Fairchild F-11 Husky
Fairchild Aircraft Ltd (Canada) · Canada · first flew 1946 · light aircraft
The Fairchild F-11 Husky was a Canadian bush plane designed and built in the years after the Second World War.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Unique upswept rear fuselage with a door and ramp for long loads |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- High-wing bush plane flown on floats or skis
- Unique upswept rear fuselage with a door and ramp for long loads
- High aspect ratio wing with slotted flaps and a single Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior radial
Look for a high-wing, strut-braced single-engined bush plane with a large cabin and an upswept rear fuselage ending in a rear loading door.
Specifications
- The Fairchild F-11 Husky has a length of 11.4 m (37 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 16.69 m (55 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 222 km/h (138 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Fairchild designed the Husky in 1945-46 to replace pre-war bush planes such as the Noorduyn Norseman. It first flew on 14 June 1946. Its 450 hp Wasp Junior engine proved underpowered, and more powerful Alvis Leonides engines of 550 hp and 625 hp were planned.
Variants
The standard aircraft had the 450 hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior. A Leonides installation greatly improved performance, but the company was by then in financial difficulty.
Where you'll see it
Only 12 Huskies were built. Operators included the Manitoba Government Air Services, Sherritt Gordon Mines, Austin Airways and Nickel Belt Airways, and Harrison Airways bought examples second-hand. Competition from the de Havilland Beaver and surplus Norsemen kept it from selling well.
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