Fletcher FD-25 explained

The Fletcher FD-25 Defender was a light ground-attack aircraft developed in the United States in the early 1950s.

Design and development

Designed by John Thorp, the Defender was a conventional low-wing cantilever monoplane with fixed tailwheel undercarriage. Provision was made for two machine guns in the wings, plus disposable stores carried on underwing pylons. Construction throughout was all-metal, and the pilot sat under a wide perspex canopy.

Operational history

Three prototypes were built, two single-seaters and a two-seater, but no orders were placed by the US military. In Japan, however, Toyo acquired the rights to the design, and built around a dozen aircraft, selling seven (five single-seater attack versions and two two-seat trainers) to Cambodia,^[1] and four to Vietnam. One example (FD-25B JA3051)^[2] served with the Royal Thai Police.

Survivors

One example (FD-25B N240D) remains in an airworthy condition today and appeared at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh airshow in 2010. Two (a single-seater^[3] and a two-seater^[4]) are on museum display at the Tokyo Metropolitan College of Industrial Technology in Japan.

Related development

The wing design of the Fletcher FU-24 aerial topdressing plane was loosely based on that of the FD-25 Defender.^[5] Almost 300 were built under licence in New Zealand from the mid-1950s and used for agricultural and skydiving operations.^[6]

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Bridgeman, Leonard (ed.). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1955–56. New York: The McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc.
• Grandolini, Albert. "L'Aviation Royale Khmere: The first 15 years of Cambodian military aviation". Air Enthusiast (Bromley, UK: Fine Scroll) (Thirty-seven, September–December 1988): pp. 39–47. ISSN 0143-5450.
• Taylor, Michael J. H. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. 1989. p. 393. .
• World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing, 1985, pp. File 894 Sheet 25.

External links

• Flivver Plane Totes Guns and Bombs November 1951 Popular Science article on FL-25—rest of article and photos on following page

Notes and References

1. Grandolini 1988, p. 39.
2. Web site: 東洋航空工業株式会社、藤沢海軍航空隊の燃料庫庫 . 2020-02-16 . 2020-02-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200216091917/http://dansa.minim.ne.jp/a3723FujisawaToyoAC.htm . dead .
3. Web site: 東洋航空工業 JA3092 東京都立産業技術高等専門学校 航空フォト | by VICTER8929さん 撮影2015年12月17日.
4. Web site: 東洋航空工業 - 東京都立産業技術高等専門学校 航空フォト | by kanade/Ryo@S.O.R.A.さん 撮影2013年03月25日.
5. News: Deerness . Ray . The Fletcher Is Fifty . 5 February 2022 . Pacific Wings . September 2004.
6. News: Neal . Tracy . Fletcher operators defend aircraft . 29 January 2019 . Stuff . 10 February 2011.