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| | BELL FL AIRABONITA |
 | | Bell had a long and distinguished career in aviation having worked for the Glenn L. Martin Company, where he rose to vice-president and general manager, and the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation, where he became general manager. |
 | | Bell’s design, the Bell Model 1, was accepted and a development contract was signed for one XFM-1 Airacuda on 4 June 1936; this was later followed by a development contract in May 1938 for thirteen YFM-1s but only nine were built. |
 | | To increase stability, the wing span, chord, and dihedral of the wing were increased, the length of the fuselage was reduced, the flaps were enlarged to reduce stall speed, and the vertical tail surfaces were modified to maintain longitudinal stability during carrier landings. |
| www.microworks.net /pacific/aviation/fl_airabonita.htm (1445 words) |
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