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 one of the last fabric-covered aircraft tested by the U.S. Army Air Corps.[1] 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,[1] 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 fully retractable landing gear, with 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.
Following evaluation by the USAAC, the XC-31 was transferred to NACA, which used it for icing studies at its Langley Research Center.[2]
Specifications
General characteristics
- Crew: 1 (Pilot)
- Capacity: 15 passengers or 3,500 pounds (1,600 kg) of cargo
- Length: 55 ft 5 in (16.89 m)
- Wingspan: 75 ft 0 in (22.86 m)
- Height: 15 ft 10 in (4.83 m)
- Wing area: 802 sq ft (74.5 m2)
- Empty weight: 7,322 lb (3,321 kg)
- Gross weight: 12,750 lb (5,783 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Wright R-1820-25 radial , 750 hp (559 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 154 mph (248 km/h, 134 kn)
- Cruise speed: 143 mph (230 km/h, 124 kn)
- Range: 775 mi (1,247 km, 673 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 15,000 ft (4,570 m)
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
- ^ a b c "Kreider-Reisner XC-31 Fact Sheet". Online Aircraft Features. National Museum of the US Air Force. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
- ^ a b "Fairchild Model XC-31 Cargo Transport". History of Airplanes. acepilots.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2010. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
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