A Fleet I two-seat biplane trainer was tested by the U.S. Navy in 1929 as the XN2Y-1. In March 1930 six more of the type were ordered from the Consolidated company's Fleet Aircraft division as N2Y-1s, each with a 115 horsepower Kinner engine in place of the prototype's 110 horsepower Warner "Scarab". These six planes (with Bureau of Aeronautics serial numbers 8600 through 8605 -- the XN2Y-1 was # 8019) were assigned to the rigid airships Los Angeles (ZR-3) and Akron (ZRS-4). Once they were fitted with skyhook gear mounted over their upper wings to permit operation from the dirigibles' "trapeze" gear, the N2Y-1s helped train Naval Aviators in the art of "in flight" launching and recovery. They also served as the airship's utility aircraft. Los Angeles was laid up at the end of June 1932, and Akron crashed on 4 April 1933, but the Consolidated planes continued their work with the new USS Macon (ZRS-5), which entered service soon after Akron's tragic loss.
One N2Y-1 was on board Macon in October 1933 when she flew across the continent to her new base at Moffett Field, California. Three others (#s 8600-8602) were then placed in storage at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, though one of these was converted to an experimental autogyro floatplane (the XOZ-1, Bureau # 8602) in 1935. In 1934 Macon received new XJW-1 utility planes, making the N2Y-1's essentially redundant for their original mission. One of the latter (# 8604) crashed in July 1934. The other two remained in service for a few more years, serving as utility planes with the aircraft carriers Saratoga (CV-3) and Ranger (CV-4).
N2Y-1 characteristics:
This page features our only views of Consolidated N2Y-1 training airplanes.
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
Photo #: NH 98102 Consolidated N2Y-1 training airplane (Bureau # 8600) Photographed in June 1930, prior to conversion for operation with airships. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the Collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command. Online Image: 101KB; 740 x 595 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 80775 Consolidated N2Y-1 training plane (Bureau # 8604) Photographed while serving as "hook-on" familiarization trainer for USS Akron (ZRS-4), 1932. An O3U-1 (Bureau # 8871) is in the background. Courtesy of Richard K. Smith, author of the book "The Airships Akron & Macon", 1974. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Online Image: 62B; 740 x 450 pixels |
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Photo #: 80-G-463185 USS Akron (ZRS-4) Launches a Consolidated N2Y-1 training plane (Bureau # A8604) during flight tests near Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey, 4 May 1932. Note the airship's trapeze aircraft handling gear suspended from her hangar bay. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 56KB; 740 x 605 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: NH 84208 USS Akron (ZRS-4) Recovers her N2Y-1 airplane, during training exercises, circa 1932. Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1976. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Online Image: 83KB; 740 x 605 pixels |
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NOTES:
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 13 October 2002
Coding updated 7 May 2009