Fairchild FC-2

FC-1, FC-2, and Models 51 and 61

RCAF FC-2L "Razorback"
Role	Civil utility aircraft
Manufacturer	Fairchild, Canadian Vickers under license
Designer	Alexander Klemin and Norman McQueen
First flight	14 June 1926
Number built	ca. 180

The Fairchild FC-1 and its derivatives were a family of light, single-engine, high-wing utility monoplanes produced in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. The aircraft was originally designed to provide a camera platform for Sherman Fairchild's aerial photography and survey business, Fairchild Aerial Surveys.

Design and development

Fairchild had approached a number of aircraft builders with specifications for what he considered to be an ideal aircraft for this type of work, with which he hoped to replace the variety of types that his firm then operated. Believing the quotes he received to be excessive, Fairchild opted to produce the aircraft in-house, purchasing facilities at Farmingdale, New York for the purpose. The design was for a conventional high-wing, strut-braced monoplane with a fully enclosed cabin and tailwheel undercarriage. The wooden wings were able to be folded back against the tail for storage.^[1] To facilitate its intended role, the cabin was extensively glazed, offering plenty of vantage points for photographers.

The prototype FC-1 flew in June 1926, and initial testing found its original Curtiss OX-5 engine to be inadequate. A Wright J-4 with double the horsepower was soon substituted and the aircraft was redesignated FC-1A. This was felt to have commercial potential, and in a slightly revised form, was put into production as the FC-2.

Operational history

The FC-2W of Collyer and Mears at Berlin in 1928

Cockpit view from an FC-2W2

The production aircraft differed from the prototype by having increased cabin volume, and was offered with a choice of powerplants. Other options included a choice of wheeled, ski, or float undercarriage.^[2] Early production aircraft fitted with only three longerons in the rear fuselage gave this batch of aircraft a "Razorback" appearance leading to its nickname. Later production series eliminated this distinctive feature. Designed with aerial photography in mind, the FC-2L featured an enclosed and heated cabin with extra windows to allow for an improved downward view. The RCAF initially procured the type for this role, before utilizing the aircraft primarily as a light transport.^[3]

A version optimized for cargo carrying was produced as the FC-2W with a Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial engine and increased wingspan.^[2] Two of this latter version were destined for fame: City of New York, flown by Charles Collyer and John Mears for the overland portions of their record-breaking around-the-world trip in June–July 1928, and Stars and Stripes (Serial No. 140), an FC-2W2 taken by Richard Evelyn Byrd on his Antarctic expedition of the same year. Byrd's aircraft is preserved at the Virginia Aviation Museum, on loan from the National Air and Space Museum.^[4]

FC-2Ws flown by Canadian bush pilots Duke Schiller and Romeo Vachon, the Canadian Transcontinental Airways Company's Chief Pilot, were also prominently used in the 1928 rescue of the crew of the aircraft Bremen in Canada.^[5]

Cover carried in the Fairchild FC-2 "La Niña" on the first southbound flight of FAM-4

On 19 October 1927, an FC-2 configured as a floatplane made the first contract Air Mail flight operated by Pan American Airways. When unable to begin its service over Foreign Air Mail Route #4 (FAM-4) between Key West, Florida, and Havana, Cuba, on that date (as required under its contract) because heavy rains had delayed completion of the new runway at Key West needed to accommodate the company's Fokker F.VIIa/3m type tri-motor transports, PAA chartered (cost: $145.45) the FC-2 La Niña (NC-1654, c/n 15) piloted by Cy Caldwell and belonging to West Indian Aerial Express, a company which would be acquired by Pan Am a year later. ^{[N 1]}^[6]

Due to a Royal Canadian Air Force requirement to standardize engines, the basic FC-2 design was re-engineered with a 215 hp Armstrong Siddeley Lynx radial engine and redesignated as the FC-2L. In this form, the type flew with RCAF units, primarily in northern operations. A further version for the RCAF, known as the FC-2V, was also developed.^[3]

The basic FC-2 design was further evolved into the model 51 and 71.^[3] The Model 51 was a modernized version of the FC-2 produced in 1930 to compete with new transports in the marketplace, the most significant single change being the fitting of a more powerful Wright J-6 engine again. A few examples were converted from FC-2s. The RCAF Model 51 aircraft had light bomb racks under the fuselage and were used for practice bombing at Camp Borden.^[7] The Model 61 also had the J-6 engine, but included a redesigned cabin to add another two passenger seats. Only three of these were built, modified from FC-2W2s, but the cabin modification was retained in the Model 71. The RCAF used the Model 71 as both a rugged, reliable and highly useful light transport and due to its camera bay for vertical photography and low rear-door windows to permit oblique photography, useful in the aerial survey role.^[8]

Variants

A Fairchild FC-2 with Wright J-5 engine, in American Airways markings.

Fairchild FC-2W2 N13934, NACA's (Later NASA's) first aircraft

N13934 on display in 2011. Operated by NACA, NASA, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and now Part of the Golden Wings Flying Museum

FC-1 - prototype with Curtiss OX-5 engine (one built)
- FC-1A - prototype modified with Wright J-4 engine (one converted)
FC-2 - production version with Wright J-5 engine (118 built, plus 12 built by Canadian Vickers under license)
- FC-2C (for "Challenger") - version with Curtiss Challenger engine for Curtiss Flying Service (six built)
- FC-2L (for "Lynx") - version with Armstrong Siddeley Lynx engine for Royal Canadian Air Force (three converted)^[3]
- FC-2W (for "Wasp") - version with Pratt & Whitney Wasp engine (14 built)
  - FC-2W2 - definitive production version of FC-2W
    - UC-96 - designation given to three FC-2Ws impressed into USAAF service
    - Model 61 - FC-2W2s with enlarged cabin (three converted)
- Model 51 - FC-2s refitted with Wright J-6 engine (31 built)
- XJQ-1 (later RQ-2) - single FC-2 purchased by United States Navy for evaluation. Redesignated XJQ-2, later redesignated again as the XRQ-2.

Operators

Canada

Royal Canadian Air Force

Chile

Línea Aeropostal Santiago-Arica(LAN Chile)

United States

Specifications (FC-2)

General characteristics

Crew: one pilot
Capacity: four passengers "or" 820 lb (372 kg) freight
Length: 31 ft 0 in (9.45 m)
Wingspan: 44 ft 0 in (13.41 m)
Height: 9 ft 0 in (2.74 m)
Wing area: 290 ft² (26.9 m²)
Empty weight: 2,160 lb (980 kg)
Gross weight: 3,600 lb (1,633 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Wright J-5, 200 hp (149 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 122 mph (196 km/h)
Range: 700 miles (1,127 km)
Service ceiling: 11,500 ft (3,500 m)
Rate of climb: 565 ft/min (2.9 m/s)

References

Notes

↑ Pan American was finally able to inaugurate daily service over the route nine days later with the Fokker F.VIIa/3m General Machado (NC-53).

Citations

↑ Straub, Robert. "Oshkosh Air Venture 2001." Skyways: The Journal of the Airplane 1920-1940 (Publisher: Leonard E. Opdycke), October 2001, p. 25. ISSN 1051-6956.
1 2 Taylor 1989, p. 353.
1 2 3 4 "Fairchild FC-2L Razorback." canadianwings.com. Retrieved: 5 November 2011.
↑ "Historic Aircraft." Virginia Aviation Museum. Retrieved: 5 November 2011.
↑ Hotson 1998, pp. 104, 111.
↑ Coates, Ed. "Fairchild FC-2." edcoatescollection.com. Retrieved: 5 November 2011.
↑ "Fairchild 51." canadianwings.com. Retrieved: 5 November 2011.
↑ "Fairchild 71." canadianwings.com. Retrieved: 5 November 2011.
↑ The Tube City Almanar, Flying the Nostalgic Skies

Bibliography

Hotson, Fred W. The Bremen. Toronto, Ontario: Canav Books, 1998. ISBN 978-0-921022-02-2.
Milberry, Larry. Aviation In Canada. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-07-082778-8.
Molson, Ken M. and Harold A. Taylor. Canadian Aircraft Since 1909. Stittsville, Ontario: Canada's Wings, Inc., 1982. ISBN 0-920002-11-0.
Taylor, Michael J.H. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions, 1989. ISBN 0-517-10316-8.
World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing, File 894, Sheet 03.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fairchild FC-2.

United States military transport aircraft designations, Army/Air Force and Tri-Service systems

Army/Air Force sequence (1925-1962)	C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4 C-5 C-6 C-7 C-8 C-9 C-10 C-11 C-12 C-13¹ C-14 C-15 C-16 C-17 C-18 C-19 C-20 C-21 C-22 C-23 C-24 C-25 C-26 C-27 C-28 C-29 C-30 C-31 C-32 C-33 C-34 C-35 C-36 C-37 C-38 C-39 C-40 C-41/A C-42 C-43 C-44 C-45 C-46 C-47/T C-48 C-49 C-50 C-51 C-52 C-53 C-54 C-55 C-56 C-57 C-58 C-59 C-60 C-61 C-62 C-63 C-64 C-65 C-66 C-67 C-68 C-69 C-70/A/B/C/D C-71 C-72 C-73 C-74 C-75 C-76 C-77/B-D C-78 C-79 C-80 C-81 C-82 C-83 C-84 C-85 C-86 C-87 C-88 C-89 C-90 C-91 C-92 C-93 C-94 C-95 C-96 C-97/KC-97 C-98 C-99 C-100 C-101 C-102 C-103 C-104 C-105 C-106 C-107 C-108 C-109 C-110 C-111 C-112 C-113 C-114 C-115 C-116 C-117 C-118 C-119 C-120 C-121/F C-122 C-123/A C-124 C-125 C-126 C-127 (I) C-127 (II) C-128 C-129 C-130/J C-131 C-132 C-133 C-134 C-135/KC-135 C-136 C-137 C-138¹ C-139¹ C-140 C-141 C-142

Tri-service sequence (1962-present)	C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4 C-5 C-6 C-7/B C-8 C-9 C-10 C-11 C-12 C-13¹ C-14 C-15 C-16¹ C-17 C-18 C-19 C-20A-D/F-H C-21 C-22 C-23 C-24 C-25 C-26 C-27/J C-28 C-29 C-30¹ C-31 C-32 C-33 C-34¹ C-35 C-36 C-37A/B C-38 C-39¹ C-40 C-41 C-42¹ C-43¹ C-44¹ C-45 C-46

Revived original sequence (2005-present)	C-143 C-144 C-145 C-146

Non-sequential designations	C-767 C-880

¹ Not assigned See also: AC-47 • AC-119 • AC-130 • DC-130 • EC-130 • HC-130 • KC-130 • LC-130 • MC-130 • WC-130 • CT-39 • CT-43

USN/USMC transport designations 1931–1962

Atlantic Aircraft	RA

Budd	RB

Curtiss	RC R2C⁴ R3C⁴ R4C R5C

Douglas	RD R2D R3D R4D R5D R6D

Bellanca	RE

Kinner	RK

Kreider-Reisner	RK² R2K

Martin	RM

Lockheed	RO R2O R3O R4O R5O R6O R7O-1/-2 to "V"

Stinson	RQ R2Q² R3Q

Fairchild	RQ R2Q R3Q² R4Q

Ford	RR

Sikorsky	RS

Northrop	RT

Lockheed	from "O" R6V R7V-1/-2 R8V

Convair	RY R2Y R3Y R4Y

¹ Not assigned • ² Assigned to a different manufacturer's type • ³ Sequence restarted • ⁴ Assigned to a different class of aircraft

USN/USMC utility aircraft designations 1935–1955

Utility

Fokker	JA

Noorduyn	JA

Beechcraft	JB

Curtiss-Wright	JC

Douglas	JD

Bellanca	JE

Grumman	JF J2F J3F J4F

Stearman-Hammond	JH

Fairchild	JK J2K

Columbia	JL

Martin	JM

Lockheed	JO

Fairchild	JQ J2Q

Ford	JR

Waco	JW J2W

Utility transport

Beechcraft	JRB

Cessna	JRC

Grumman	JRF JR2F

Nash-Kelvinator	JRK

Martin	JRM JR2M

Sikorsky	JRS JR2S

Aircraft produced by Fairchild Aircraft, subsidiaries, and successor companies

Manufacturer
designations

21
22
24
41
42
45
46
51
61
62
71
72
77
78/78
79
80
81
82
84
91
100
105
107
110
135
140
150
164
203
205
224
473
484
538

By role

Experimental	VZ-5 XC-120 XBQ-3 XH-26

Passenger transports	FC-1 FC-2 21 22 24 41 42 45 46 51 71 72 81 82 91 92 100 135 140 150 228 PC-6

Military trainers	AT-21 PT-19 PT-23 PT-26 XNQ

Military transports	AU-23 C-26 C-82 C-119 C-123

Fairchild (Canada)

Fairchild-Dornier

Fairchild Hiller

Fairchild Republic

A-10
T-46

Fairchild Swearingen

American Helicopter

XA-5
XA-6
XA-8

See also: Ranger/Fairchild aeroengines

Canadian Vickers aircraft models

Canadian Vickers	Vancouver Vanessa Varuna Vedette Vista Vigil Velos

Produced under license	Vickers Viking IV Supermarine Stranraer Avro 504N Avro 552 Bellanca Pacemaker Curtiss HS-3L Fairchild FC-2 Fokker Super Universal Northrop Delta Canadian Vickers PBV-1 Canso

See also: Canadair Vickers

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