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Fairchild 91 A-942
Fairchild XR-942-B "Kono," belonging to explorer Richard Archbold
Role	Flying boat airlinerType of aircraft
Manufacturer	Fairchild
First flight	5 April 1935
Primary user	Pan Am
Number built	7

The Fairchild 91, (a.k.a. A-942), was a single-engine eight-passenger flying boat airliner developed in the United States in the mid-1930s.

Design

Fairchild designed the aircraft in response to a Pan American Airways request for a small flying boat to operate on their river routes along the Amazon and Yangtze. The result was a conventional high-wing cantilever monoplane with its radial engine mounted above the wing in a streamlined nacelle. Before construction of the prototype was complete, however, Pan American no longer required the aircraft to operate in China, and Fairchild optimised the design for the Brazilian tropics.

Operational history

After the first two aircraft were delivered, Pan American cancelled the remaining four aircraft of its order as they no longer needed any for China and the two aircraft were capable of handling the Amazon River.

The sole A-942-B was specially built for the American Museum of Natural History and was used by naturalist Richard Archbold on his second expedition to Papua New Guinea in 1936–1937.

The prototype was sold to the Spanish Republican Air Force, but the ship carrying it was captured by the Spanish Nationalists and was used by them until 1941.

The A-942 bought by industrialist Garfield Wood was sold to the British American Ambulance Corps before being transferred to the RAF, who operated it in Egypt for air-sea rescue.

One exampled was sold to the Imperial Japanese Naval Air Service for evaluation, but was wrecked shortly after delivery, so a second example was purchased to replace it.

Variants

Fairchild 91 Baby Clipper

Initial version built to Pan Am specifications for use on rivers, powered by a 750 hp (560 kW) Pratt & Whitney S2EG Hornet. Six built.

Fairchild A-942-A

Alternative designation for the Fairchild 91

Fairchild 91B Jungle Clipper

Specially equipped for NYC Museum of Natural History, powered by a 760 hp (570 kW) Wright SGR-1820F-52 Cyclone. One built, NR777.

Fairchild A-942-B

Alternative designation for the Fairchild 91B.

Fairchild XSOK-1

Proposed U.S. Navy scout; none built.

Fairchild LXF

Two A-942Bs supplied to the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service for evaluation.

Airframes

Specifications (A-942-A)

Data from

General characteristics

• Crew: two pilots
• Capacity: eight passengers
• Length: 46 ft 8 in (14.22 m)
• Wingspan: 56 ft 0 in (17.07 m)
• Height: 14 ft 8 in (4.47 m)
• Wing area: 483 sq ft (44.9 m)
• Empty weight: 6,596 lb (2,992 kg)
• Gross weight: 10,500 lb (4,763 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-1690 , 800 hp (600 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 167 mph (269 km/h, 145 kn)
• Range: 665 mi (1,070 km, 578 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 15,600 ft (4,800 m)
• Rate of climb: 840 ft/min (4.3 m/s)

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Fleetwings Sea Bird
• Beriev Be-8

Related lists

• List of flying boats and floatplanes

References

Notes

1. ^ "Fairchild".
2. ^ Taylor, Michael J.H. . Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. Studio Editions. London. 1989. ISBN 0517691868
3. Johnson, E.R. (2009). American Flying Boats and Amphibious Aircraft: An Illustrated History. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 339. ISBN 978-0786439744.
4. ^ Pentland, Andrew (26 June 2010). "Civil Aircraft Register - United States". Golden Years of Aviation. p. N31. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
5. Pentland, Andrew (26 June 2010). "Civil Aircraft Register - United States". Golden Years of Aviation. p. N34. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
6. ^ Pentland, Andrew (26 June 2010). "Civil Aircraft Register - United States". Golden Years of Aviation. p. N35. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
7. Pentland, Andrew (26 June 2010). "Civil Aircraft Register - United States". Golden Years of Aviation. p. N40. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
8. Pentland, Andrew (26 June 2010). "Civil Aircraft Register - United States". Golden Years of Aviation. p. N2. Retrieved 2 September 2022.

Bibliography

• Fernandez, José (November 2000). "F-91, le baroudeur de chez Fairchild" [The F-91, the Adventurer of House Fairchild]. Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et son histoire (in French). No. 92. pp. 24–27. ISSN 1243-8650.
• Fernandez, José (December 2000). "F-91, le baroudeur de chez Fairchild". Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et son histoire (in French). No. 93. pp. 41–51. ISSN 1243-8650.
• Taylor, Michael J.H. . Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. Studio Editions. London. 1989. ISBN 0-517-69186-8
• World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing. pp. File 894 Sheet 04.

• 1930s United States airliners
• Flying boats
• Fairchild aircraft
• Single-engined tractor aircraft
• High-wing aircraft
• Aircraft first flown in 1935
• Amphibious aircraft
• Aircraft with retractable conventional landing gear
• Single-engined piston aircraft