Fairchild Aircraft Ltd.
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| Aircraft manufacturer | |
| Founded | 1920 |
| Founder | Sherman Fairchild |
| Defunct | 1950 |
| Headquarters | Longueuil, Quebec, Canada |
| Parent | Fairchild Aviation |
| Website | www |
The Fairchild Aircraft Ltd. was an aircraft manufacturer active at Longueuil, Quebec, Canada in the period 1920–50. It served as a subsidiary of the Fairchild Aircraft company of the United States.
Fairchild Aircraft Ltd. came about a result of the aviation activities of the St. Maurice Valley Protective Association beginning in 1919. This association was the first to use aircraft for commercial purposes in Canada. From the St. Maurice Association, Fairchild Aerial Surveys of Canada Ltd. was formed in 1922.
Until 1929, Fairchild Aircraft Ltd. acted solely as a servicing organization dealing with forestry, mapping, surveying (aerial photography), fire detection and reforestation. "Forester extraordinaire," Ellwood Wilson, was the man responsible for creating this specialized Canadian company. The first planes used were 12 Curtiss HS-2Ls. Problems with this seaplane arose when water entered the rubber seals, froze and cracked. The need for utility aircraft appropriate for the Canadian climate, sparked the company to expand into the construction and adaptation of aircraft for the Canadian government.
A great deal of the work to open up the Canadian North, was carried out by Fairchild Cabin (FC) types and a number were used in Alaska for the same purpose. The Fairchild FC-2W-2 is typical of a number of single radial-engined cabin monoplanes manufactured during the second half of the 1920s and into the early 1930s, that were built in the United States and to a lesser extent in Canada. Most of them were utility aircraft that could perform a number of roles and could be utilized on wheels floats, or skis. These aircraft played a major part in the rapid development of aviation during this period until they were succeeded by newer types later in the 1930s.
Fairchild aircraft were to be found from northern Canada and Alaska down through the United States, Central America to South America where they operated in some of the countries there. They were purchased by civil operators, governments and the military. Their main functions involved carrying of passenger and/or freight, air mail but also performed admirably in the role of aerial surveying.
The first RCAF orders made with the new Canadian Fairchild Aircraft Ltd. were for Model 71Bs which had been designed to RCAF requirements in the United States with the parent company, Fairchild Airplane Manufacturing Corp. The 71Bs were put to use largely for photographic and transport duties. Twelve Fairchild 71Bs were on strength with the RCAF from 20 May 1930 to 2 October 1941 although one (G-CYVE/630) was later converted to a 71C. On 6 July 1930, Fairchild 71B, G-CYVX began a long inspection trip of the Canadian Arctic.
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