to put into production under his new enterprise, Fleet Aircraft. It was an immediate success, and in the first year of production alone, over 300 machines were sold. Consolidated quickly responded by buying Fleet Aircraft and retaining it as a subsidiary while opening a second production line at Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada.
Fleet produced the Fleet Model 2 with Kinner engine, and built a military two-seat primary trainer for the U.S. Army Air Service. Designated PT-6, it was an improved version of the PT series initiated by Consolidated Aircraft Corporation.
Manufacturing rights of the Fleet trainers were sold in 1939 to Brewster Aeronautical Corp.
Fleet Model 80 Canuck two-seat light-plane also built in quantity 1946- 1947, after which aircraft production ceased. In 1952 Fleet acquired type certificate for Super-V twin-engined Beech Bonanza conversion from Bay Aviation Services Co, Oakland, California.
France Company built experimental aircraft designed by Ing Roland Payen, who had been involved in research and development of delta-winged aircraft since 1933. Payen’s Pa.49, flown January 22,1954, was the first French jet-powered delta-wing aircraft.
The F.2 was a single-seat monoplane, flown August 1911 then altered to two-seater as F.3. As the two-seater F.3, Fisher and a passenger lost his life on 15 May 1912.
A conventional monoplane, built by L. Howard Flanders Ltd, Richmond, Surrey. It was equipped with a 60 hp Green engine and flew for the first time by E.V.B. Fisher on 31 July 1911.
A single-seat monoplane, flown August 1911 then altered to two-seater as F.3.
UK First machine, F.2 single-seat monoplane, flown August 1911 then altered to two-seater as F.3. Built four F.4 two-seat monoplanes for RFC in 1912. Two-seat B.2 biplane, powered by 70 hp Gnome Rhone rotary engine, first flown 1912 and acquired by Admiralty 1914.
The Smaragd / Emerald is a conventional low-wing aircraft with classical tail unit and tricycle landing gear, built from glass and carbon fiber reinforced plastic. The seats are next to each other arranged and adjustable. Behind the seats are the very roomy baggage compartment and the evacuation equipment. The wing anchorage is solved over interlinking cross-beam roots and a main pin as with modern Seglern, which permits an extremely simple disassembly. The main landing gear consists of rocker with hydraulically braked wheels of GRP kevlar. The tanks are arranged in the wing; 55 and/or 110 litres were available.
The Smaragd had it’s maiden flight on March 22nd, 2003 and was licensed on December 29th, 2003.
Emerald
The aircraft was designed and produced by Flaeming Air of Zehlendorf, Brandenburg, to comply with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight rules and US light-sport aircraft rules, with different models for each category. It features a cantilever low-wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit under a bubble canopy, fixed tricycle landing gear, or optionally conventional landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.
FA 04 Peregrine
The aircraft is made from composites, with its fuselage, wing spars, flaps and rudder made from carbon fibre. Its 10.05 m (33.0 ft) span wing has an area of 9.27 m2 (99.8 sq ft). The standard engines available are the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS, 120 hp (89 kW) Jabiru 3300 and the 100 hp (75 kW) Continental O-200 powerplants.
The Peregrine is the LSA version of the Smaragd, allowing a 600 kg max take-off weight. The Peregrine is close to the VLA/experimental version, having different wings to fit into the LSA rule plus some small details to suit the US customer. The US-LSA certification has been granted. The Peregrine fits into the US rules ASTM 2245. The FA 04 Peregrine LSA features fixed gear and fixed pitch prop.
The FA 04 can be used for aero-towing gliders up to 700 lb (318 kg) gross weight. The Flaeming Air FA 04 Peregrine is supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.
FA-04 Peregrine light sport aircraft
The FA-04 Peregrine factory-built Special Light Sport Aircraft (SLSA) is based on Flaeming Air’s FA-02 rugged VLA certified aircraft. The FA-04 can easily be configured from tricycle to tail wheel by a certified mechanic. The cockpit, 44 inch wide at the shoulders, has adjustable seats ergonomically designed, electric flaps, and hydraulic toe brakes with a hand brake option. A mechanical elevator trim or an optional electric trim is available.
Engine options for the SLSA are 80/100 hp Rotax 912 or 80 hp Jabiru 2200 and a 3-blade propeller, ground adjustable.
FA-04 Peregrine light sport aircraft – experimental lightsport aircraft
Variants:
FA 01 Smaragd (English: Emerald) Initial model for the European FAI microlight class, with a gross weight of 472.5 lb (214 kg).
FA 02 Kit aircraft with a gross weight of 650 lb (295 kg).
FA 04 Peregrine Light-sport model for the US market, with a gross weight of 600 lb (272 kg).
FA 04 SL Super-light model with an empty weight of 270 lb (122 kg), including a ballistic parachute.
Berlin, right after the re-unification, was the assigned German capital with an area of roughly 5 million people. Agricultural flying had been very popular in the GDR so there were a lot of adandoned airfields at that time.
Starting the organisation and finding the right spot to start was a challenging task. Even better, finding the right aircraft for training, getting all the licences and building the network of flight instructors, clients and maintenance facilities.
The property question was still a major obstacle as a lot of land had to be reassigned to old and new owners. Infrastructure of old adminstration had to be carried over to the new administration, validation of old licences, ald maintenance standards and while facing all that trouble, we opended our new company and found a spot to start Fläming Air.
Fläming, the name for an area south of Berlin, is flat land and called “Fläming” for about 900 years after some early settlements of the Flame tribes. In the early 90s, Fläming had their first airfield and fuel station. 40,000 flights from that field showed the importance of Fläming Air for the south Berlin flying community. By 1995 they had the first hard runway which was extended to 850 m in 1998. Another grass runway for gliders and tail dragger was added in 1998 as well as illumination for night VFR. 20-30 students filed their PPL at the facilities every year.
The repair and maintenance facility is certified to JAR 145 and a little later the JAR 21G Production certification for Rotax conversions of Cessna C150 was achieved. 1999 saw the first licence production of an ultralight aircraft made from GFR/CFR. In 2003 Fläming launched their own microlight/ultralight/experimental – the Smaragd, which had it’s maiden flight on March 22nd, 2003 and was licensed on December 29th, 2003.
An ultra-light sporting single-seat high-wing monoplane designed by K. Flaglor of Asheville, North Carolina. The Scooter was originally powered by a Cushman golf cart engine, which was ultimately replaced by a 1,500-cc VW engine rated at 40 hp. At the 1967 EAA meet this high-wing, enclosed-cabin taildragger received both the “Outstanding Ultralight” and “Outstanding Volkswagen Powered” awards. Construction is of wood with a plywood covering, except for the aft section of the fuselage which is fabric covered. The VW engine is mounted over the cabin and turns a two-blade propeller. The Sky Scooter features all wood construction, generous wing area for STOL like performance. Easy to build and maintain.
The Scooter was later marketed by Rotor Wings & Flying Machines.
The plans for the Ace Aircraft Ace Scooter development of the Flaglor Scooter consisted of one sheet 17in x 22in, nine sheets 22in x 34in, and an illustrated construction manual containing 14 photographs used to show key assemblies and construction details. The Airfoil is drawn full size as are most of the fittings.
The Scooter is constructed primarily of marine spruce and plywood. Aircraft quality materials maybe used and are recommended for the spars. All fittings are designed for simple fabrication and are made of 4130 steel as is the motor mount tubing. The metal fairing and wing leading edge can be made of “hardware store variety” aluminium which was the case on the prototype.
The fuselage is composed of spruce longerons with plywood gussets aft and plywood sides in the cockpit area.
Ace Aircraft Ace Scooter
The landing gear is made of steel. All wing ribs are contour sawed 1/4in marine plywood, the main spars spruce as are the false and aileron spars. The wing uses a wood cross hatching in the form of an X between the ribs and spars, resulting in no need for drag or anti-drag wires or fittings.
Plywood wing tips and wood trailing edges complete the structure. Only the wing leading edge is aluminium.
Engine: VW, 25 hp. HP range: 25-40. Height: 7 ft. Length: 15 ft. Wing span: 28 ft. Wing area: 115 sq.ft. Fuel cap: 5 USG. Weight empty: 390 lbs. Gross: 625 lbs. Speed max: 95 mph. Cruise: 65 mph. Range: 180 sm. Stall: 34 mph. ROC: 325 fpm. Take-off dist: 250 ft. Landing dist: 350 ft. Seats: 1. Landing gear: tail wheel.
Engine 40-hp 1500cc Volkswagen. Gross Wt. 650 lb. Empty Wt. 390 lb. Fuel capaci¬ty 5 USG. Wingspan 28 ft Length 15 ft 8 in Wing area: 115 sq.ft. Top speed 90 mph. Cruise speed 80 mph. Stall speed 34 mph. Climb rate 600 fpm. Takeoff run 250 ft. Landing roll 250 ft. Range 175 nm Seats: 1
Engine: VW 1600 60hp Span: 27’10” Length: 15’6″ Wing Area: 115 sq. ft. Empty Weight: 390 lbs Useful Load: 235 lbs Stall: 40 mph Landing Speed: 60 mph Cruise: 100 mph Rate of Climb: 1000 fpm Take Off Distance: 350 ft Seats: 1
Ace Aircraft Ace Scooter Engine: VW 1500 Span: 28 ft 0 in Wing area: 115 sq.ft Length: 15 ft 8 in Height: 7 ft 0 in MTOW: 625 lb Empty weight: 390 lb Fuel: 7 USG Top speed: 88 mph Cruise speed: 75 mph Stall: 34 mph SL climb: 600 fpm Ceiling: 12,000 ft Range: 175 mi Take-off roll: 250 ft Landing roll: 350 ft
