Planes and Choppers Photos

Sherman M. Fairchild was looking in 1924 for suitable photography and surveying aircraft, and decided to make them himself. He therefore set up several associated companies, the parent being the Fairchild Aviation Corporation, based at Farmingdale, Long Island, New York. Besides designing and building aircraft, Fairchild pioneered the commercial use of aerial photography. During WW2 the company produced training and cargo aircraft, along with Fairchild Argus communications aircraft. In 1956, the company acquired rights to the Fokker F27, producing 206 of the aircraft as the Fairchild F-27 and Fairchild Hiller FH-227. During the 1950s, Fairchild was a large subcontractor to Boeing for B-52 fuselage sections and wing panels. Later it would build F-4 Phantom tail sections, F-14 Tomcat tails, and Space Shuttle components. In 1964, the company purchased Hiller Aircraft, changing its name to Fairchild Hiller and producing the Fairchild Hiller FH-1100, until 1973 when the helicopter division was sold back to Stanley Hiller. In 1965, the company acquired Republic Aviation. Following the death of its founder, Fairchild changed its name to Fairchild Industries in 1971, before purchasing Swearingen and manufacturing the Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner. During 1971 and 1972, the company developed what would become the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II. After the company's takeover of Dornier’s civil assets in 1996, the company was renamed Fairchild Dornier and started production of the Dornier 328 in 1998 under license from Daimler Benz Aerospace. In 2003, the assets of Fairchild were purchased by M7 Aerospace and the new company was relocated to San Antonio.