Fairchild F-11 Husky

The Fairchild F-11 Husky was a Canadian bush plane designed and manufactured in the post-Second World War era. Despite a promising design, a lack of a suitable powerplant hurt performance, and stiff competition from the de Havilland Beaver meant the type never gained a foothold in the marketplace.

Design and development

With the end of its wartime contracts in 1945, Fairchild ventured back into familiar territory with the design and manufactures of a modern bush plane, the F-11 Husky. Fairchild Aircraft Ltd. (Montreal) under the new Fairchild Industries Ltd. banner (the subsidiary company was created in spring 1945), designed and built the F-11 Husky in 1946. It was intended to replace the pre-war bush planes such as the Noorduyn Norseman as well as various Junkers and the Fokkers. It incorporated many of the features suggested by bush operators, such as a rear loading door, which enabled it to handle long loads. However, because of its large cabin area and low-powered engine, it was very easy to overload.

The Husky emerged as an interesting concept but a number of factors combined to doom the project. The Fairchild Husky was a rugged, mainly metal (wing surfaces were fabric covered aft of the front spar) transport able to haul up to eight passengers and cargo. Innovative features included a high aspect ratio wing and slotted flaps for STOL performance and a unique upswept rear fuselage with a door/ramp allowing large loads to be fitted into the fuselage. Although the...
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