Kreider-Reisner XC-31

XC-31
Role Single-engine transport
National origin United States
Manufacturer Fairchild Aircraft
First flight September 22, 1934
Primary user United States Army Air Corps
Number built 1


The Kreider-Reisner XC-31 or Fairchild XC-31 was an American single-engined monoplane transport aircraft of the 1930s designed and built by Kreider-Reisner. It was the largest single-engine aircraft built to that time,[1] as well as one of the last fabric-covered aircraft tested by the U.S. Army Air Corps.[2] Designed as an alternative to the emerging twin-engined transports of the time such as the Douglas DC-2, it was evaluated by the Air Corps at Wright Field, Ohio, under the test designation XC-941,[2] but rejected in favor of all-metal twin-engined designs.

The XC-31 was built with an aluminum alloy framework covered by fabric, and featured strut-braced wing and a fully retractable landing gear, the main gear units mounted on small wing-like stubs and retracting inwards. An additional novel feature was the provision of main cargo doors that were parallel with the ground to facilitate loading.

XC-31 at Langley

Following evaluation by the USAAC, the XC-31 was transferred to NACA, which used it for icing studies at its Langley Research Center.[3]

Specifications

Data from ,[2][3]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
Related lists

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kreider-Reisner XC-31.
  1. Pattillo, Donald M. (1998). Pushing the Envelope: The American Aircraft Industry. University of Michigan: University of Michigan Press. pp. 79–80. ISBN 978-0472086719. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 "Kreider-Reisner XC-31 Fact Sheet". Online Aircraft Features. National Museum of the US Air Force. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  3. 1 2 "Fairchild Model XC-31 Cargo Transport". History of Airplanes. acepilots.com. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
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