Model 16 Fleet Finch Comanche Peak Sponsor Group

Description:

During WWII, our aircraft carried RCAF serial number 4456 and served as an Elementary Flight Training aircraft at three different bases: Central Flying School, Trenton Ontario, #22 Elementary Flying School, L'Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec, and #11 Elementary Flying School, Cap-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec. In RCAF service from October 1940 through September 1943 it was known as a Finch II. Like all good primary trainers, it was rugged, inexpensive, and saw hard service.

Base:

Comanche Peak Sponsor Group
Granbury Regional Airport, Granbury, Texas

Website:

Model 16 Specs
Role Elementary Trainer
Manufacturer Fleet Aircraft
Introduced 1939
Produced 1939-1941
Power 1 × Kinner B-5 five-cylinder radial piston engine, 125 hp
Length 21 ft 8 in
Height 7 ft 9 in
Wingspan 28 ft 0 in
Range 300 miles

During WWII, our aircraft carried RCAF serial number 4456 and served as an Elementary Flight Training aircraft at three different bases: Central Flying School, Trenton Ontario, #22 Elementary Flying School, L'Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec, and #11 Elementary Flying School, Cap-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec. In RCAF service from October 1940 through September 1943 it was known as a Finch II. Like all good primary trainers, it was rugged, inexpensive, and saw hard service.

The Fleet 16B Finch was a Canadian primary trainer aircraft used during World War II as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP). Built by Fleet Aircraft of Canada, the Finch was a biplane based on the Fleet Model 10, featuring tandem open cockpits and a rugged design suited for training new pilots. Introduced in the late 1930s, the aircraft was powered by a Kinner radial engine and served with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) until the mid-1940s. Though eventually replaced by more advanced trainers like the Fairchild Cornell, the Finch played a crucial role in preparing thousands of pilots for combat, cementing its place in Canada's aviation heritage.

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