In 1933, the Fairchild Aircraft Company undertook a study of new designs based on their Model 71. A decision to mount a parasol wing above the fuselage coupled with a rear cockpit position, clearly distinguished this model from the rest of the Fairchild 71 series, although the 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 Royal Canadian Air Force ordered the type, the specifications included a new cockpit position ahead of the wing and immediately behind the engine. The design featured a first-of-its-kind duraluminmonocoque 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. Engine choices varied with six different powerplants offered: the Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar, Pratt & Whitney T1D1 Wasp, Pratt & Whitney S1D1 Wasp, Pratt & Whitney SD-1 Hornet, Wright SR-1820-F-41 Cyclone and Wright SR-1820-F-42 Cyclone.
Operational history
Equipped with floats and powered by the S1D1 Wasp, the Super 71 prototype, CF-AUJ, flew for the first time on 31 October 1934. After the aircraft completed airworthiness tests. it was loaned to Canadian Airways which conducted operational trials in both Quebec and Ontario before the aircraft was written off after running into a submerged log and sinking off Sioux Lookout, Ontario on 3 October 1940. Although the airframe was salvaged, Fairchild did not replace the aircraft with a completed Super 71 still at the factory, as the company was involved in a complete redesign based on the Super 71P variant that had been developed for the RCAF. A new wing mount and the change to a front cockpit were the two visible changes but the variant also had provision for multiple cameras and additional radio equipment. Two examples were built and placed in service in 1936. The 71P had a chequered history as the type performed poorly in its aerial survey role with No. 666 crashing on 6 August 1937. The list of problems included structural problems with the floats, engine overheating, adverse handling on the water and on the ground, and problems with the brakes. The remaining aircraft, No. 665, was assigned to RCAF Station Trenton as an air ambulance but was not used extensively in this role. The only surviving airframe is the prototype presently on display at the Western Canada Aviation Museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
