The aircraft was designed by George Hardman of Kreider-Reisner after
Sherman Fairchild purchased the company.[1] Marketed as the Fairchild 22 Model C7 the aircraft was certified in March 1931. The Fairchild 22 was a mixed-construction, braced parasol-wing monoplane with a fixed tailwheel landing gear and a braced tail unit. It had two tandem open cockpits and was initially powered by an 80 hp (60 kW)
Armstrong Siddeley Genet radial engine. After test flying the prototype the first production aircraft were re-engined with a 75 hp (56 kW)
Michigan Rover inverted inline engine. The aircraft was fitted with both inline and radial piston engines.
Variants
C7
Powered by a 75hp
Michigan Rover four-cylinder inverted inline piston engine (13 built)
C7A
Powered by a 95hp
Cirrus Hi-Drive four-cylinder inverted inline piston engine (58 built).
C7B
Powered by a 125hp
Menasco C-4 Pirate four-cylinder inverted inline piston engine (eight built).
C7D
Powered by a 90hp
Wright Gipsy four-cylinder upright inline piston engine (one C-7C and 22 C-7D built).
C7E
Powered by a 125hp
Warner Scarab seven-cylinder radial piston engine (11 built).
C7F
Powered by a 145hp
Warner Super Scarab seven-cylinder radial piston engine (nine built).
C7G
Aerobatic version, powered by a 145hp
Warner Super Scarab seven-cylinder radial piston engine (six built).
XR2K-1
Military designation for one Scarab powered Model 22 impressed into service and used by
NACA.
NX14768
Experimentally designed wing added to the 1933 Fairchild 22 owned by
Charles Townsend Ludington under the Ludington-Griswold Incorporated company, Saybrook, CT. Test flown in 1944, the wing had a series of flaps and wing tip fins. The design proved disappointing and the airplane was later sold.