Fairchild designations (general topic)

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First of all, allow me to refer you to the existing topics we already have on Fairchild designations:
The purpose here is certainly not to duplicate the information therein but to provide a more general perspective on Fairchild-related designations. Also, contrary to what Apophenia does (quite remarkably so) I will not go through all the technical differences between each version, but if he plans to do it, he is more than welcome to do so!!! ;D


Originally, Fairchild was only an aerial photography company, designing and building aerial cameras and purchasing aircraft from various manufacturers for their work. Then it started building its own types with the advent of the FC- series in both the USA and Canada. Again I refer you to Apophenia's excellent research work on the FC- series featured in the Canadian Fairchild topic.

Throughout its long and complicated history, Fairchild often purchased other companies and their designs, which ended up being labeled Fairchild although they did not originate with the company's design teams.
 
KREIDER-REISNER

Quite paradoxically, the KR- designations were never used by that company, but only applied to some of its models after acquisition by Fairchild. The Kreider-Reisner company first had a Model A in 1926, a single-seat low-wing monoplane with 29hp Wright-Morehouse engine which appears variously as the Meyers Midget or the Fairchild KRA.

Nothing is known of a "Model B", if ever there was such a type projected, which remains to be seen.

The company's mainstay was the famed Challenger biplane, resulting in a series of C- prefixed types. The first of these (not yet called Challenger) was the C-1, in 1927 designed by Meyers, and rather similar to a Waco 10 with a 90hp Curtiss OX-5 engine. It evolved into the Challenger series.

It was followed by the C-2 the same year, which received Approved Type Certificate #19 and was fitted with various engines (Hallett H-256, Curtiss OXX-6, Fairchild Caminez, Warner Scarab...) without any apparent change in designation. There was a C-2A, however, which used a 100hp Ranger 6-375 engine. After the Fairchild takeover, the C-2 became known as the KR-31 (c/n 116/176, 178/325*, X-205), KR-31A, KR-31B. Two examples (c/n 228, 233) became the Parks P-1 (one of which was reverted back to KR-31 configuration). *c/n 202 had a Hallett engine without a change in designation. Interesting trivia: the C-2 was the only aircraft type (wartime production excepted) that was produced by no less than six separate companies: Detroit, Fairchild, Hammond, Kreider-Reisner, Parks, and Ryan. About 167 examples of the type were built.

Apparently only one aircraft was built as C-3 (c/n 147) in 1928 (ATC #97), and three more were modified from C-2. This had a 110hp Warner Scarab engine, but one was repowered with 130hp Hallett.

The same year the C-4 prototype appeared (ATC #88). Production versions were initially known as C-4A, C-4B (with 150hp Comet engine), C-4C (ATC #162, with 165hp Wright J-6 engine) and C-4D (with 165hp Curtiss Challenger engine, in 1929), but after acquisition by Fairchild, the types were redesignated as KR-34A (c/n 356, 364), KR-34B (c/n 177), KR-34B2, KR-34C (same as C-4C, c/n 326/328, 330/340), KR-34CA (Mexico bomber version), KR-34D and KR-34 Special (c/n 329).

The C-5 of 1929 (which was no longer called a Challenger) was a C-3 with increase in allowable weight and other minor improvements (ATC Group 2-44). Three were built.

The sole C-6 and C-6A prototypes of 1931 had 110hp Warner Scarab engines, while the five C-6B aircraft (ATC Group 2-338) had a 100hp Kinner K-5 engine (the last three appearing on the register as KR-21). KR-21A and KR-21B also existed.

The C-7 and C-8 were never actually designated as such and were known as the Fairchild Models 22 and 24 instead, but a trace of these designations remains in all the pre-war designations such as F-22C7, F-22C7A, F-22C7B, etc. and F-24C8, F-24C8A, F-24C8B, etc. These will be listed separately under Fairchild.

Some one-off version received other designations: There was only one KR-32 (c/n 357), one KR-125 (c/n 1) and the production KR-135 (c/n S-1052,1054,7000+), a version of the KR- series with an early 6-cylinder inverted air-cooled Ranger engine. The latter two were also refered to as the Pilgrim 125 and Pilgrim 135.

The U.S. Army Air Corps evaluated the Kreider-Reisner XC-31, a large transport which was actually a Fairchild design (also known as the Pilgrim 95) built by the Kreider-Reisner subsidiary (more below).

Likewise, the Kreider-Reisner W-1A was just the second Weick W-1 produced by Fairchild and built by the K-R subsidiary.
 
AMERICAN, "PILGRIM"

Fairchild established a subsidiary called American Airplane & Engine Corp., also based in Farmingdale. This was meant to produce larger transport aircraft collectively refered to as the Pilgrim family, although the name actually never applied to the company. These received constructor's numbers in the 6000+ range.

The X-100 prototype (c/n 6000) was flown in 1930 and was the first of the series. It was followed by the Pilgrim 100, Pilgrim 100-A (c/n 6601/6616), the first Fairchild product to receive the nickname of "Flying Box-Car" and the improved Pilgrim 100-B, the first three of which were modified from earlier 100-A models (c/n 6605,6608,6609), Ten of these aircraft were ordered in 1932 by the U. S. Army Air Corps as the American Y1C-24 but only four were actually used (perhaps c/n 6707/6710?) while the other six were probably the commercial c/n 6701/6706 of circa 1934.

The X-140 (or Pilgrim 140) was an unknown prototype. Data, anyone?

The X-150 of 1932 (also known as the Pilgrim 150 and Fairchild 150) became better known as the General Aviation GA-43 (or Clark GA-43, from its designer) after American was acquired by the General Aviation Manufacturing Corporation.

The X-200 was never built. It was to be a development of the X-100 prototype.

The Pilgrim 95 was a military transport of much larger capacity than its predecessors. Only one was built, and it was evaluated as the Kreider-Reisner XC-31 by the Air Corps.

There was also an attempt at some point by Fairchild to label other aircraft as Pilgrims: the KR-125 and KR-135 became known as the Pilgrim 125 and Pilgrim 135 although they were not produced by the American subsidiary.
 
First numeral system

There was an attempt at an organized designation system that was common to the US and Canadian branches of the Fairchild company. Series were allocated a basic number (multiples of ten) based on the seating capacity, with different types indicated by altered unit numeral and variants thereof by prefix letters.

The "twenties" only comprised the Model 21, an experimental two-seat low-wing monoplane also known by the non-standard designation FT-1.

There is no indication that the "thirties" were ever used. Possibly Fairchild had no three-seat aircraft in the works.

The "forties" were used for a four-seat design called the Foursome. The Model 41 (c/n 1) and Model 41-A (c/n 2, with simplified strut arrangement) were the prototypes, while the production Model 42 (c/n 3/8) had slightly increased cabin capacity, with redesigned window arrangement for some.

The "fifty" series was allocated to a development of the Canadian FC-2 model. The Model 51 (previously known as the FC-2L) was the basic model. Two were modified as Model 51A and another one as Model 51R. More on this series in the topic dedicated to Canadian Fairchild designations.

The existence of the "sixty" series needs to be confirmed. I have found mention of the Model 61 and Model Super 61, both as versions of the FC-2W, but this needs confirmation. Also, it would seem that a development of Model FC-2W / J2Q for the Brazilian Navy was allocated the designation Model 65, but the fact that it's non-sequential (why not 62?) requires further confirmation, though this piece of information emanated from a Brazilian source.

The Model 71 was a seven-seat refinement of the FC-2W2 with a Wright J-5 engine. Models 71-A, 71-B, 71-C, 71-CM (military variant) ensued, the Model 71-E (U.S. Army Air Corps XC-8 and XF-1) as well as 71 Special, Super 71 and Super 71-P. There was also a Model 51/71, a hybrid type with Model 51 wings fitted onto a Model 71 fuselage. Finally, the Model 72 (c/n 700/701) was a development of Model 65 for Brazilian Navy. More on this series in the topic dedicated to Canadian Fairchild designations.

The Model 81 is something of a mystery. It has been described as an 8-seat monoplane with either a 575hp Hornet or Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar engine. The latter strongly suggests a Canadian model, but there is no confirmation of this. It could also be an American type planned with two different engines depending on which country it was produced. The Model 82, however, is a well-known Canadian-built transport type, which was produced in the 82-A, 82-B, 82-C and 82-D variants. More on this type in the topic dedicated to Canadian Fairchild designations.

The Model 91 "Baby Clipper" was a small transport flying-boat designed for Pan American Airways in 1935. For some reason it is better known by the totally non-standard designations XA-942, A-942A (scout version of with 750hp P&W Hornet S2E-G engine) and A-942B (with 760hp Wright Cyclone). Brazil received two "A" models and Spain one; Japan received two "B" models for evaluation (designated there as LXF1) while two more landed with private owners. The designation "XA-942" is strange, and strongly reminds one of the Army Air Corps's special "900 series" of evaluated prototypes (with the A- prefix for Amphibian). However, there is no indication the Model 91 was ever evaluated by the Army, nor even considered for evaluation. At any rate, it seems that Fairchild opted to prefer this designation and even had a second amphibian proposal quoted as the "T-943", an even stranger designation.
 
Non-sequential / non-standard designations

As Apophenia explained very well in the Canadian Fairchild topic, there were quite a few "systems" attempted to designated early US and Canadian Fairchild designs. Again I refer you to that topic because there is a lot that's already detailed there.
  • The FC- prefix in the FC-1 and FC-2 series designations did NOT signify "Fairchild of Canada" but Fairchild Cabin.
  • The FT- prefix in the FT-1 designation (Model 21, c/n 1) probably signified Fairchild Trainer.
  • The FB- prefix in the FB-3 designation (a one-off flying boat, c/n 1) probably signified Fairchild (Flying) Boat.
  • The Models 34-42 Niska, 40-60, 40-65 Nahanni, 40-68, 45-80 Sekani and 45-84 followed Bellanca's weird designation system after one of that company's designers landed at Fairchild of Canada (more in the Canadian topic).
  • Fairchild of Canada also studied two tailless aircraft after the war under the designations X-1 and X-2 (more in the Canadian topic).
  • Two Fairchild of Canada designs carried an F- prefix: the F-8 (RCAF trainer project) and the post-war F-11 Huskyseries (more in the Canadian topic).
  • The Models XA-942, A-942A, A-942B and T-943 are already discussed in the previous post.
  • Designs by Virginius Clark done under Fairchild and/or General Aviation auspices are often refered to as GA-38X, GA-43 and GA-46.
  • The F-45 "Sedan of the Air" (prototype with 220/225 hp Jacobs L-4 radial), 45A (production version with 320 hp Wright R-760-E2 radial), F-46 (GA-46 duramold aircraft) and F-47 (low-wing cabin prototype for the post-war market) probably followed the General Aviation numeral sequence.
  • The Cornell trainer family was designated M-62, without any convincing explanation for that... This was the first use of the M- prefix for Fairchild projects, which lasted until the 1960s (see separate topic). Variants were the M-62A (Army PT-19A, PT-19B), M-62A-3 (variant with Ranger 6-440-C5), M-62A-4 (PT-26B), M-62B (also found as "F-62B"...), M-62C (PT-23) and the 1966 M-62CF-23B ("Fairchild-Funk" with R-755B series engine).
 
Fokker models
(FH- designations correspond to the time when the Fairchild company became known as Fairchild-Hiller)

F-27 Friendship

F-27
F-27A, FH-27A
F-27B
F-27F, FH-27F
F-27G
F-27H
F-27J, FH-27J
F-27M
F-27 II
F-27 Mk 050

D-227? (no details, designation strange)

F-227 (= M-538)
FH-227
FH-227A
FH-227B
FH-227C
FH-227D
FH-227D(LCD)
FH-227E
FH-227F
FH-227H
FH-227J
FH-227-100
FH-227-125
FH-227 Cargonaut

F-327, FH-327 (projected turbofan powered 55-seat derivative of Friendship)


F-28 Fellowship

F-28, FH-28
F-28A
F-28A-D
F-28ATC
F-28B
F-28C
F-28F
F-228, FH-228
FH-228B
 
Fairchild-Pilatus

PC-6 Porter
PC6A1-H2 Porter
PC6B-H2 Porter
PC6B1-H2 Porter
PC6C-H2 Porter
Super Porter
FH-? Heli-Porter
 
Fairchild-Swearingen

SA-26T
SA-26-AT
FH-26

FS-226 Metro

SA-226-AC
SA-226-AT Merlin 4
SA-226-T Metro II
SA-226-T( B ) Metro II
SA-226-TC Metro II

SA-227-AT
SA-227-AC Metro 3 (Metro III)
SA-227-AC Metro 23
SA-227-BC Metro 23
SA-227CC
SA-227-DC Metro 23
SA-227-PC Metro III
SA-227-T Metro III
SA-227-TC Metro III
SA-227-TT Metro III

FA-228 Metro V

?? Merlin II

Model 300 Merlin III, Merlin IIIC
Model 400 Merlin IVC
 
Fairchild-Bölkow
Bö.102 Heli-Trainer (Fairchild had North-American rights)

Saab-Fairchild
SF-340 Commuter

Fairchild-Dornier
228-100
228-200
328
328JET
428JET
728
928
 
Last edited:
More non-standard designations
  • FH-V1 14-passenger aircraft powered by four GE J85 engines, two wing-mounted for lift and two fuselage-mounted for cruise.
  • FH-V2 Smaller business jet (7 passengers + 2 crew) powered by three J85s,one main fuselage lift fan and two deployable fuselage lift/cruise fans.
  • FH-V4 VTOL bizjet for 10 to 14 passengers, powered by four GE J85/J1 turbojet engines.
  • FH-V6 Design for up to 42 passengers, poweredby our GE GE-1 engines; could have achieved VTOL but was more seen as a STOVL aircraft, landing vertically.
  • FH-A10/A (sometimes found for the A-10A Thunderbolt II)
  • F-18 Flymobil (former Umbaugh 18 briefly planned for production).
  • FH-1100 (former Hiller Model 1100).
  • FH 1 Not an aircraft but a four-seat sedan safety car concept designed by Raymond Loewy's team.
Unidentified/unconfirmed designations
  • XF-21
  • PD 19
  • Project D-100
  • M-3028 (typo?)
  • M-3102 (typo?)
 
Skyblazer said:
?? Merlin II
Click to expand...


Amazing work my dear Skyblazer,


and SA-26T was given both the names Merlin II and Merlin IIA,one for prototype and one for production,
and SA-26AT was given the name Merlin IIB.
 
Yes, excellent work! Do you, by any chance, have more on the Model 51R?
 
Hello, I hope that Stargazzer2006 and Apophenia are still around 6 years later...

Surprisingly, there is not a single reference book on this major manufacturer, so we have to deal with what sources we can find, most on the Internet – if we have to be rather careful with what we can find on the web, let us just remember of the time when we could only rely on our sole library… After all, the basic job of an historian is to deal with what sources he can find.

Aerofiles is the best starting point, but however great was the work of K.O. Eckland, this website has not seen many updates for the 20+ years of its exitence. The Long Island Republic Airport Historical Society (https://sites.google.com/site/lirepublicairporths/) gives a wealth of informations on Fairchild in Farmingdale with great pictures, as does the Historic Structures' website dealing with the Kreider-Reisner's Hagerstown factory. And finally, Wikipedia is also a good source, provided you cross-check everything.

With all that mixed together, I am afraid that there is quiet a misunderstanding about what became of Fairchild's companies in the 1920-1934 period. In 1929, Sherman Fairchild took a 82 % share in Kreider-Reisner and put most of his industrial assets in the creation of the Aviation Company holding corporation (AVCO); unfortunately, this creation was such a success that Fairchild's share became no more than a minor one, thus preventing him to get a real control of the holding group as he had probably hoped. This is why he quickly pulled out of AVCO as soon as 1930; as in the meantime economy had crumbled in 10/1929, he sold his assets and rights to AVCO to get cash for Kreider-Reisner he had projects with: Fairchild Airplane and Fairchild Engine assets – without any more link with Sherman Fairchild, were brought together into the American Aviation & Engineering Corp as a subsidiary of AVCO, which changed its programs' name into "Pilgrim": i.e. "Fairchild 150" became "Pilgrim 150", etc. However, this A.A.E. was short-lived as it was bought out by General Aviation in 1932, with the Farmingdale plant closing down in the end of that year. The Ranger engine development idled for some time until assets were bought back in 1934 by S. Fairchild into a Ranger Aircraft Engineering Corp included into his (new ?) Fairchild Aviation Corp holding group, whose Kreider-Reisner Aircraft subsidiary was thriving, soon to renamed Fairchild Aircraft Corp.
 
Stargazer2006 said:
Non-sequential / non-standard designations

As Apophenia explained very well in the Canadian Fairchild topic, there were quite a few "systems" attempted to designated early US and Canadian Fairchild designs. Again I refer you to that topic because there is a lot that's already detailed there.
  • The FC- prefix in the FC-1 and FC-2 series designations did NOT signify "Fairchild of Canada" but Fairchild Cabin.
  • The FT- prefix in the FT-1 designation (Model 21, c/n 1) probably signified Fairchild Trainer.
  • The FB- prefix in the FB-3 designation (a one-off flying boat, c/n 1) probably signified Fairchild (Flying) Boat.
  • The Models 34-42 Niska, 40-60, 40-65 Nahanni, 40-68, 45-80 Sekani and 45-84 followed Bellanca's weird designation system after one of that company's designers landed at Fairchild of Canada (more in the Canadian topic).
  • Fairchild of Canada also studied two tailless aircraft after the war under the designations X-1 and X-2 (more in the Canadian topic).
  • Two Fairchild of Canada designs carried an F- prefix: the F-8 (RCAF trainer project) and the post-war F-11 Huskyseries (more in the Canadian topic).
  • The Models XA-942, A-942A, A-942B and T-943 are already discussed in the previous post.
  • Designs by Virginius Clark done under Fairchild and/or General Aviation auspices are often refered to as GA-38X, GA-43 and GA-46.
  • The F-45 "Sedan of the Air" (prototype with 220/225 hp Jacobs L-4 radial), 45A (production version with 320 hp Wright R-760-E2 radial), F-46 (GA-46 duramold aircraft) and F-47 (low-wing cabin prototype for the post-war market) probably followed the General Aviation numeral sequence.
  • The Cornell trainer family was designated M-62, without any convincing explanation for that... This was the first use of the M- prefix for Fairchild projects, which lasted until the 1960s (see separate topic). Variants were the M-62A (Army PT-19A, PT-19B), M-62A-3 (variant with Ranger 6-440-C5), M-62A-4 (PT-26B), M-62B (also found as "F-62B"...), M-62C (PT-23) and the 1966 M-62CF-23B ("Fairchild-Funk" with R-755B series engine).
Click to expand...
In the attached official Fairchild folder there are pictures of (according to above, Model 21) FT-1 and its derived Model 27 racer
Source: http://aviationarchives.blogspot.com/2021/02/a-collection-of-fairchild-aircraft.html

Fairchild Folder-20210227-041.jpg
Fairchild Folder-20210227-038.jpg
 

Attachments

  • A Collection of Fairchild Aircraft.pdf
    1.3 MB · Views: 17
The Model 24 series:

24 C8 - 1932, 95hp American Cirrus Hi-Drive, redesignated Kreider-Reisner C8, 10 built
24 C8A - 1933, 125hp Warner Scarab, 26 built
24 C8B - 1933, 125hp Menasco Pirate C4, 2 built
24 C8C - 1934, 135hp Warner Scarab, 129 built
24 C8D - 1935, 145hp Ranger 6-390-B, 13 built
24 C8E - 1936, 145hp Warner Scarab 40, 50 & 50A, 50 built
24 C8F - 1936, 145hp Ranger 6-390-D & D-3, 41 built
28 G - 1937, 145hp Warner Scarab 40, 50 & 50A, 100 built
24 H - 1937, 150hp ranger 6-390-D3, 30 built
24 J - 1938, 145hp Warner Scarab 50 & 50A, 43 built
24 K - 1938, 165hp Ranger 6-410-B1, B1A/2/2A/2B/3, 35 built
24W-9 - 1939, 145hp Warner Scarab 50 & 50A, 41 built
24R-9 - 1939, 165hp Ranger 6-410-B1, B1A/2/2A/2B, 36 built
24W-40 - 1940, 145hp Warner Scarab 50 & 50A, 74 built
24R-40 - 1940, 165hp Ranger 6-440-B3, 25 built
24W-41 - 1941, 145hp Warner Scarab 50 & 50A, 40 built
24W-41A - 1941, 165hp Warner Scarab 165 series, 10 plus 161 UC-61/Argus I & 509 UC-61A/Argus II built
24R-42 - 1941, 200hp Ranger 6-440-C5, 1 built
24R-46A - 1944, 200hp Ranger 6-440-C5, 306 UC-61K/Argus III built
24W-46 - 1946/47, 165hp Warner Scarab 165 series, batch of 300 24W-46/R-46/R-46A built by Temco
24R-46 - 1946/47, 175hp Ranger 6-440-C2, see above
24R-46A - 1946/47, 200hp Ranger 6-440-C5, see above
 

Attachments

  • FT-1.jpg
    FT-1.jpg
    571.6 KB · Views: 6
  • Model 21 (enhanced).jpg
    Model 21 (enhanced).jpg
    88.3 KB · Views: 6

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