This retained the stretched forward fuselage and separate flight deck that had been a feature of the Super 71, but increased passenger and load capacity.

[3] The Fairchild 82 was a rugged aircraft and it found a niche as a freighter especially in northern Canada, although export versions were used for a variety of roles including surveying and light transport.

While its main competitor, the Noorduyn Norseman was finding success with military orders, Fairchild decided to abandon the bush plane market temporarily in favour of producing the Bristol Bolingbroke bomber for the Royal Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force immediately prior to the Second World War.

The company had intended to enter the postwar civilian market with an upgraded Model 82 but the original tooling had been destroyed during the war years.

An extensive search ensued at the time but was unsuccessful, and it wasn't until in 2003 when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) finally found the crash site.