Fairchild was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company based at various times in Farmingdale, New York; Hagerstown, Maryland; and San Antonio, Texas.

The company produced the first US aircraft to include a fully enclosed cockpit and hydraulic landing gear, the Fairchild FC-1.

[3] In 1935, Fairchild was hired by the US government to do aerial photograph surveys of the United States to track soil erosion and its effects.

Also large numbers of the Fairchild 24 (C-61/Argus) were produced for the military (principally as the Argus for the Royal Air Force), and continued production after the war for the civilian market.

The first C-119 made its initial flight in November 1947, and by the time production ceased in 1955, more than 1,100 C-119s had been built for use in the USAF, the Royal Canadian Air Force and others.

In 1949, the Hagerstown, Maryland, Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation developed the Chase XCG-20 glider into the C-123 Provider transport which entered service in 1955.

In 1971, the company began developing the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II in Germantown, Maryland,[8] which prevailed over the rival Northrop YA-9 in the A-X competition for an eventual production run of 716 aircraft.

In December 1999, Fairchild Aerospace Corporation was acquired by German insurer Allianz A.G. and the United States investment group Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Inc. for $1.2 billion.