Fleet 80 Canuck

Fleet Aircraft · Canada · first flew 1945 · light aircraft

The Fleet Model 80 Canuck is a Canadian light aircraft with two seats side by side, designed for flight training, personal use and light commercial work.

Recognition (WEFT)

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

• Side-by-side two-seat cabin with a skylight above it
• Conventional high-wing layout, not unlike a Piper Cub
• Welded-steel fuselage and tail with fabric covering

A small high-wing monoplane with a fabric-covered welded-steel fuselage and the unusual feature, for its time, of side-by-side seating.

Specifications

• The Fleet 80 Canuck has a length of 6.81 m (22 ft).
• It has a wingspan of 10.36 m (34 ft).
• Its maximum speed is 179 km/h (111 mph).
• Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

It began as the Noury N-75, built by Bob Noury and first flown in 1944. Fleet Aircraft bought the rights in 1945, moved the fuel tank, added a skylight, lowered the front fuselage and fitted an 85 hp Continental C-85. The Fleet prototype first flew on 26 September 1945 with test pilot Tommy Williams.

Variants

Fleet enlarged the fin after early flights. Some surviving aircraft have been re-engined with the 100 hp Continental O-200, and floats or skis could be fitted.

Where you'll see it

A total of 225 were built over thirteen years, most by Fleet between 1945 and 1947. Surplus military aircraft and weak demand for trainers made it a poor seller, and Fleet ended production in 1947. Leavens Brothers of Toronto built more from components until 1958.

Related aircraft

• Fleet 50 Freighter
• Fleet Model 1
• Aeronca 11 Chief
• All American 10A Ensign
• Auster J/1 Autocrat
• Beechcraft Bonanza (V35)

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