 | |
| Company type | Aircraft manufacturer |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1925; 101 years ago (1925) |
| Founder | Sherman Fairchild |
| Defunct | 2003; 23 years ago (2003) |
| Fate | Acquired byM7 Aerospace |
| Successor | M7 Aerospace |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Key people | Walter Tydon |
| Subsidiaries |
|
Fairchild was an American aircraft andaerospace manufacturing company based at various times inFarmingdale, New York;Hagerstown, Maryland; andSan Antonio, Texas.
The company was founded bySherman Fairchild in 1924 asFairchild Aviation Corporation, based in Farmingdale, and East Farmingdale, New York. It was established as the parent company for Fairchild's many aviation interests. The company produced the firstUS aircraft to include a fully enclosed cockpit and hydraulic landing gear, theFairchild FC-1. At some point, it was also known as theFairchild Aircraft Manufacturing Company. TheFairchild Aircraft Ltd. of Longueuil, Quebec, Canada was an aircraft manufacturer during the period of 1920 to 1950, which served as a subsidiary of the Fairchild company of the United States. The Fairchild Engine Company was formed with the purchase of the Caminez Engine Company in 1925.[1] In 1929, Sherman Fairchild purchased a majority stock interest inKreider-Reisner Aircraft Company ofHagerstown, Maryland. The company moved to Hagerstown in 1931.[2]
A series of related designs beginning with theFairchild FC-1 and continuing to theFairchild 71 were designed for aerial photography as a result of dissatisfaction towards available aircraft which were incapable of flying steadily enough at a sufficient altitude.[3] In 1935, Fairchild was hired by the US government to do aerial photograph surveys of the United States to track soil erosion and its effects.[4]
AFairchild FC-2 was used byRichard E. Byrd during his Antarctic Expedition.[5]
DuringWorld War II, Fairchild producedPT-19/PT-23/PT-26 (Cornell) andAT-21 Gunner trainers,C-82 Packet transports anddrones. The Fairchild AT-21 Gunner, a twin-engine trainer, was manufactured at a former rayon mill inBurlington, North Carolina. Also large numbers of theFairchild 24 (C-61/Argus) were produced for the military (principally as the Argus for the Royal Air Force), and continued production after the war for the civilian market. Fairchild ranked 73rd among United States corporations in the value of World War II military production contracts.[6]
The C-82 Packet led to theC-119 Flying Boxcar, another U.S. military transport aircraft. The C-119 could carry cargo, personnel, stretcher patients and mechanized equipment with the ability to make "paradrops" of cargo and troops. The first C-119 made its initial flight in November 1947, and by the time production ceased in 1955, more than 1,100 C-119s had been built for use in the USAF, theRoyal Canadian Air Force and others. Many were converted into waterbombers after being retired from military service.
In 1949, theHagerstown, Maryland,Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation developed theChase XCG-20 glider into theC-123 Provider transport which entered service in 1955. In 1954 Fairchild purchased the American Helicopter Company, incorporating it and theXH-26 Jet Jeep as a division.[7] In 1956, the company acquired rights to theFokker Friendship, producing 206 of the aircraft as theFairchild F-27 andFairchild Hiller FH-227. During the 1950s, Fairchild was a large subcontractor to Boeing forB-52 fuselage sections and wing panels. Later, the company builtMcDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II tail sections,Grumman F-14 Tomcat tails, andSpace Shuttle orbiter stabilizers.
In 1964, the company purchasedHiller Aircraft, changing its name toFairchild Hiller and producing theFH-1100, until 1973 when the helicopter division was sold back to Stanley Hiller. In 1965, the company acquired theRepublic Aviation Company.
Following the death of its founder, Fairchild changed its name toFairchild Industries in 1971. This was a merger ofFairchild-Hiller Corporation, division and subsidiaries: Fairchild Aircraft Marketing Company, Fairchild Aircraft Services Division, Fairchild Republic Division, Fairchild Space and Electronics Division, Fairchild Stratos Division, Burns Aero Seat Company, Inc., Fairchild Arms International, Ltd., Fairchild Aviation (Asia) Ltd., Fairchild Aviation (Holland) N.V., Fairchild-Germantown Development Company, Inc. and S.J. Industries, Inc. Before 1971, Fairchild Industries was a term used to include many of the companies of its founderSherman Mills Fairchild.
After the name change, the company purchased Swearingen and manufactured theFairchild Swearingen Metroliner, a successful commuter aircraft that gained orders from the U.S. military as theC-26 Metroliner. In 1971, the company began developing theFairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II inGermantown, Maryland,[8] which prevailed over the rivalNorthrop YA-9 in the A-X competition for an eventual production run of 716 aircraft.
The company developed theT-46 jet trainer to replace the elderlyCessna T-37 Tweet trainer, but it was not accepted by the Air Force because of performance problems.
Their association with Boeing continued into the 1980s as they built wing control surfaces for 747s and 757s.
Aircraft production was ended in Hagerstown, Maryland in 1984.
After the company took overDornier's civil assets in 1996, the company was renamedFairchild Dornier. The company commenced production of theDornier 328 in 1998 under license fromDeutsche Aerospace AG (DASA).
In December 1999, Fairchild Aerospace Corporation was acquired by German insurerAllianz A.G. and the United States investment groupClayton, Dubilier & Rice Inc. for $1.2 billion.[9]
In 2003, the assets of Fairchild were purchased byM7 Aerospace and the new company was moved to San Antonio.
On December 15, 2010, M7 was purchased by the United States subsidiary of the Israeli defense contractorElbit Systems.[10] M7 Aerospace does not manufacture aircraft, but focuses on aerospace parts and support services.
| Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairchild FC-1 | 1926 | 1 | Four passenger cabin monoplane |
| Fairchild FC-2 | 1926 | 118 | Four passenger cabin monoplane |
| Fairchild 71 | 1926 | 111 | Eight passenger cabin monoplane |
| Fairchild 42 | 1927 | 8 | Three passenger cabin monoplane |
| Fairchild 21 | 1927 | 2 | Two-seat biplane |
| Fairchild KR-34 | 1928 | >73 | Two-seat biplane |
| Fairchild 100 | 1930 | 27 | Nine passenger airliner |
| Fairchild 22 | 1931 | 127 | Two-seat parasol monoplane |
| Fairchild 24 | 1932 | 2,232 | Four passenger cabin monoplane |
| Fairchild 91 | 1935 | 7 | Flying-boat airliner |
| Fairchild Model 45 | 1935 | 17 | Cabin monoplane |
| Fairchild F-46 | 1937 | 1 | Cabin monoplane |
| Fairchild PT-19 | 1939 | 6,397 | Trainer |
| Fairchild AT-21 Gunner | 1943 | 175 | Trainer |
| Fairchild BQ-3 | 1944 | 2 | Assault Drone |
| Fairchild C-82 Packet | 1944 | 223 | Military transport |
| Fairchild M-84 | 1945 | 1 | Four-Five place family aircraft |
| Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar | 1947 | 1,183 | Military transport |
| Fairchild XNQ | 1949 | 2 | Trainer |
| Fairchild C-123 Provider | 1949 | 307 | Military transport |
| Fairchild XC-120 Packplane | 1950 | 1 | Military transport |
| Fairchild Hiller F-27, FH-227 | 1958 | 206 | Turboprop commuter airliner |
| Fairchild VZ-5 | 1959 | 1 | Experimental VTOL |
| Fairchild 228 | 1968 | 2 | Regional jet airliner |
| Fairchild-Swearingen Merlin | 1965 | Turboprop corporate | |
| Fairchild FH-227 | 1956 | 79 | Turboprop airliner |
| Fairchild-Hiller FH-1100 | 1966 | 253 | Turbine helicopter |
| Fairchild AC-119 | 1968 | 52 | Ground-attack conversion of C-119 |
| Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner/C-26 | 1968 | 600 | Turboprop airliner |
| Fairchild AU-23 Peacemaker | 1971 | 35 | Counter-insurgency aircraft |
| Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II | 1972 | 716 | Close air support |
| Fairchild T-46 | 1985 | 3 | Trainer |
| Fairchild Dornier 328JET | 1991 | 110 | Commuter jet |
| Fairchild Dornier 428JET | — | 0 | Cancelled (2000) regional jet |
| Fairchild Dornier 728 family | — | 0 | Cancelled (2002) commuter jets |
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