Fleetwings BT-12  Sophomore

                                  

                                      Poor quality shot from a war-time magazine.   Only 25 (including the XBT-12 prototype) Fleetwings
                                      Sophomores were built.    The above is probably the prototype and carries no serial number.  Either
                                      that or it was airbrushed out by the censor.   The aircraft resembled the AT-6 Harvard although had
                                      taper on both the leading and trailing edges of the wings.  Being a BT it was, of course, lighter than
                                      that former machine.  Fleetwings were a forerunner in stainless steel construction and that technology
                                      was used in the BT-12.  I suspect production was not undertaken as Fleetwings were employed on
                                      more important war-time sub-contract stainless steel work, and I doubt any Sophomores ever reached
                                      a Flight Training School.