Page 10 - October 2017

Canadian Car and Foundry The structure was very robust and capable of
Gregor FDB-1 withstanding stress forces 60 percent above
requirements. A pair of fuselage-mounted .50 cal.
machine guns, synchronized to fire through the
Hamilton Standard’s nine ft propeller arc, was part of
the design, but armament was never installed.
Additionally, two 116 lb bombs were to have been
carried, one under each lower wing.

In many respects, the Gregor FDB-1 was likely the
world's last biplane fighter design. In describing the
attributes and technological details of the FDB-1,
the entry by Wikipedia for the FDB-1 lays out plenty
of detail.
Much the same size and dimensions as the
Grumman F2F Navy fighter and also designed to
operate from aircraft carriers as a fighter/bomber, Streamlining on the FDB-1 was accentuated. The engine
the FDB-1 had an empty weight of 2,880 lb and a was snugly faired into a NACA cowling reminiscent of
gross of 4,100 lb. As in many other gull wing earlier Seversky fighter designs, also heavily influenced
fighters, pilot's view while flying straight and level by Gregor, who left that company early in 1937. The
was excellent, but marginal when landing and rearward sliding center section of cockpit's canopy,
extremely poor when looking downward during spacious for such a small airframe, was a unique Gregor
that critical phase. Hydraulically operated landing innovation. The FDB-1 clean lines partly were
gear retracted flush into large wells on either side accomplished by the attachment and support of wings
of fuselage, ahead of the lower wing. Twenty-eight via substantial faired "V" interlane struts. Flying and
foot span top wing featured nearly full span slats landing wires and cables were replaced by a single
measuring 10 ft/3m per side, plus all-metal split faired strut running between the root of the top wing
flaps of 4 ft/1m, 3 in per side, positioned between rear spar and the feet of the “V” strut where it joins the
root and ailerons. Bottom wing span of 23 ft/7m, 10 lower wing at its front spar. A system of tubes moved
in also incorporated longer split flaps of 7 ft/2m, 9 the control surfaces, except for the rudder, which was
in per side. Like many a Soviet and Polish partially operated by cables.
contemporary that had preceded it, biplanes as well When rolled out, the Gregor FDB-1, as it was called, for
as high-wing monoplanes – the center section of
Fighter Dive Bomber, was not only robust and solid, it
the top wing on Gregor's trim fighter had a gull-
also looked exceptionally sleek. Registered CF-BMB, the
wing configuration, attached at right angles to the letters embossed in white over a high gloss metallic
fuselage for less drag. This was supposed to afford
dark gray paint job, the dual purpose aircraft's only
improved visibility too, particularly straight ahead in
other markings were ten horizontal white bands on its
level flight. rudder.
The compact 21 ft/6m, 8 in fuselage of the Model 10
FDB-1 utilized a monocoque shell of circular cross
section, covered by flush-riveted, stressed skin. The all-
metal wings were fabric covered behind the front spar
and metal-framed control surfaces were also fabric
covered. An anticipated range of 985 miles/1,585 km Early in 1938, in a spirit of Commonwealth cooperation,
was based on 95 gallons of fuel carried in a pair of a wooden model of Gregor's new Model 10 fighter was
semicircular-shaped tanks mounted side-by-side in the sent to the Hawker Aircraft wind tunnel facility at
fuselage, between the wheel wells.
Kingston upon Thames, England.