The story
The Model 7 of 1930 was the Fleet 2 with the stronger 125-hp Kinner B-5, and from the outside almost identical apart from a broader fin. Forty-eight were built in the US. Across the border, Fleet Aircraft of Canada at Fort Erie built it for the RCAF as the Fawn: the Mk I (7B) with the Kinner and the Mk II (7C) with an Armstrong Siddeley Civet. The first 20 reached the RCAF in 1931, and Fawns trained pilots under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan until the type retired in 1947.
The RCAF credited the Fawn as one of the reasons its flying standards improved through the 1930s. Forty-three were still on strength when war was declared in 1939.
Quick answers
How do you identify a Model 7?
Looks almost exactly like a Fleet 2: equal-span staggered wings, tandem cockpits and a small radial up front, with ailerons on the lower wings only. Tells are the broader-chord fin and, on ex-RCAF Fawns, a coupe top or sliding canopy. Like the Model 2, its left main-gear radius rod is looped so the right one can pass through.
What does a Model 7 sound like?
A Kinner five-cylinder's loping beat; a Civet-powered Fawn runs smoother and quieter.
How fast is the Model 7?
Top speed is 98 kts (113 mph).
How many passengers does the Model 7 carry?
Up to 1. A typical layout is Two seats in tandem, open or under a coupe top.
How far can the Model 7 fly?
Range is about 269 nmi.
How big is the Model 7?
It is 21 ft 6 in long and 28 ft 0 in across the wings.
When did the Model 7 first fly?
Its first flight was in 1930.
How many Model 7s have been built?
48 US-built Model 7s, plus 63 RCAF Fawns (32 Mk I, 31 Mk II) built.
How rare is a Model 7 in Bogey?
COMMON. Everyday traffic. You will catch plenty of these, and every first catch still counts. Your first Model 7 catch is worth 25 points.
