Consolidated Aircraft History

Why was it called, "Consolidated Aircraft?"

Gallaudet
In 1908 Edson Gallaudet organized the first aircraft engineering office, whch later became the first manufacturer of airplanes in the United States. The Gallaudet Aircraft Corporation mass produced Curtis floatplanes in 1918.

Wright Aeronautical Company
Wilbur and Orville Wright started manufacturing aeroplanes in 1909.

Glenn L. Martin Aircraft
Organized in 1911, Glenn Martin began producing military trainers in 1914.

Wright-Martin Aircraft Company
In 1916 Glenn Martin Aircraft merged with Wright Aeronautical Company to form Wright-Martin Aircraft Company. In 1919 this company was dissolved and reorganized into Wright Aeronautical.

Three Manufacturers of Aircraft after WWI
After WWI everyone returned to making automobiles except for Wright Aeronautical, Packard and Curtiss.

Consolidated Aircraft
Consolidated Aircraft was formed on May 29, 1923, by Major Reuben H. Fleet.
Reuben Fleet had served as a pilot in the U.S. Army and had organized the first Airmail Service in 1918.
As an aviation pioneer, Reuben Fleet had played a key role in the development of the first supercharger which allowed planes to fly faster at higher altitudes and had also organized the development of the first military parachute.

Fleet had been the Executive Officer (second in command) in charge of training United States pilots during WWI.
Major Reuben H. Fleet's first goal with Consolidated Aircraft was to produce a safe trainer airplane, since two thirds of those who learned to fly died in airplane accidents.

Reuben Fleet took over Gallaudet Aircraft's business and acquired the rights to Dayton-Wright Company designs from General Motors, who had left the aviation business. This is why it was called, "Consolidated Aircraft."

Major Reuben Hollis Fleet

Safe Training Planes
The PT-1 "Trusty" and the NY-1 "Husky" were safe training airplanes that were sold to the U.S. and overseas militaries. Over 200 various models of these trainers were built and they remained popular into the 1930's.

PT-1 "Trusty"

Consolidated Goes Public
Early in 1929, Consolidated went public.
Fleet Aircraft, Inc. was organized as a subsidiary of Consolidated to manufacture the Fleet trainer for the civilian market.
Fleet acquired Thomas-Morse in August 1929.

New York, Rio and Buenos Aires Line (NYRBA)
The XPY-1 Commodore flying boat is popular and is used in one of the first airlines, New York, Rio and Buenos Aires Line (NYRBA). The Commodore could carry 20 passengers in three spacious cabins for a distance of 1000 miles.
The "Fleetster" was another popular light civil aircraft that could carry 8.

Consolidated Moves to San Diego
In late 1935, fleet moved Consolidated Aircraft to San Diego because of problems testing the flying boats in the frigid weather of Buffalo, New York.
Reuben Fleet asked his wife, Dorothy to choose between San Diego and Long Beach and she chose San Diego because she "didn't like those smelly oil wells" off the coast of Long Beach.
Consolidated continued to develop flying boats for the Navy and PB2-A fighters for the Army.
The PB2-A fighter was the first plane manufactured in San Diego.

PBY Catalina Sales Soar
In 1937 the Navy ordered 60 PBY Catalinas for $22 million and this was the largest single military aircraft order since WWI.

B-24 Liberator Bomber Development
The Army Air Corps asked Reuben Fleet in 1939 if he would like to become the second manufacturer of the Boeing B-17 bomber.
Major Fleet instead proposed to develop a newer, more advanced bomber.
This was to become the famous B-24 Liberator bomber.
The B-24 Liberator had longer range and could carry a higher bomb load than the B-17.
The B-24 Liberator was manufactured in greater numbers during WWII than any other plane in the United States. Over 18,000 were produced.
The B-24 was developed in nine months and it first flew in 1939.
The B-24 Liberator became Consolidated's most successful product during WWII.

Vultee Aircraft Purchases Controlling Interest in Consolidated
Three weeks before Pearl Harbor, Reuben H. Fleet sold his controlling interest in Consolidated Aircraft (34 percent of the stock holding) to Vultee Aircraft for $10 million.
Fleet sold the controlling interest in Consolidated because of extremely high taxes, and a new Labor Union which was forming. These factors made the risk of doing business too high.
Fleet remains in charge of Consolidated Aircraft and is an advisor to the President of the United States during WWII.

Convair
In March 1943 Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee Aircraft Corporation merges to form Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation (Convair).

Major Reuben H. Fleet Resigns from Convair
On April 12, 1946 Reuben Fleet resigns from Convair, ending his involvement with the company he built.

Atlas Corporation Takes Control of Convair
Floyd B. Odlum, a multimillionaire aviation investor purchases Avco Manufacturing Corporation stocks through his Atlas Corporation and on September 4, 1947 swaps his Avco stock for all of Convair's aviation operations in San Diego, Fort Worth, and Detroit.
Atlas Corporation takes control of Convair in November 1947.

General Dynamics
On April 29, 1954, Odlum merges Convair with John Jay Hopkins of Electric Boat to form General Dynamics.
The Convair Division of General Dynamics would be a major participant in the American Space Program.