The BT-12 production line inside the Fleetwings plant showing ships #9 thru #14 of a 24 ship order with serials 42-3684 to 3707 allocated. Serials 42-3708 thru 3883, which would have brought the order up to 200, were cancelled when the military decided they preferred the Vultee BT-13. Construction involved the extensive use of stainless steel, including for skin panels. The fuselage structure was made from carbon steel tube with stainless skin panels attached using "Shake-proof Fasteners" (probably what is known as quarter-turn fasteners today). The novelty of the design probably put the military off as being too different for maintenance to cope with.

The Fleetwings Model 23 was a two-seat basic trainer designated BT-12 by the military. It was powered by a P&W R-985 engine of 450 hp and utilized much stainless steel for construction. This prototype was flown from the Fleetwings plant at Bristol/PA to Wright Field, Dayton/OH on 12 January 1941, with acceptance tests commencing on 21 April 1941. In this photo it is up on an acceptance flight with Fleetwings chief project test pilot William H. Engle in the front and Doug Mason in the rear seat. On 21 February 1944 it was tagged as CL-26 (Ground maintenance trainer) and last known of at the Walter Soplata Collection, Newbury, OH. Collection holder William Engle is the son of Fleetwings test pilot William H. Engle.

The Fleetwings Model 36 was a plywood skinned aerial target with the military designation PQ-12A. This particular aircraft was the prototype and it first flew on 5 December 1941 as NX37010 powered by a Franklin O-300-7 engine of 175 hp. Test pilot William H. Engle was at the controls. (Prototype serial 41-39057 for XPQ-12 not taken up.) On 18 Sept 1942, NX37010 was cancelled and military serial 41-39098 was applied for an XPQ-12A. Subsequent modifications included a simplified nose leg and wheel fairing and substitution of a Lycoming O-435-5 engine of 225 hp. The latter necessitated a larger cowling as seen on the photo of 41-39045. Collection holder William Engle is the son of Fleetwings test pilot William H. Engle.

The first Canberra built in the United States, flying near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge which was opened in 1952. Photo from: US Air Force

any help on the location is appreciated. Photo by Werner Hartman

'Thunderbolts' squadron bird blasting off 21R during RF 08-2

I was pleased to see this being towed by nearly the moment I walked through the gates of Sun n' Fun this year!

Based Ramstein. Photo by Emmanuel Magri.

The aircraft dump on an unknown airstrip on what is believed to be Bougainville. Another photo of this wreck says it is in the Solomon Islands at an unnamed location . However. a more detailed source says B-24 42-40533 in the background was written off landing on an unnamed fighter strip on Bougainville in January 1944. As this was drawn from US military records, this photo has been located in Papua New Guinea. Bougainville is part of the same archipelago as the Solomons .Photo from: Air Force Museum of New Zealand

On static display at the 1981 McClellan AFB air show.

On static display at the 1982 McClellan AFB air show.

Departing off 21L this NY ANG F-16C has since been converted to QF-16 standard