Drawing – Paul Matt – Fairchild FC-2W Online now

A version of the Fairchild FC was optimized for cargo carrying was produced as the FC-2W with a Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial engine and increased wingspan. Two of this later 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.

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

The prototype FC-1 first flew in June 1926. Initial flight tests found the Curtiss OX-5 engine inadequate. A Wright J-4 with double the horsepower was substituted and the aircraft was then designated FC-1A. Fairchild felt it had commercial potential, so in a slightly revised form, it was put into production as the FC-2.

The commercial aircraft differed from the prototype. It had increased cabin area and was offered with a choice of engines. It was offered with wheels, skis, or floats as well. Early aircraft were fitted with only three longerons in the fuselage’s rear, which gave the aircraft a “Razorback” appearance. Later series eliminated this distinctive feature.

Designed with aerial photography in mind, the FC-2L featured an enclosed and heated cabin. It also had extra windows for improved downward visibility.

Specifications: