Consolidated Aircraft

Consolidated Aircraft was a U.S. aircraft manufacturer.

History

The company was founded on May 29, 1923 by Reuben H. Fleet to build in license type machines Dayton -Wright TW -3 in a building that was leased from Gaulladet Aircraft. Not much later, Fleet Gaulladet Aircraft and acquired the rights to build the Dayton -Wright designs from General Motors, who retired at that time from the aircraft.

In February 1929, Fleet founded the company Fleet Aircraft in Buffalo ( New York). In August 1929 Fleet Aircraft merged with Consolidated, but the products were still sold under the name "Fleet ". Simultaneously acquired Consolidated the Thomas - Morse Aircraft Corporation. End of 1941, Fleet sold its 34% equity stake in the Vultee Aircraft, a subsidiary of AVCO ( Aviation Corporation ), whereupon Vultee in November 1942 acquired the majority shareholding in Consolidated and on 17 March 1943, the Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation founded. Also, this was still a subsidiary of AVCO and was built in 1954 under the name CONVAIR a division of General Dynamics Corporation.

Products

The best known aircraft were the long-range bomber, Consolidated B -24 " Liberator " and the flying boat Consolidated " Catalina ".

Other aircraft of the Consolidated Aircraft Company are the following ( Erstflugdaten in brackets ):

• PT-1 Trusty (1923 )
• NY training aircraft
• XPY 1 Commodore (1931 )
• C-22 Fleet St (1932 )
• A-11/Y1P-25
• P2Y
• PBY Catalina (1936 )
• PB2Y Coronado (1937 )
• PB3Y ( Ended in November 1942 project of a four-engined flying boat )
• XP4Y -1 Corregidor (1939 )
• B-24 Liberator (1939 ) PBY4 -1 Liberator U.S. Navy
• C -87 Liberator Express
• C -109 Liberator
• PB4Y -2 Privateer (1944 )