Fleet Aircraft Fleet 50K

Milton Shupe

Staff Contributor
Staff member
Very nice Bush Aircraft with lots of ways to load cargo or haul passengers.

Fleet 50
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
50 Freighter
Role General utility aircraft
Manufacturer Fleet Aircraft
First flight 1938
Number built 5
The Fleet 50 Freighter was a twin-engine biplane Canadian general utility aircraft designed and built by Fleet Aircraft. This peculiar-looking aircraft had promise as a freighter and general use aircraft, but it was underpowered and only five were built.

Mod Edit: See Post #63

Development
Design was started in 1936 to create a general purpose twin-engined utility aircraft for the Canadian market. It was designed as a short take-off freighter with features added to ease cargo handling. The Freighter was a biplane with the lower wing an inverted gull wing with either a float or wheel landing gear. Two radial piston engines were mounted in nacelles on the upper wing panels.


The fuselage structure was welded steel tubing with duralumin formers, and a semi-monocoque duralumin nose section. The wings were stressed-skin metal structure on the inboard panels and fabric-covered wood beams and duralumin ribs on the outboard panels. The fuselage had room for two crew and up to ten passengers. Large doors and a roof-mounted chain hoist were fitted for use in the cargo role.


The prototype designated the 50J first flew on 22 February 1938, powered by two 285 hp (213 kW) Jacobs L-5MB 7-cylinder radial engines. It was later re-engined with 330 hp Jacobs L-6MB engines and re-designated the 50K. A further four aircraft were built, all with L-6MB engines.


None of the aircraft was operated for long, as the design was underpowered and could not maintain altitude on only one engine.


Specifications (50K landplane)
Data from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 1817


General characteristics


Crew: 2
Capacity: 10 passengers or freight
Length: 36 ft 0 in (10.97 m)
Wingspan: 45 ft 0 in (13.72 m)
Height: 13 ft 1 in (3.99 m)
Wing area: 528 ft² (49.05 m²)
Empty weight: 4600 lb (2087 kg)
Gross weight: 8326 lb (3777 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Jacobs L-6MB 7-cylinder radial engine, 330 hp (246 kW) each
Performance


Maximum speed: 150 mph (241 km/h)
Range: 650 miles (1046 km)
Service ceiling: 15,000 ft (4570 m)

Mod Edit: See Post #63 for download page link!
 
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Hey Milton --

That gull wing concept sure looks interesting... I wonder if it was for strength, especially when landings with a full load of cargo or passengers could be occasionally rough. I also think the plane resembles a bi-plane version of the Avia 56, but much more sizeable. It certainly sat high enough on the water with those floats... no real concern for drowning those engines I reckon. Now I'm curious... I wonder what it was like to fly one.

BB686:USA-flag:
 
This thing has more loading doors than a stretch limousine, 6 plus the pilots mooring door top center.

You could side load from 4 doors or front/bottom load from two doors for boat loading, or long objects thru the nose.

Plus, pull the wings and haul it around behind a pickup truck :)

Two Jacobs at 330 HP wasn't quite enough for it though. May have to supercharge those Jacobs L-6MB for a little more kick. :)

BTW, anyone have a nice frontal picture of that 7-cylinder engine to use for textures?
 
Thanks, I need a nice Jacobs L-6MB frontal straight on for textures. Have a few nice engine only pics but none straight on.
 
Would these help Milton? :icon_lol:

They came from a trip to the Bomber Command Museum in Nanton AB a month ago.
http://www.bombercommandmuseum.ca/#index_home4
Sorry the full-frontal shot is a degree or two off, but I was a bit short of time and couldn't get to my tripod.

Since they were taken for just this sort of use, much larger JPEGS (4900x2000) are available as are the .RAW files but obviously those need to go via an alternate route

Rob
 
Just look at the size of the tyres on that thing!!:isadizzy: No wonder those engines struggled to keep it in the air. Actually, the ones on the model are pretty close to the ones on the real plane. Me thinks it looks better with floats. lol!!

BB686:USA-flag:
 
LOL I have seen bigger tundra tires on the Cub. :)

They look a little better with some textures though. Still in the mapping process for the exterior. Sorry about the kaleidoscope colors. :running:
 
LOL I have seen bigger tundra tires on the Cub. :)

They look a little better with some textures though. Still in the mapping process for the exterior. Sorry about the kaleidoscope colors. :running:

LOL! The screen shot on the right almost looks like a characiture...the bright, multicolored panels, chubby little fellow, chin held confidently high, with fat feet firmly planted, and a hallmark crooked wing!

Milton, you been hidin' in the weeds! It's good to see you creating again. :salute:
 
LOL Thanks Duckie. :)

This project is a bit different. I am doing it to create YouTube video tutorials for newbie gmax designers. I do not intend to complete this project for release but I do have something else in mind.

Once modeling and mapping are complete, the FM will be done and a basic 2D and VC panel will be provided as a starter.

A package will be created of an FS releasable, flyable aircraft, along with paint templates, basic working panel and gauges, aliased sounds, and the gmax source.

The intent is to provide a basis for SOH members to complete the textures, sounds, panel textures and gauges, supplemental docs, etc as kind of a SOH project to generate interest and have some fun.

I should have this all ready by end of month, hopefully.

Then, I hope to get back to work on the things we had in progress. :wiggle:
 
LOL Thanks Duckie. :)

This project is a bit different. I am doing it to create YouTube video tutorials for newbie gmax designers. I do not intend to complete this project for release but I do have something else in mind.

Once modeling and mapping are complete, the FM will be done and a basic 2D and VC panel will be provided as a starter.

A package will be created of an FS releasable, flyable aircraft, along with paint templates, basic working panel and gauges, aliased sounds, and the gmax source.

The intent is to provide a basis for SOH members to complete the textures, sounds, panel textures and gauges, supplemental docs, etc as kind of a SOH project to generate interest and have some fun.

I should have this all ready by end of month, hopefully.

Then, I hope to get back to work on the things we had in progress. :wiggle:

How COOL and, not at all surprising, generous. Looking forward to seeing it develop.

Steve
 
Thanks; wondering if I could get someone to modify srgalahad's engine pic to darken the background between the cylinders (and around the exhaust ring outside) eliminating the whitish-yellow stuff. This needs to be dark inside the nacelles.

EDIT: Thank you Mike Kelley for doing the "darkening" of the background. Looks great! :)
 
Milton:

You must be working overtime on this one! Thanks for all the effort.

It is great to be retired, and motivated. :)

Finished mapping the exterior model last night; making minor adjustments today as I test my work.

Will move "inside" to do the basic VC work today and tomorrow.
Hope to get a lot done before a vacation to the mountains of central NM Monday for a few days.

That's right; a vacation from retirement, the stock market, news, and home :)
 
The Might Have Beens

Five years before the Fleet Model 50 flew, the Noorduyn Norseman first flew, and over 900 were built. Nine years after the Fleet Model 50 first flew, the DeHavilland Canada Beaver had its first flight, and over 1800 were built. Yet, because of its unique shape and unusual hatches, and because only 5 were built, the Model 50 is more fascinating than the successful bush plane designs.

So, the Model 50 joins the ranks of the "might have been" planes, like the Avro Arrow, Avro Jetliner, BAC TSR, Fairey Rotodyne, XB70 Valkyrie, Beech Starship, Hughes H-4 Hercules and others that capture our imaginations precisely because they weren't produced in large numbers.
 
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