Fairchild

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For other uses, see Fairchild (disambiguation).

Image:Fairchild.argus3.g-bcbh.arp.jpg

Fairchild was an aerospace manufacturing company based at various times in Farmingdale, New York, Hagerstown, Maryland, and San Antonio, Texas.

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History

The company was founded by Sherman Fairchild in 1925 as Fairchild Aviation Corporation, based in Farmingdale, and East Farmingdale, New York. The company produced the first US aircraft to include a fully-enclosed cockpit and hydraulic landing gear, the Fairchild FC-1. At some point they were also known as the Fairchild Aircraft Manufacturing Company. Fairchild moved to Hagerstown, Maryland in 1931. Among its activities during World War II was producing a twin-engine trainer, the Fairchild AT-21 Gunner, at a former rayon mill in Burlington, North Carolina.

In 1949 the Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation (based in Hagerstown, Maryland) started work on producing the C-123 Provider, the plane officially entering service in 1955. In 1956 the company acquired rights to the Fokker Friendships, producing 206 of the aircraft as the Fairchild F-27 and Fairchild Hiller FH227.

In 1964 the company purchased Hiller Helicopter, changing their name to Fairchild Hiller and producing the FH-1100, until 1973 when the helicopter division was sold back to Stanley Hiller. In 1965 the company acquired the Republic Aviation Company.

In 1971 Fairchild changed its name to Fairchild Industries following the death of its founder, before purchasing Swearingen and manufacturing the Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner, a successful commuter aircraft (with US military designation C-26 Metroliner and UC-26 Metroliner). During 1971 and 1972 the company developed what would become the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, defeating a rival design by Northrop.

In 1996, after the company's takeover by Dornier GmbH, the company was renamed Fairchild Dornier. The company commenced production of the Dornier 328 in 1998 under license from Daimler-Benz.

In 2002-2003, the company was taken over by M7 Aerospace.

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