NC16793 Fleetwings F-4 Sea Bird landing at
Abbotsford, British Columbia in August 1977
![NC16793 Fleetwings F-4 Sea Bird a rare bird indeed is this , built in the 1930's and once on the Canadian register as CF-BGZ - Seen landing at Abbotsford, British Columbia [YXX] for the annual airshow in August 1977 - They Like Water Part 2 - © Caz Caswell](../../../../galleries/avgen/tlw/part02/tlw19-nc16793.jpg)
Related Links
The Fleetwings F-4 Sea Bird (sometimes shown as Seabird) - Despite a total of only six Sea Bird
Aircraft being built (the single F-4 Prototype and five F-5 Production versions), the type deserves
at least a footnote in aviation history as not only being one of the earliest aircraft to use Stainless
Steel for primary structure, but the first Stainless Steel Aircraft to achieve production!
The Photograph is of the F-4 Prototype and only surviving Fleetwings Sea Bird, which today is preserved
at the Golden Wings Museum, Blaine, Minnesota. Originally registered Nx16793 it was sold to a
mining company in Canada and registered CF-BGZ, but in 1940 returned to the USA and registered
NC16793. Very Active on the Airshow Circuit through the 1970's it has continued to make the
occasional appearance and at time of writing it appears is is still possible to book it for an
Airshow appearance.
DIH
Fleetwings F-4/F05 Sea Bird Links:
Fleetwings Sea Bird (or Seabird) - Wikipedia Entry
Flight Magazine Article from 22nd October 1936 on the Fleetwings Seabird
Fleetwings Sea Bird - You Tube Video - Mixing incredible Archive Footage with Modern Static Photographs
Photograph of the Fleetwings F-4 Sea Bird when registered a CF_BGZ - Ed Coates Collection
Ed Coates Collection - Home
Fleetwings - Wikipedia Entry
Golden Wings Museum
Golden Wings Flying Museum - Home
Abbotsford Airshow:
Abbotsford International Airshow
