Pursuit Aircraft Program

Consolidated’s Early Foray into High-Performance Military Aviation

Consolidated Aircraft is remembered primarily for its flying boats, long-range patrol aircraft, and the iconic B-24 Liberator. Yet before these achievements, the company briefly entered the competitive world of pursuit (fighter) development—an arena defined by speed, maneuverability, and the constant pressure to innovate.

The Pursuit Aircraft Program represents Consolidated’s effort to meet emerging U.S. Army Air Corps demands during the interwar years. These military requirements emphasized enclosed cockpits, metal construction, improved firepower, and higher operational ceilings. The program produced one significant aircraft—the P-30 / PB-2—and several developmental studies and prototypes that helped shape Consolidated’s broader engineering evolution.

Though short-lived, this program played an important role in strengthening the company’s understanding of aerodynamics, high-speed structures, and advanced pilot protection—skills that later influenced its transport, patrol, and bomber lines.

Doctrinal Shifts and the Need for New Fighters

During the late 1920s and early 1930s, the Army Air Corps began redefining what a modern pursuit aircraft should be. Key requirements included:

fully enclosed cockpits for pilot protection
all-metal airframes to replace wood-and-fabric designs
higher climb rates and fast intercept capability
aerodynamic streamlining for increased speed
improved engine performance at altitude

Consolidated recognized an opportunity: if it could meet or exceed these emerging standards, it could expand beyond its early flying-boat contracts and establish itself as a diversified aviation manufacturer.

This strategic decision led directly to the development of the P-30 / PB-2.

Engineering Ambition and Design Philosophy

Even as a newcomer to pursuit design, Consolidated approached the program with its characteristic principles:

structural durability using advanced metal construction
clean aerodynamic lines to reduce drag
innovations in pilot visibility and cockpit enclosure
attention to balance, stability, and control response

These values mirrored the engineering philosophy Reuben H. Fleet encouraged in all company projects. The pursuit program became a laboratory for ideas that would appear—often invisibly—in later Consolidated designs.

Challenges and Lessons Learned

Entering the fighter market was not easy. Pursuit development required:

rapid aerodynamic refinement
constant testing
close coordination with the Army Air Corps
design compromises driven by weight, power, and armament

Though Consolidated did not continue producing fighters long-term, the company gained essential experience in:

airflow management around enclosed cockpits
metal monoplane stress analysis
high-speed control surface design
engine cooling and airflow optimization
retractable landing gear systems

These lessons later benefited aircraft such as the PBY Catalina and, eventually, the B-24 Liberator.

The Legacy of the Pursuit Program

While the pursuit line was not a major commercial success for Consolidated, it left a meaningful imprint on the company’s engineering heritage. The knowledge gained from these early fighter experiments helped prepare the company for the far larger military demands of the late 1930s and World War II.

Consolidated’s pursuit aircraft illustrate an important truth about Fleet’s leadership:
the company was willing to explore any field of aviation that could strengthen American airpower and advance the science of flight.

Explore Consolidated’s Pursuit Aircraft

P-30 / PB-2
Other Pursuit Designs & Prototypes

Return to the Consolidated Aircraft section to learn more about the company’s major programs, innovations, and wartime contributions.