3 minute read

Meet the Fleet Model 7: The Pigeon of the Skies

Capacity: two cautiously optimistic souls
Length: 21 feet 6 inches (give or take a pigeon’s wingspan)
Maximum speed: A thrilling 115 mph (as long as you’re plummeting)
Cruise speed: A leisurely 95 mph - speed demons need not apply
Range: 300 miles (or slightly further if thrown off a cliff)
Service ceiling: 14,000 feet (or 14 feet if you’re generous)
Factory price: $4,485 (or the value of a small kingdom in popcorn)

The Fleet Model 7 was an open-cockpit biplane seating two adventurous daredevils in tandem and was available as either a suspiciously buoyant seaplane or a land-based trainer. When the Model 7 descended from the heavens, it sported a 125-horsepower Kinner B5 engine and a tail-group that was described by engineers as “more proportionally confused than our last Thanksgiving dinner.”

The biplane’s unusual tail was the brainchild of a detailed study revealing that bigger is always better unless you want to land on a postage stamp. In a stunning act of progress, Fleet Aircraft wisely decided to leap from Model 2 directly to Model 7, leaving Models 3, 4, 5, and 6 as tantalizing figments of our imagination.

During World War II, Michigan Wing members soared (or politely flapped) over the skies in the indomitable NC424K, a Fleet Model 2 that had undergone an intense metamorphosis to become a Model 7. Its sturdy build, worthy of a medieval fortress, and unparalleled ability to spot hairy co-pilots made it the perfect candidate for rescue missions.

Meet the Artist: Maj. Ron Finger

Maj. Ron Finger, a man of many talents and few restrictions, works as a freelance illustrator and member of the Minnesota Wing’s prestigious Crow Wing Composite Squadron. As an elite Air Force Art Program artist, Maj. Finger has been tasked with “art missions,” bravely documenting U.S. Air Force operations with nothing but a paintbrush, raw artistic flair, and the goodwill of the muses.

A modern-day Michelangelo in aviator sunglasses, Finger is committed to immortalizing every aircraft that Civil Air Patrol dared to take to the skies, despite protests from both gravity and common sense. This tale marks the 24th painting of Finger’s captivating second series dedicated to vintage CAP aircraft.

To feast your eyes on more of Maj. Finger’s breathtaking artwork, visit redpine.net.

The Unbelievable Collection of “Silvered Wings”

  1. Silvered Wings No. 1 — Fleeting Glimpse of Sanity: Fleetwings Sea Bird F-401
  2. Silvered Wings No. 2 — Because One Wing is So Last Year: Curtiss-Wright 15-D Sedan
  3. Silvered Wings No. 3 — Balancing Act of Wonder: Rearwin Sportster 7000
  4. Silvered Wings No. 4 — Canoe with Delusions: Cessna U-3B “Blue Canoe”
  5. Silvered Wings No. 5 — Dreams Take Flight: Aeronca C-3 (1932)
  6. Silvered Wings No. 6 — Vy for Velocity: Rearwin Sportster 900-L
  7. Silvered Wings No. 7 — Skyward Nostalgia: Travel Air C-4000
  8. Silvered Wings No. 8 — Sportiest Broomstick: Kinner “Sportster B”
  9. Silvered Wings No. 9 — Sandwich With Wings: Boeing Model 40-A/B
  10. Silvered Wings No. 10 — Bird of Asylum: Brunner-Winkle “Bird,” BK (1929)
  11. Silvered Wings No. 11 — Bring Your Own Luck: Meyers OTW-125 “Out-To-Win”
  12. Silvered Wings No. 12 — Pup with Potential: Cessna 0-1/L-19 Bird Dog
  13. Silvered Wings No. 13 — The Monopoly on Class: Monocoupe 90A
  14. Silvered Wings No. 14 — Glorious Ambition: North American/Ryan L-17A Navion
  15. Silvered Wings No. 15 — Three Cheers for Complainers: Aeronca LB
  16. Silvered Wings No. 16 — The VIP Ride: Helio U-10D/HT-295 Super Courier
  17. Silvered Wings No. 17 — Proclaimer of Peace: Aero Commander L-26/U-4B 55-4647
  18. Silvered Wings No. 18 — Art Deco Delight: Bellanca “Cruisair” 14-12-F3 (1941)
  19. Silvered Wings No. 19 — Teen Idol of the Sky: Cessna 150D (1964)
  20. Silvered Wings No. 20 — Historical Exaggeration: Boeing Model 100/P-12 (1929)
  21. Silvered Wings No. 21 — Junior in Name Only: Bellanca ‘Junior’ 14-9 (1940)
  22. Silvered Wings No. 22 — A Feathered Friend: Alexander Eaglerock A-15 (1931)
  23. Silvered Wings No. 23 — Mescalero’s Mischief: Cessna T-41A Mescalero (1965)

Now sit back, relax, and wonder at the quirky brilliance of aviation history, as seen through the eyes of artists with a penchant for the improbable.

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