Fairchild 71

Fairchild 71
	Fairchild 71 in RCAF colours
Role	passenger or cargo transport
Manufacturer	Fairchild Aircraft ; Fairchild Aircraft Ltd. (Canada)
First flight	1926
Developed into	Fairchild Super 71

The Fairchild 71 was an American high-wing monoplane passenger and cargo aircraft built by Fairchild Aircraft and later built in Canada by Fairchild Aircraft Ltd. (Canada) for both military and civilian use as a rugged bush plane.

Design and development

The Fairchild Aircraft Company undertook a progressive development of the Fairchild FC-2W2 light transport. Its first improvement was the FC-2, whose several improvements included slightly swept-back wings; wingspan increased to 50 feet; engine power nearly doubled; and interior changes to improve passenger comfort.

The FC-2 first flew in 1926.

The FC-2W was a further development, featuring:

Camera bay for vertical aerial photography;
Low-cut aft windows for oblique aerial photography.

The FC-2 and FC-2W continued the use of fabric-covered welded steel tubing for fuselage and empennage construction, and strut-braced wooden-structure fabric-covered wings.

The FC-2W, later known as the Model 71, was built in the United States between 1928 and 1930. In 1929 Fairchild formed a company in Canada (Fairchild Aircraft Limited) at Longueuil, Quebec in 1929 to support the Canadian operators of Fairchild aircraft. The Canadian company also set up a factory production line for the Model 71, developing a variant for the Canadian military. The Canadian-built aircraft differed from the US version in that all the passenger-comfort features were removed, and the craft were built specifically for aerial photography.^[1]

Operational history

The United States Army Air Service acquired one Model 71 for evaluation; it was designated XC-8, later redesignated XF-8 and used for photographic work.

Eight more service-test aircraft, designated YF-1 were ordered; all nine were later redesignated C-8.

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), another major military operator, evaluated the Fairchild 71 in mid-June 1930. Thirty four RCAF FC-71s were operated from 1930 to 1946. Along with the earlier FC-2 series, the RCAF FC-71 was utilized primarily in the aerial photographic survey role as well as northern transport. In November 1934, the RCAF transferred the FC-71s to the five detachments flying in the amalgamated Maritimes No. 5 (Flying Boat) Squadron at RCAF Station Dartmouth. The squadron flew the FC-71 extensively on anti-smuggling (rum running) and illegal immigration patrols for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).^[1]

Most of the Model 71 production ended up in the hands of bush plane operators in Canada and the United States. Civilian operators likewise found the 71 a rugged, reliable and highly useful utility transport, well suited for northern and remote operations.

Variants

Fairchild 71: Initial production variant
Fairchild 71A: Production variant with increased sweep on wings and improved interior
Fairchild 71C: Canadian-built version
Fairchild 71-CM: Canadian-built version with metal-skinned fuselage
Fairchild Super 71: Floatplane version with new fuselage and greater wingspan
Fairchild 51/71: Canadian-built version with wings of Model 51 and fuselage of Model 71

United States military designations

XC-8: One prototype Fairchild 71, later redesignated XF-1 when modified for photo survey.
YF-1: Eight service-test aircraft
C-8: YF-1 redesignated
C-8A: F-1A redesignated
XF-1: XC-8 redesignated for photo-survey
YF-1: Eight Fairchild 71 aircraft for evaluation with provision for seven passenger seats, later redesignated C-8A.
F-1A: Production aircraft (Fairchild 71A), six built later redesignated C-8A.
J2Q-1: One Fairchild 71 for evaluation by the United States Navy, redesignated XR2Q-1.

Operators

Civilian Operators

Mexico

United States

Military operators

Canada

Royal Canadian Air Force

United States

Specifications (Model 71C)

Data from Canadian Aircraft Since 1909^[4]

General characteristics

Crew: one
Capacity: eight

Performance

References

Citations

^ ^a ^b Shearwater Aviation Museum: Aircraft History: Fairchild 71
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Selman, Jay. "Pan Am Pioneer". Aeroplane. No. February 2015. Stamford: Key Publishing. pp. 32–37. ISSN 0143-7240.
^ Clifford Ball Inc., 1929/30
^ Molson and Taylor 1982, p. 314.

Bibliography

Donald, David, ed. The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada: Prospero Books, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.
Milberry, Larry. Aviation In Canada. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-07-082778-8.
Molson, Ken M. and Taylor, Harold A. Canadian Aircraft Since 1909. Stittsville, Ontario: Canada's Wings, Inc., 1982. ISBN 0-920002-11-0.

External links

[Shearwater-1] Shearwater Aviation Museum: Aircraft History: Fairchild 71

[Aeroplane0315-2] Selman, Jay. "Pan Am Pioneer". Aeroplane. No. February 2015. Stamford: Key Publishing. pp. 32–37. ISSN 0143-7240.

[3] Clifford Ball Inc., 1929/30

[Canadian_Aircraft-4] Molson and Taylor 1982, p. 314.

[1]

[2]

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[4]

v t e United States military transport aircraft designations, Army/Air Force and Tri-Service systems
Army/Air Force sequence (1925–1962)	C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4 C-5 C-6 C-7 C-8 C-9 C-10 C-11 C-12 C-13¹ C-14 C-15 C-16 C-17 C-18 C-19 C-20 C-21 C-22 C-23 C-24 C-25 C-26 C-27 C-28 C-29 C-30 C-31 C-32 C-33 C-34 C-35 C-36 C-37 C-38 C-39 C-40 C-41 C-41A C-42 C-43 C-44 C-45 C-46 C-47 C-47F C-47T AC-47 C-48 C-49 C-50 C-51 C-52 C-53 C-54 C-55 C-56 C-57 C-58 C-59 C-60 C-61 C-62 C-63 C-64 C-65 C-66 C-67 C-68 C-69 C-70 C-70B C-71 C-72 C-73 C-74 C-75 C-76 C-77 C-77B–D C-78 C-79 C-80 C-81 C-82 C-83 C-83A C-83B C-84 C-85 C-86 C-87 C-88 C-89 C-90 C-91 C-92 C-93 C-94 C-95 C-96 C-97 KC-97 C-98 C-99 C-100 C-101 C-102 C-103 C-104 C-105 C-106 C-107 C-108 C-109 C-110 C-111 C-112 C-113 C-114 C-115 C-116 C-117 C-117D C-118 C-119 AC-119 C-120 C-121 C-121F EC-121 C-122 C-123 C-123A C-124 C-125 C-126 C-127² C-127 (I) C-127 (II) C-128 C-129 C-130 C-130J AC-130 DC-130 EC-130/H HC-130 KC-130 LC-130 MC-130 WC-130 C-131 NC-131H C-132 C-133 C-134 C-135 KC-135 C-136 C-137² YC-137 (I) YC-137 (II) C-137 C-138¹ C-139¹ C-140 C-141 C-142
Tri-service sequence (1962–present)	C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4 C-5 C-6 C-7² C-7 RC-7 C-8 C-9 C-10² C-10 KC-10 C-11 C-12 RC-12 C-13¹ C-14 C-15 C-16¹ C-17 C-18 C-19 C-20² C-20A–D C-20F–J C-21 C-22 C-23 C-24 C-25 C-26 C-27 C-27J C-28 C-29 C-30¹ C-31 C-32 C-33 C-34¹ C-35 C-36³ C-37 C-37B C-38 C-39¹ C-40 C-41 C-42¹ C-43¹ C-44¹ C-45 C-46
Revived original sequence (2005–present)	C-143 C-144 C-145 C-146 C-147
Non-sequential designations	C-767 C-767B C-880
Related designations	CT-39 CT-43 CV-2 CV-7
¹ Not assigned • ² Assigned to multiple types • ³ Unconfirmed