A decision to mount a parasol wing above the fuselage coupled with a rear cockpit position, clearly distinguished this model from the rest of the Fairchild 71 series, although the company designation maintained the family lineage.

In use, pilots found that forward vision was compromised to such an extent that few operators favoured the installation and when the Royal Canadian Air Force ordered the type, the specifications included a new cockpit position ahead of the wing and immediately behind the engine.

[2] The design featured a first-of-its-kind (for Canada) duralumin monocoque fuselage with a streamlined oval shape and strut-braced metal wing and tail surfaces.

[3] Equipped with floats and powered by the 525 hp (391 kW) S1D1 Wasp, the Super 71 prototype, CF-AUJ, flew for the first time on 31 October 1934.

[2] The only surviving airframe is the prototype presently on display at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada in Winnipeg, Manitoba.