Fairchild 71
| Fairchild 71 | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | single-engine multipurpose aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
Early 1928 |
| Commissioning: |
1928 |
| Production time: |
1928 to 1930 (USA) |
| Number of pieces: |
about 100 |
The Fairchild 71 was a multi-purpose aircraft produced by the US manufacturer Fairchild Aircraft Manufacturing Company from spring 1928 , which was also manufactured in the Canadian Fairchild plant in Longueuil from July 1930 .
history
In 1927, Fairchild Aircraft Manufacturing launched the five-seater Fairchild FC-2, its first production aircraft. The extended version FC-2W2 emerged from the machine at the beginning of 1928, from which the Fairchild 71 emerged. All flight-relevant assemblies were taken over from the FC-2W2 almost unchanged, but the rear fuselage cross-section was slightly rounded. The Fairchild 71 received a more powerful version of the nine-cylinder radial engine Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp with an output of 313 kW (420 hp), enlarged entrance doors and new cabin equipment. The machine was intended to carry six passengers with luggage. The passenger seats could be easily removed, which meant that they could also be used as a pure cargo aircraft.
The Fairchild 71 was produced in the US factory in Farmingdale from spring 1928 and sold to Clifford Ball Airline , Mexicana de Aviación and Pacific Alaska Airways , among others . Versions with snow or floating runners were also available from the factory. Fairchild replaced the basic model offered in 1930 by the 71A version , which had a modernized interior and whose wings were swept back a few degrees . Six of these aircraft were acquired by the United States Army Air Corps and put into service as reconnaissance aircraft under the military designation F-1A . Due to the low sales figures in the USA, production in Farmingdale ended that same year.
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In 1929, Fairchild Aircraft Manufacturing had the Canadian subsidiary Fairchild Aircraft Ltd. founded, whose plant in Longueuil ( Québec ) opened in the summer of 1930 and continued production of the Fairchild 71 for the Canadian market. The first version made there was the 71B , which had been ordered by the Royal Canadian Air Force ( RCAF ) for survey flights and for taking aerial photographs . It received a special interior design adapted for these tasks. The Canadian version 71C corresponded to the US American Fairchild 71 and was offered as a commercial transport aircraft for passenger and cargo transport until the Canadian production of the aircraft type ended around the end of 1932.
In 1933, the Canadian Fairchild Aircraft Ltd. with the development of the Super 71 , a seaplane that apart from the type designation had little in common with the original basic version. The aircraft had a 520 hp (388 kW) Wasp engine, extended wings and a completely redesigned oval-shaped fuselage made of light metal, with the cockpit being relocated behind the wings. The prototype made its maiden flight on October 31, 1934 and was put into service by Canadian Airways in May 1935 . At the beginning of 1936 the RCAF received two modified machines, designated as Super 71P , whose cockpit was in front of the wings and whose cabins were redesigned for the production of vertical aerial photographs.
construction
The Fairchild 71 was derived from the Fairchild FC-2W2 and, like this, a high- wing aircraft with braced wings . It had a rigid main landing gear with a tail spur and was powered as standard by a nine-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial engine with an output of 313 kW (420 hp).
The fuselage consisted of a welded tubular steel construction with fabric covering. The base frame of the cabin, which was lined with wood on the inside, was made up of four metal spars. The cabin protruded slightly behind the wing root. It was designed for a pilot and six passengers with luggage. The seats could easily be removed to carry cargo. The Fairchild 71 had entry doors on both sides and four cabin windows per side, with the rear windows in contrast to the FC-2W2 being rounded. The wings, including the wing spars and the planking, were made entirely of wood and covered with fabric. They could be folded back sideways so that the machines could also be parked in small hangars . In contrast to the US aircraft, the machines manufactured in Canada were mostly delivered with floating skids.
Versions
US versions
At the US Fairchild plant at Farmingdale Airfield near New York , the following series were manufactured from spring 1928 to around the end of 1930:
- 71
- Basic version of a multi-purpose aircraft developed from the Fairchild FC-2W2 for the transport of six passengers and / or cargo, equipped with a nine-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial engine with an output of 313 kW (420 hp).
- 71A
- modified basic version of the Fairchild 71 with modified wings that were swept back a few degrees ; the version was produced in small numbers in 1930.
- XC-8
- Designation for a Fairchild 71 acquired by the United States Army Air Corps ( USAAC ) for testing as a transport aircraft ; it was used for aerial photography from the 1930s and was given the designation XF-1 .
- YF-1
- Designation for eight Fairchild 71 aircraft put into service by the USAAC for testing as reconnaissance aircraft .
- F-1A
- Designation for six Fairchild 71A aircraft that were acquired by the USAAC as reconnaissance aircraft .
- C-8
- New USAAC designation for a total of nine aircraft of the versions YF-1 (eight machines) and XF-1 (one machine), after they were used in a new function for transport purposes.
- C-8A
- new USAAC designation for their six F-1A's.
- XJ2Q-1
- a Fairchild 71 acquired for testing by the US Navy ; it was later named R2Q-1 .
Canadian versions
The Canadian subsidiary Fairchild Aircraft Ltd., based in Longueuil, From July 1930 to around the end of 1932 a total of around 70 aircraft of the versions 71B and 71C and from October 1934 to the beginning of 1936 a Fairchild Super 71 and two Super 71P were manufactured:
- 71B
- based on the basic model Fairchild 71, built for the Royal Canadian Air Force ( RCAF ) with special cabin equipment in order to use the machines for survey flights and for aerial photography .
- 71C
- Canadian civil version, based on the US Fairchild 71.
- 71CM
- based on the 71C, but with a metal-clad fuselage, a converted aircraft.
- Super 71
- Prototype of a seaplane newly developed by the Canadian subsidiary , which made its maiden flight on October 31, 1934 and received its civil license in May 1935. The machine, designed for eight passengers, had a Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp engine with 388 kW (520 hp), metal-clad wings with enlarged wingspan and a longer oval-shaped fuselage made entirely of light metal. The cockpit was above the cabin behind the wings. In order to be able to use the machine as a cargo aircraft, it had removable passenger seats and a loading hatch on the left side of the fuselage.
- Super 71P
- two aircraft based on the Super 71 that were built for the RCAF in early 1936 and used by the latter to take aerial photographs. In contrast to the Super 71, the cockpit was on the upper side of the fuselage in front of the wings, which gave the pilot a much better view. For this purpose, the cabin was converted accordingly. The machines had Wasp motors with an output of 600 hp, but these proved to be prone to failure in flight operations and tended to overheat.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Fairchild 71 | Fairchild Super 71P |
|---|---|---|
| crew | 1 | 1 |
| Passengers | 6th | 8th |
| length | 10.01 m | 11.02 m |
| span | 15.39 m | 17.67 m |
| height | 2.84 m | 3.20 m |
| Wing area | 28.76 m² | 34.56 m² |
| Empty mass | 1438 kg | 2126 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 2724 kg | 3219 kg |
| Cruising speed | 170 km / h | 192 km / h |
| Top speed | 212 km / h | 228 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 3353 m | 5791 m |
| Range | 1314 km | 1288 km |
| Engine | a Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp nine-cylinder radial engine with 313 kW (420 hp) |
a Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp nine-cylinder radial engine with 441 kW (600 PS) |
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Aero, issue 72, year 1984
- ↑ Ed Coates' Civil Aircraft Photograph Collection, X-ABCI, Fairchild FC 71, 5508 (c / n unknown)
- ↑ Ed Coates' Civil Aircraft Photograph Collection, Pacific Alaska Airways, Fairchild 71, NC9709 (c / n 601)
- ^ Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada, Fairchild Super 71, CF-AUJ
- ↑ a b c Canadian Wings, Fairchild Super 71
- ^ Bernard Shaw: Photographing Canada from Flying Canoes . General Store Publishing House, Burnstown 2001, ISBN 1-894263-42-1 .
- ^ Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada, Fairchild Super 71: Truly One of a Kind