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| Gregor FDB-1 prototype biplane fighter. |
The FDB-1 was designed in 1938 by Georgian aircraft engineer Michael Gregor for the Canadian Car & Foundry Company of Montreal, Canada. Gregor was adamant that his design be of a biplane configuration, however he combined that with the latest developments in aircraft design. For instance, the FDB-1 came with an all-aluminum, stressed-skin fuselage, had a bubble canopy, as well as retractable landing gear. The FDB-1's top wing was of a distinct "gull-wing" shape, while the lower wing was straight.
The aircraft was 21 ft 8 in (6.60 meters) long, had a total wingspan of 28 feet (8.5 meters), and was 9 ft 4.5 in (2.8 meters) tall. Power was supplied by a 700 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1535-72 nine-cylinder radial engine, providing a top speed of 227 knots.
The aircraft weighed 4,100 lbs (1,860 kg), had a climb rate of 2,800 ft/min (14 m/s), and had a range of 985 miles (1,585 km). The FDB-1's armament would have been two .50-cal machine guns and two 116 lb wing-mounted bombs.
Gregor's design first flew on December 17, 1938 at Can-Car's Bishopfield Airport, test pilot George Adye at the controls. After the flight, Adye reported that the FDB-1's upper gull-wing severely restricted visibility (another test pilot said the experience was "blind as hell"). Adye, however, did say the aircraft had great maneuverability, despite the controls being overly sensitive.
After a brief engine redesign, the FDB-1 was submitted to the Royal Canadian Air Force for official testing. Even with a new engine (a new 1,200 hp powerplant), the aircraft fell short of its predicted top speed (promised to be around 260 knots). Test pilots found the aircraft to have a severe vibration problem at high speed but, like Ayde, praised the FDB-1 for its high maneuverability.
By 1939, however, the RCAF was losing interest in the FDB-1 for the British Hawker Hurricane monoplane fighter. In 1940, Can-Car turned to Mexico for a potential buyer but the Canadian government halted the offer before any deal could be made. A last ditch effort was made to pilot Fred Smith of Canadian Colonial Airways who liked the aircraft, but even that fell through. The FDB-1 remained in storage for some time and was eventually destroyed in a hangar fire at Cartierville Airport (Montreal) during the mid-1940s.