Early Observation Planes

Before Consolidated Aircraft became synonymous with flying boats and heavy bombers, the company’s earliest successes were built on a quieter, more meticulous craft: observation airplanes. These were the machines entrusted with seeing what others could not—mapping terrain, spotting troop movements, evaluating weather, and returning home with information that could change the course of a mission.

Observation aircraft required qualities that Reuben Fleet valued more than glamour or speed: stability, reliability, and safety. They had to fly straight and true; they had to withstand rough field conditions; and above all, they had to protect the pilot and observer who depended on them.

One of the first major steps toward building Consolidated’s observation planes came in 1930, when Fleet purchased the Thomas-Morse Aircraft Company, a respected maker of observation aircraft. The acquisition allowed Consolidated to absorb proven designs and experienced engineers directly into its work, accelerating their development efforts at a critical time.

From this foundation came aircraft like the Thomas-Morse O-19, an Army observation plane whose success helped carry the company through the early 1930s. In fact, during Consolidated’s difficult years of 1931–1932—when the Depression strained every aviation company—the O-19 was one of the few reliable contracts keeping the factory’s doors open. At a time when only a hundred total airplanes were sold in 1932, the O-19 was one of the types that kept the payroll alive as the company struggled to survive.

A Moment From the Archives

Dorothy Fleet recounts how Reuben purchased Thomas-Morse not simply for the aircraft it produced, but for the engineering talent and the critical observation-plane designs that came with it. After the acquisition, he moved the entire company to Buffalo so it could become part of Consolidated. From there, observation aircraft development accelerated, ultimately helping establish the company’s future success.

This strategic move gave Consolidated the capacity to produce not only its own new designs, but to refine, modernize, and mass-produce the observation aircraft the military already trusted.

Legacy of the Early Observation Planes

Though overshadowed today by the spectacular fame of the PBY Catalina and the B-24 Liberator, these early observation aircraft played a decisive role in shaping Consolidated’s reputation. They:

Proved the company could meet strict Army Air Corps requirements.
Provided consistent revenue during the darkest years of the Depression.
Anchored Consolidated’s engineering evolution, leading to more advanced and ambitious projects.

Their quiet strength laid the foundation for the company that would one day build the most-produced American bomber of World War II.