Fletcher FBT-2
Fletcher Aviation · United States · first flew 1941 · light aircraft
The Fletcher FBT-2 was a plywood-built basic trainer prototype designed by Wendell Fletcher, later repurposed as one of the earliest American target drones.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.09 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Low-wing plywood monoplane with a tandem enclosed cockpit
- Interchangeable wing and tail panels left and right
- Fixed tailwheel undercarriage on a simple trainer airframe
A plain, unadorned plywood low-wing trainer with an enclosed tandem cockpit, notable more for its wartime drone conversions than its original trainer role.
Specifications
- The Fletcher FBT-2 has a length of 7.09 m (23 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.14 m (30 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 282 km/h (175 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Built in 1941 as a low-wing tandem two-seat trainer with fully interchangeable wing and tail panels for economical repair, the sole FBT-2 prototype failed to attract military trainer orders. The USAAF instead converted the design into the radio-controlled XPQ-11 target drone and, later, the YCQ-1A drone controller.
Variants
Ten airframes built as PQ-11 drones were completed instead as XBG-1 glide bombs, with the engine removed and a 2,000 lb bomb load fitted, though the type never entered service in that role either.
Where you'll see it
Neither the original trainer nor its drone and glide-bomb derivatives reached operational service; no complete example is known to survive.
Related aircraft
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