Editing Fairchild Aircraft (section)

===Early aircraft===
[[File:Fairchild Aviation plant Jamaica NY 1941.jpg|thumb|The [[Jamaica, Queens]] Fairchild plant in 1941]]
[[File:Fairchild 71C.JPG|thumb|The [[Western Canada Aviation Museum]]'s Fairchild 71C]]
The company was founded by [[Sherman Fairchild]] in 1924 as '''Fairchild Aviation Corporation''', based in Farmingdale, and East Farmingdale, New York. It was established as the parent company for Fairchild's many aviation interests. The company produced the first [[United States|US]] aircraft to include a fully enclosed cockpit and hydraulic landing gear, the [[Fairchild FC-1]]. At some point, it was also known as the '''Fairchild Aircraft Manufacturing Company.''' The '''[[Fairchild Aircraft Ltd.]]''' of Longueuil, Quebec, Canada was an aircraft manufacturer during the period of 1920 to 1950, which served as a subsidiary of the Fairchild company of the United States. The Fairchild Engine Company was formed with the purchase of the Caminez Engine Company in 1925.<ref>{{cite book|title=A History in the Making: 80 Turbulent Years in the American General Aviation Industry|author=Donald M. Pattillo|page=11}}</ref> In 1929, Sherman Fairchild purchased a majority stock interest in [[Kreider-Reisner|Kreider-Reisner Aircraft Company]] of Hagerstown, Maryland. The company moved to Hagerstown in 1931.<ref name= "Kaske">Kaske, Kristine L. [http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/arch/findaids/pdf/Fairchild_Finding_Aid.pdf "Fairchild Industries, Inc. Collection."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315142358/http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/arch/findaids/pdf/Fairchild_Finding_Aid.pdf |date=2012-03-15 }} ''National Air and Space Archives,'' 2003.</ref>

A series of related designs beginning with the [[Fairchild FC-1]] and continuing to the [[Fairchild 71]] were designed for aerial photography as a result of dissatisfaction towards available aircraft which were incapable of flying steadily enough at a sufficient altitude.<ref>Donald 1997, p. 382.</ref> In 1935, Fairchild was hired by the US government to do aerial photograph surveys of the United States to track soil erosion and its effects.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=wN8DAAAAMBAJ&dq=Popular+Science+1935+plane+%22Popular+Mechanics%22&pg=PA535 "Wide Area Is Mapped From Air By Giant Ten Lens Camera."] ''Popular Mechanics'', October 1935. (Editors have stated Fairchild Aircraft in hand written comment to left of archived article.)</ref> 

A [[Fairchild FC-2]] was used by [[Richard E. Byrd]] during his Antarctic Expedition.<ref name="hlp">{{cite book |last1=Puckett |first1=H.L. |title=Sherman Fairchild's PT-19: Cradle of Heroes |date=1980 |publisher=Flambeau Lith Corporation |page=10}}</ref>