The Fleet Model 80 is a Canadian design that was primarily used to train pilots, many of whom went on to fly in larger more capable aircraft. They were perfect for the task due to their low operating costs and side-by-side seating which made instruction easier.
Specifications
- Wingspan: 10.36 m
- Length: 6.81 m
- Powerplant: 1 x Continental C-85-12J 4-cyl. horizontally opposed engine (63 kW)
- Maximum Speed: 179 km/h
- Cruise Speed: 160 km/h
- Range: 480 km
- Crew: 1
- Passengers: 1
Excerpt from Alberta Aviation Museum – 30 Years of Progress
Many flying clubs, including the Edmonton Flying Club (EFC), found them well suited for instruction. The EFC used Fleet Canucks starting in the late 1940s, but a disastrous hangar fire in 1967 destroyed the Club’s aircraft, including 10 Canucks — of the only 225 built. EFC found more Canucks afterwards and continued using them into the 1980s.
Edmontonian Graham Heard fancifully painted MHW in RCAF Trainer Yellow and flew it throughout Western Canada and the United States. His family donated the aircraft to the Alberta Aviation Museum after his passing in 2002.
You can learn more about this aircraft by purchasing a copy of our 30th Anniversary Souvenir Book or by visiting the museum today!
