Page 11 - May 2020

Unique in Canadian aviation history, the Fairchild
Super 71 was the first metal-skinned aircraft to be
built in Canada for bush flying operations.
Purchased by Canadian Airways in 1934, it had a

huge cargo capacity and was especially suited to fly
Fairchild Super 71, CF-AUJ to distant camps and communities in the north.
Engine choices varied with as many as six different
powerplants being offered: the 493 hp Armstrong
Siddeley Jagaur, the 520 hp Pratt & Whitney T1D1
Wasp, the 525 hp Pratt & Whitney S1D1 Wasp, the
560 hp Pratt & Whitney SD-1 Hornet, the 585 hp
Wright SR-1820-F-41 Cyclone and the 610 hp
Wright SR-1820-F-42 Cyclone.

Equipped with floats and powered by the 525 hp
Custom Built for Northern Flight S1D1 Wasp, the Super 71 prototype, CF-AUJ, flew
for the first time on October 31, 1934. After the
The Fairchild Super 71 was a Canadian parasol-mounted,
aircraft completed airworthiness tests, it was
high-wing monoplane cargo transport aircraft built by
loaned to Canadian Airways which conducted
Fairchild Aircraft Ltd. (Canada). The Super 71 was an
operational trials in both Quebec and Ontario
entirely new design that was the first “purpose-built”
before the aircraft was written off after running
civilian bush plane for use in remote and northern locales
into a submerged log and sinking in Lost Bay on
in Canada.
Confederation Lake on October 3, 1940.
In 1933, the Fairchild Aircraft Company undertook a study
This aircraft is a one-of-a-kind example of Canadian
of new designs based on their Model 71. A decision to
design and engineering specifically dedicated to
mount a parasol wing above the fuselage coupled with a
northern flying. It stands as a testament to the
rear cockpit position, clearly distinguished this model
courage and spirit of the aviators of an early time in
from the rest of the Fairchild 71 series, although the
Canadian aviation history.
company designation maintained the family lineage. The
choice of the unusual cockpit was predicated on the need
to have a large front cargo compartment as well as
considering the load distribution in normal operation. In
use, pilots found that forward vision was compromised to
such an extent that few operators favoured the
installation and when the RCAF ordered the type, the
specifications included a new cockpit position directly
behind the engine.

The design featured a first-of-its-kind (for Canada)
duralumin monocoque fuselage with a streamlined oval
shape and strut-braced metal wing and tail surfaces.
Wind tunnel testing not only was used to model the
fuselage shape, but influenced the placement of the
tailplane which was altered from its original t-tail position
to a high-mounted tailplane intended to keep the
tailplane out of the water spray on takeoff.