The Fairchild 100 Pilgrim is an American single-engined high-wing

monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...

transport, and was one of a series of single-engine utility transports built by

Fairchild Aircraft Fairchild was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company based at various times in Farmingdale, New York; Hagerstown, Maryland; and San Antonio, Texas. History Early aircraft The company was founded by Sherman Fairchild in 1 ...

Design and development

The 100 was similar in design to the

Fairchild C-8 The Fairchild 71 was an American high-wing monoplane passenger and cargo aircraft built by Fairchild Aircraft and later built in Canada by Fairchild Aircraft Ltd. (Canada) for both military and civilian use as a rugged bush plane. Design and dev ...

and was an enlarged version of it. The first flight of the aircraft (NC754Y) was October 22, 1930. Although only one aircraft was completed, a modified version also known as the Pilgrim 100-A was in production for

American Airways American Airlines is a major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the largest airline in the world when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and revenue passenge ...

, the first operator of the type in 1931. After a total of 16 aircraft, an additional batch of ten aircraft with a larger fin were manufactured by the restructured American Aircraft & Engine Corporation that emerged in 1931 from the Fairchild Aircraft Co. The continuing series was built under the designations, Pilgrim 100-B and American/Fairchild Y1C-24. The first six in the new series went to American Airways. The parent company later reinstated the Fairchild name.

Operational history

The sturdy Fairchild 100 series served as both an airliner and a bush plane. In 1932, the US Army Air Corps bought four Pilgrim Model 100-Bs designated the Y1C-24 and were initially assigned as light cargo transport and supply aircraft. After a short time in service, the Y1C-24s were adapted for use as aeromedical evacuation aircraft, carrying up to four litter patients. The aircraft were assigned to pilot training and pursuit aircraft airfields for use as crash rescue aircraft. Exploiting the Y1C-24's ability to take off and land in a relatively short distance, the Y1C-24s remained in service into the late 1930s when they were replaced by newer air ambulance aircraft."Fact Sheets: American Y1C-24."
''nationalmuseum.af.mil''. Retrieved: 13 July 2017.

Variants

;Pilgrim 100:Prototype of the Pilgrim 100 family, powered by a

Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp The Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp is an aircraft engine of the reciprocating type that was widely used in American aircraft from the 1920s onward. It was the Pratt & Whitney aircraft company's first engine, and the first of the famed Wasp series ...

. designed by Virginius Clark, one built. ;Pilgrim 100-A: aka American Pilgrim, powered by a

Pratt & Whitney Hornet B The Pratt & Whitney R-1860 Hornet B was a relatively uncommon aircraft engine. It was a development of Pratt & Whitney's earlier R-1690 Hornet and was basically similar, but enlarged in capacity from 1,690 to .Connors, p.79 Cylinder bore was in ...

, derived directly from the Fairchild 100. 16 were built, all of which were operated by

. ;Pilgrim 100-B: Powered by a

Wright R-1820 Cyclone B The Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 is an American radial engine developed by Curtiss-Wright, widely used on aircraft in the 1930s through 1950s. It was produced under license in France as the Hispano-Suiza 9V or Hispano-Wright 9V, and in the Soviet Uni ...

, ten built, of which six for American Airways, and four to the US Army as the Fairchild Y1C-24. ;Fairchild Y1C-24:Military designation for the US Army Y1C-24, four built, powered by

Wright R-1820-1 Cyclone The Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 is an American radial engine developed by Curtiss-Wright, widely used on aircraft in the 1930s through 1950s. It was produced under license in France as the Hispano-Suiza 9V or Hispano-Wright 9V, and in the Soviet Uni ...

engines. ;Pilgrim Y1C-24:Alternative military designation for the US Army Y1C-24.

Surviving aircraft

Pilgrim 100-B N709Y Pilgrim 100-B N709Y is one of a few surviving aircraft from the early days of aviation in the history of Alaska. It is a single-engine aircraft, built as a Fairchild 100 Pilgrim in 1932 by the American Airplane & Engine Corporation, of a type w ...

is one of a few surviving aircraft from the early days of aviation in the

history of Alaska The history of Alaska dates back to the Upper Paleolithic period (around 14,000 Anno Domini, BC), when Hunter-gatherer, foraging groups crossed the Beringia, Bering land bridge into what is now western Alaska. At the time of European contact by ...

. At the time of its listing on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1986, it was the last Pilgrim that was still flightworthy. It is now in the collection of the

Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum The Alaska Aviation Museum, previously the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum, is located on Lake Hood Seaplane Base in Anchorage, Alaska. Its mission since 1988, is to preserve, display, and honor Alaska's aviation heritage, by preserving and displ ...

Specifications (Y1C-24)

References

;Notes ;Bibliography
"Fairchild 100."
''Aerofiles''. Retrieved: 15 August 2009. * Swanborough, F.G. and Peter M. Bowers. ''United States Military Aircraft since 1909''. London: Putnam, 1963. .

External links

PhotoPilgrim AC operating at Flat, Alaska
{{Wright Field project numbers 1930s United States airliners

100 100 or one hundred (Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 and preceding 101. In medieval contexts, it may be described as the short hundred or five score in order to differentiate the English and Germanic use of "hundred" to de ...

Single-engined tractor aircraft High-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1930