A More Detailed Examination of Fairchild Aircraft’s Impact on the Business Aviation Sector

Fairchild is one of the world’s oldest aircraft manufacturers, and it has had a great impact in shaping the current aviation industry, particularly the light aircraft used in private flight today. Though the company mostly continues in spirit after being acquired by M7 Aerospace and later Elbit Systems, several of its designs have become classics over the years.

Examples include my own favorite airplane, the A-10 Warthog, and the Fairchild FC-2, the first US aircraft to feature a fully enclosed cockpit and hydraulic landing gear. In this post, we’ll look at some historic Fairchild Aircraft and how their ideas helped define the business aviation market.

Solving one problem can change everything

It all began with Sherman Fairchild. Encyclopedia.com lists him as an inventor and photographer who was born in Oneonta, New York, in 1896. His father, George Winthrop Fairchild, was a United States congressman and IBM co-founder. Sherman inherited his father’s estate when George died in 1924, but Sherman had already begun laying the groundwork for the Fairchild Aviation Corporation.

Sherman Fairchild, an educated young man, began attending Harvard University in 1915, where he created the first synchronized camera shutter and flash. However, throughout his college years, he developed TB. Following that, he attended several universities but never graduated due to health difficulties.

World War One was in full swing by 1917, but Sherman’s health prevented him from joining the war. Determined to help the war effort, Sherman improved the camera shutter he had invented, specialized it for use in aerial photography.

The end product was a shutter mechanism that allowed crisp images to be captured from a moving airplane despite being tossed around by turbulence.

The amphibious trailblazer: The Fairchild FC-1

Sherman continued to innovate, focusing in aerial photography, and in 1920 he founded the Fairchild Aerial Camera Corporation. Sherman founded the Fairchild Aviation Corporation in 1925, recognizing that existing planes were unsuitable for the extreme conditions encountered and the type of maneuvering required for aerial photography.

The company developed the Fairchild FC-1, an airplane specifically designed for aerial photography and ground surveying work. According to Grace’s Guide, the FC-1 and its derivatives (which included the FC-2 and Models 51, 61, and 71) were so successful that Fairchild Aviation went from initial production to becoming the world’s second-largest commercial aircraft manufacturer in 9 months.

The FC-1 was a high-winged, single-engine plane that could seat five people. Its wings could fold back for transport or storage, and its landing gear could be replaced with floats or skis for wilderness landing and takeoff.

The numerous windows let photographers to shoot from a variety of viewpoints, and the load out versatility allowed them access to many remote locations, particularly in North America’s untamed woods and lakes.

The FC-2 appears to be strikingly similar to many modern tiny seaplanes that are frequently employed to visit small islands, snowy and lakefront environments, enabling for fire prevention, research, and distant area surveying.

While it was designed only around a century ago, it is quite astonishing how swiftly the field of aviation advanced at the time. To put things in perspective, the Wright brothers flew the Wright Flyer for the first time in 1903, making it the first human heavier-than-air, propelled, and controlled aircraft.

Fairchild Aviation was founded only 22 years later, when Sherman Fairchild would have been about 29 years old. While Sherman had the IBM legacy behind him, it demonstrates that graduating from university is not the be-all and end-all of accomplishing great things in the world.

Cradle of Heroes: The Fairchild M-62 (PT-19)

Fast-forward Sherman repurchased Fairchild Aviation in 1936, reforming the company as Fairchild Engine and Airplane Company, after many sell-offs and restructurings, including the Great Depression.

Nonetheless, the firm continued to manufacture airplanes and aircraft components, focusing more heavily on aviation following the rebranding. During World War II and leading up to the space race, the business provided numerous civilian and military innovations specializing in aerial ferrying, freighting, and surveying.

The Model 62, or M-62, was a popular design that was later designated as the PT-19. This plane was used by both military and commercial schools for pilot training since it was the first low-winged single-engine plane ideal for main teaching purposes.

Combined with its low wing, the selection of a narrower Ranger engine rather than a radial engine boosted visibility from the cockpit, which is consistent with Fairchild’s background in aerial photography.

Unorthodox utility: The C-119 Flying Boxcar

Fairchild created the Model-78, a twin-engine and twin-boomed airplane meant to transport heavy objects and materials during WWII. Because of the space between the two booms and its dual-hinged rear doors, its payload could comprise entire automobiles that could be used immediately after delivery.

This design was later dubbed the C-82 packet, earning the nickname “Flying Boxcar” since its cargo capacity of 2,870 cubic feet was equivalent to a typical railway boxcar.

While it underwent numerous changes, the design was updated and launched as the civilian type C-119 after the war, and it continued to keep Fairchild lucrative due to its incredible utility in transporting huge, bulky objects.

Pioneering business aviation: The F-27 and FH-227

These planes incorporate several of Fairchild’s most iconic planes to date, combining the design philosophy of boosting passenger and pilot visibility, enabling flexibility of usage, and increasing utility with enormous amounts of passenger and cargo space. If the FH-227b design above appears familiar, it should, as its greater comfort paved the path for today’s private aircraft.

In 1956, Fairchild licensed the design of the F27 Friendship passenger plane from Dutch manufacturer Fokker, allowing the plane to be produced in the United States.

This little plane was perfect for short journeys between countries, or between states in the United States. Its size made it suitable for smaller airfields, and its space accommodated 32 passengers. Its Rolls-Royce turboprop Dart engines delivered 1730kW each, allowing the Fairchild iterations of the plane to cruise at 480 km/h.

Fairchild expanded on the design after acquiring it, delivering the FH-227 in 1958. According to the full specifications at Airliners.net, this variant could seat 40 passengers, had weather-detecting radar, and was the first plane to introduce air conditioning and cabin pressurization to the short-haul market.

It’s easy to argue that these planes were the forerunners of modern private jets, as they prioritized passenger comfort even on short, quick trips.

More gun than plane: The A-10 Thunderbolt

The Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt, informally known as the A-10 Warthog due to its unappealing appearance in comparison to other planes designed at the time, deserves a mention. Sherman Fairchild died in 1971, and it was designed shortly thereafter.

However, in classic Fairchild form, they prioritized functionality when building it, so while it is frequently compared to fighters, it specializes in air-to-ground combat support and infantry support. I can well envision the design brief they received being something like this: “We want to fit the largest gun possible in as small a plane as possible, and we want it to blow up lots of tanks.”

That is exactly what it did. The end result was essentially a flying brawler capable of withstanding direct hits from armor-piercing and high-explosive missiles up to 23mm wide. It boasts many system redundancies and several self-sealing fuel tanks, allowing it to survive damage that would have destroyed any other jet.

During Operation Desert Storm, the A-10 destroyed an entire ton of enemy armor, according to the Smithsonian. During the fighting, two A-10s were credited with destroying 23 tanks in a single day. Given how inexpensive the A-10 is to operate in comparison to other aircraft, this represents excellent value.

Targets destroyed by the A-10 Warthog during Operation Desert Storm

• 900 Iraqi tanks
• 2,000 other military vehicles
• 1,200 artillery pieces.

NOTE : The A-10 has become something of a meme, thanks to the distinctive ‘Brrrrrrrt’ sound produced by its 6-meter-long gun. To find out how it does it, read our article on it here.

Yes, the A-10 is awesome… but back to business

Fairchild went on to manufacture parts for other fan favorites, like the F-4 Phantom and the Boeing 747. However, the passenger aviation industry was transformed by the vast number of bushplanes and seaplanes derived from the Fairchild 71, which first flew in 1926 and was the spiritual successor to the FC-1.

Another example is the Fairchild Dornier 328JET, which helped pioneer business aviation in its current form. The original 1991 Dornier 328 used turboprop engines, but the 1998 Fairchild-Dornier turbofan-equipped variant greatly reduced engine noise, boosting passenger comfort.

The upgraded engines also increased the plane’s flight range to more than 1,000 miles, which may be extended to 1,700 miles with an extra fuel tank. As I discussed in my recent post on the Bombardier Global 7500, range is an extremely desirable feature in business aviation. The 328JET continues to be in high demand and is still available for charter at advancedairlines.com.

NOTE: For more on the differences between the 328 and its jet variation, see our article on just that here.

Fairchild Dornier Aviation was acquired by M7 Aerospace in 2003, which was later acquired by Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems in 2010. Fairchild’s more recent contributions to aviation design are primarily in the form of unmanned aircraft, which may well be used in the current Israel-Gaza conflict.

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